Peppermint Shrimp: hiding or dead?

Hey all,

My tank is about 8 months old and one of the first things we introduced (say 6 months ago) was a pair of peppermint shrimp.

This last week, I've not seen them at all. On the past of one molts it tends to hide for a few days... but for both of them to not be around is weird.

Anyone have any insight into how long they might hole up in the reef without emerging for? should we be concerned about them?

If they've crawled in a hole and died, can k trust the remaining CUC to remove the bodies? Would these theoretically contribute to ammonia levels?

Tank stats:
- Red Sea Max 250
- 40L sump / fuge
- fuge: dragons breath and caleurpa
- aftermarket deltec skimmer in sump
- Chemistry is stable and we dose Calcium and KHZ at the moment.

Inhabitants:
- 1 male + 3 female anthias
- 3 blue chromis
- 1 lawnmower blenny
- 1 fairy wrasse
- 2 black ocellaris clowns
- 7 nassarius snails
- 1 redline cleaner shrimp
- 2 Nems (BTA - recent split)
- a bunch of LPS, zoas and morphs

Hitchhikers:
- 1 unidentifiable crab (2cm across)
- 1 squat lobster (tiny)
- various small snails & bristle worms
- couple of starfish (small)

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef,

That does seem odd both would go missing at the same time. I have had clowns kill shrimp, but not to eat it was a territory dispute, and I have had the occasional wrasse make a meal out of cleaner shrimp.

Three to 4 days after a molt seems fairly common with regard to the shrimp seeking refuge until their exoskeleton is sufficiently hardened.

 

Probably just a molt.