Cleaner Shrimp

[Marinecrazy]

I've had 5 shrimp in my 55 gal tank for some time. They have gone through several molts so I am familiar with that and dose Iodide to ensure they have no problems. I have not seen my cleaner shrimp for about a week now. I thought they were hiding out during a molt but I am very concerned. I have not found them and my ammonia is 0.

I have 2 YT Blue damsels, a Red Flame Angel, a yellow tang, a clarkii, an orchid dottyback and a sunrise dottyback. I noticed the sunrise dottyback was being very aggressive with a hermit crab which was inside of its "den". An area below a piece of live rock the sunrise has cleared sand away below the rock and uses as it's primary residence. I also have a star serpent.

The shrimp were about the same size as the dottyback. Would the shrimp have become a banquet? I know seem to have only one peppermint shrimp left.

[ATJ]

[welcome]

I guess there are a number of possibilities. It could still be hiding out before/after a moult. It could have died during a moult. It could have been eaten by either dottyback during the moult on soon after. It could have been eaten by the serpent star during the moult or soon after.

[BryanJ]

I can relate to this one chances are the shrimp started to molt someone had a fresh lunch possibly your other cleaner shrimp. I was missing a cleaner for a couple of weeks one day I looked in the tank and parts had appeared. Don't know who did it but any trouble with a molt means someones having shrimp tonight. Just some personal observation.

[ignite1402]

yeah most fishes will whack it when the shells are soft... they know the theory of "strike when the iron is hot" LOL... my guess is that they may still be hiding... hopefully

[Marinecrazy]

Just wanted to say thank you for your responses. I've given up on those shrimp. I guess they have given up the ghost.

[Peter Schmiedel]

This still (?) undiscribed Pseudochromis killed my breading goup L.wurdemani within a few day.





I never expected that!

[Unfair Advantage]

Take a flashlight and, if you can, get a red filter (if not it's ok, just cover it with a light rag) and check your tank out at night. I lost 2 of my cleaners to a large stone crab hitchhiker that I found during a nighttime scan...

http://tyt-priv.recongamer.com/crab1.jpg

That's him after I caught him/tore his front claws off in the process.

[nonome]

Dottybacks eat shrimp. I've seen mine munch on three shrimps and all three were gone in a week. So now my dottyback is gone back to the LFS.