Cleaner shrimp got eaten

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by Seguragr, Mar 19, 2012.

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  1. Seguragr

    Seguragr Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2012
    Messages:
    42
    I bought a cleaner shrimp a couple days ago because my yellow tang has been scratching on the rocks after I accidentally stirred up the sand bed and made the water cloudy. I have a full reef with lots of coral so I can't treat with copper. I was told to try herbtana in conjunction with either a cleaner shrimp or a neon goby to help the tang. I opted to go with the shrimp because the lfs guy said that the gobies will not eat parasites if they aren't hungry and they will eat regular food. I figured the shrimp would be more likely to do the cleaning since he's a scavenger and wouldn't get as much food as the goby from regular feelings.

    Unfortunately, my lfs did not warn me that anything in my tank would attack the shrimp and I didn't think it would be an issue since nothing has bothered my hermit crabs. I was wondering if you could help me figure out who the culprit might be. I would like to keep a cleaner shrimp
    And a coral banded shrimp, but I'm not putting more in if they'll just get eaten.

    My fish stock is:
    2 percula clowns
    1 six line wrasse
    1 royal gramma
    1 yellow tailed blue damsel
    1 azure damsel
    1 scooter blenny
    1 yellow tang
    1 diagonal stripe goby (if he lived)

    Misc zoas and palys
    Duncan coral
    Montipora cap
    Acropora
    Purple mushroom
    Green polyps leather coral (don't know what kind)
    Trumpet coral
    Gsp
    Lobo brain coral
    Green carpet anemone

    It's a 125 gallon system with a sump.
     
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  3. reefmonkey

    reefmonkey Giant Squid

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    SE South Dakota
    Welcome to 3reef.

    How do you know it got eaten? Maybe it's just hiding in the rocks. I have a hard time finding mine in a 75G sometimes.
     
  4. Seguragr

    Seguragr Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2012
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    Because I found two halves of its body sitting on the sand.
     
  5. pgoodsell

    pgoodsell Horrid Stonefish

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    It could have been a molt. Their molts look a lot like a dead shrimp. I dont see anything on your fish list that would be a problem with shrimp.
     
  6. reefmonkey

    reefmonkey Giant Squid

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    Molt is my thoughts exactly. When the exoskeleton is shed it can retain bright color and will trick ya at first.
     
  7. malac0da13

    malac0da13 Torch Coral

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    Indeed the molts are very deceiving. First time I saw one I was convinced it was dead because I couldn't find him anywhere since after they molt they tend to hide for a few days because they are s little mushy yet. I would give it a day or three until you conclude he is dead.
     
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  9. allthingsmarine

    allthingsmarine Plankton

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    Location:
    england
    Same when you see a hermit crab molt,managed to trick my other half with that(she thought it was dead)
     
  10. Seguragr

    Seguragr Astrea Snail

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    I thought that it might be a molt at first, but if it was a molt the shell would be totally empty right?

    The tail section of the shrimp pieces I found was totally empty, but the front half looked like it had shrimp meat in it. Is it possible for them to leave some tissue in the molt?
     
  11. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    southeast ohio O-H....
    If you're tang has Ich, the cleaner isn't going to help with that. Make sure ya feed him some good garlic and selcon laced nori for that and keep stress down.

    But it sounds like a molt to me too, they look deceivingly like a dead shrimp.
     
  12. Seguragr

    Seguragr Astrea Snail

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    I'll keep my fingers crossed then. I just bought some garlic oil today to put on the tang's nori, so hopefully that will help. I've also been treating with Herbtana on the recommendation of my LFS. Don't know if a reef safe herbal treatment like Herbtana will help at all, but right now anything is worth a shot. I bought the cleaner shrimp because my tang has been following my six line wrasse all over the tank trying to get him to clean him, so i figured a shrimp might do what he wants since the six line isn't having any of it.