Shrimps Gone...did they get eaten??

[boostd2valve]

Hello all....Just decided to give this a post before i go buy some more shrimps...My tank is a 150g 6ft....Had 2 Cleaner shrimps and 2 pep's....kinda noticed they all pretty much disappeared...Tank mates are 2 tangs, maroon clown(meanie!), foxface...and various snails/crabs..I also had a star disappear also?....I noticed the shrimps molted here and there but thats about it.....and also they disappeared around the same time...all parameters are same as always..Tank has been running for about 2 years....thanks!

[FOSELONE]

if they molted they may just be hanging out waiting for their new shells to harden a bit before they come out again...thats what they do...

[boostd2valve]

yeah i know that..but they have been gone for 2 plus months..They used to hide after the molt for acouple days then come back out...they stayed in a certain spot....i had them for about a year with no problems...

[charleskeller]

I've had the same problem in my tank. I put a peppermint in and after 3-4 weeks they would be gone.

I did discover an odd crab in a rock last week that could be the culprit. It was reddish in color. You may also have a crab too.

[philter4]

Shrimp, even cleaners, are very susceptible to predation when they shed, I've lost some to basslets, they were fine until they shed then one at a time, each shed I had one less, it could be the maroon clown eating them as they shed.

[boostd2valve]

After all the reading on crab findings...I took a flashlight to the tank last night after the lights went out for awhile...There is a CRAB in there!!....Its Dark purple or Black..and the shape of a emrald crab?....I tried to play around with a frozen shrimp last night to catch it..but had no luck..Do you think he is the problem???

[KWRealtor]

Do you have any well feed looking Coral Bander Shrimp in your tank? Check it out - http://www.melevsreef.com/id/crawls.html

Good Luck,
Sam

[KWRealtor]

Another link to shrimp predators - http://www.melevsreef.com/id/shrimp.html

Good Luck,
Sam

[boostd2valve]

dont have of those shrimps..i have no shrimp now LOL

[NanoReefWanabe]

friend of mine has a bunch of shrimp in his tank..mated blood, mated coral banded, mated cleaners...and a pair of Camels or peps...not sure which one...all in a 150...no conflicts between shrimps..

mantis might pick them off though...have you added any new rock lately?

does your crab have flattened pichers?? or pointed ones?

i have seen black mithrax crabs...before in reef tanks..not sure how safe they were though...

[tmz]

It is my understanding that they ony live about two years. is that correct?

[boostd2valve]

Not sure tmz...But that is a good point...Could have lived there life lol..But i just figured they would live longer!..Not sure on the crab I have to figure a way to catch it!

[renogaw]

i'm blaming my pistol shrimp for the disappearance of 2 sally light foot crabs and about 7 pistol shrimp.

[WarrenAmy&Maddy]

Originally posted by renogaw
i'm blaming my pistol shrimp for the disappearance of 2 sally light foot crabs and about 7 pistol shrimp.

you are the first person i have heard say this besides myself!

i mention this in threads and people think it sounds crazy.

had 6 peppermints in my system
added a tiger pistol... now no pmints in sight aiptasia gone wild and also missing is a fire shrimp that we have had for over year... in fact most of the pmints were atleast 6 mos old or older... still have a cleaner shrimp that hangs out on the other side of the tank as the pistol... one of my wifes favorites since we have had it - hate to see him go!

anyone have any ideas how best to catch a pistol lol

[tmz]

I learned to love my pistol shrimp after 3 or so years of unsuccessfull efforts at trapping him.
He is now about four and a half years old. I have read that the life expectancy for this shrimp is about 4 to 5 years.
Mine takes crabs, snails and I can't keep any cleaners or peppermints in my 90 gallon.
It will even take small corals and drag them and the rock they are on into it's burrow for some remodeling.
After several failures with pepermints and cleaners, I tried a coral banded and it has done well for over a year.
My pistol got a firefish that wandered too close to it's burrow and almost snapped it in half. It emerged sporting two large gashes. I was surprised it was able to heal.
Every month or so the pistol decides to remodel the right half of the tank. It moves surprising amounts of sand and I must be carefull not to place corals on the bottom in the areas where it makes dunes.
It got me with it's pincher twice and clicked at me numerous times. Trouble is I never know where it will pop out of the rock work which makes tank maintenance an adventure.
At this point, I'm resigned to leave it alone to live out it's days. I don't think I'll miss it when it's gone,althouhg it has added excitement to the tank and given me stories to tell.

[WarrenAmy&Maddy]

Originally posted by tmz
I learned to love my pistol shrimp after 3 or so years of unsuccessfull efforts at trapping him.
He is now about four and a half years old. I have read that the life expectancy for this shrimp is about 4 to 5 years.
Mine takes crabs, snails and I can't keep any cleaners or peppermints in my 90 gallon.
It will even take small corals and drag them and the rock they are on into it's burrow for some remodeling.
After several failures with pepermints and cleaners, I tried a coral banded and it has done well for over a year.
My pistol got a firefish that wandered too close to it's burrow and almost snapped it in half. It emerged sporting two large gashes. I was surprised it was able to heal.
Every month or so the pistol decides to remodel the right half of the tank. It moves surprising amounts of sand and I must be carefull not to place corals on the bottom in the areas where it makes dunes.
It got me with it's pincher twice and clicked at me numerous times. Trouble is I never know where it will pop out of the rock work which makes tank maintenance an adventure.
At this point, I'm resigned to leave it alone to live out it's days. I don't think I'll miss it when it's gone,althouhg it has added excitement to the tank and given me stories to tell.

heard of putting pvc in front of its burrow
angled down into the sand - then put food in there - when the pistol goes down to get it then it cant get back out of the pvc.

havent tried it yet but i have no interest in keeping this pistol any longer.

as neat as it is
its not worth all the repercussions on my system for having it (primarily aiptasia/peppermint amongst other things). in fact i am way past any sort of appreciation for this pistol.

recently the pistol decided to pack up and move house
from the left end of the tank a lil more in towards the center... since this time have been hearing its 'pistol' all the time and have noticed 3 hermits have been not alive on the bottom of the sandbed - one of them was a larger 'halloween' hermit... honestly i didnt think the pistol could necessarily take out a hermit - but hearing your story seems to more or less confirm the culprit...

regards

[tmz]

Good luck. I tried hard and couldn't catch it. Hope you fare better. I did tease it out one time with a pair of tweezers and grabed by it's claw. A moment of sympathy and it was gone.