6 Dead Shrimp or MIA

[cknguyen3]

About two days ago i noticed that 6 of my shrimp had died.

3 Cleaner shrimp and 3 fire shrimp. if your asking how i know this it is because my three cleaner shrimp are a PITA always climbing around the tank and on my arm during feeding time and whenever i put my hand in the tank to do cleaning etc. Also my fire shrimp love to come out during feeding time and steel brine shrimp from my LPS and Ricordea. It has been two days and these shrimp have not been seen.

I also saw one cleaner shrimp looking pretty bad considering he was floating around the tank and the fish were going after him like a sharks during a feeding frenzy.

What could have caused 6 of my shrimp to die in a day?

Also my 4 peppermint shrimp are all still alive and happy.

My parameters have been the same no massive change in anything.

The only new things ive added is a green/yellow acropora, green/purple montipora cap, blastomussa, and a scroll coral. and i doubt any of those would kill my shrimp.

Thoughts and comments appreciated!

Thanks,
Chris

 

[mndfreeze]

I'm still new at this but my understanding of inverts is that they are some of most sensitive to even slight water issues where as fish tend to be a lot more hardy against spikes and general quality.

Did you check ALL your water params? Did you have anything else in the tank that might have died out of sight under a rock that could have leaked nasties into the water?

Maaaybee you have some hitch hiker that murders shrimps?

 

[Octoshark]

How big is your tank? I'm wondering if they just have plenty of places to hide and may therefore seem to have disappeared but are actually just hiding out. Then again, you did mention how it is unusual for them to not be out as usual.

What kind of fish do you have?

 

[Lolas_boy]

Did you get any live rock recently? I may be wrong due to the fact that your peppermint shrimp are fine but I'm thinking mantis shrimp. I've heard storys of ones who will leave shrimp alone, kill all of them, or just kill a few. Also if you haven't seen any bodies this may also be a clue.

 

[cknguyen3]

Thanks for the responses.

mndfreeze- yes i did check all my params and they are fine, the only live rock ive added is the one that are attached to the SPS and LPS i got recently

octoshark- its a 180g witha 55g sump, hopefully they are just taking a long vacation.

Lolas Boy- i had a mantis shrimp awhile ago about 9 years when the tank was set up but it was removed promptly. and there are no bodies left that i see atleast.

 

[peasofme]

indeed mysterious

 

[pipebash]

same thing happened to me about a month or so ago. parameters checked out fine, even got a copper kit and tested at 0. i hear clicking every once in a while but ive read that clowns sometimes make clicking noises. so my solution is to put a peppermint in a plastic breeder box and if it lives fine for a week its not a water issue. then i will set a shrimp trap. the only other possibility is that it could be my radiant wrasse but all of the people ive talked to say its unlikely. will let you know how my test goes.

 

[peasofme]

clowns dont click heh. its a mantis most likely.

 

[mndfreeze]

My brothers clowns attack (repeating click) against the glass when they get all spawny and rambunctious.

 

[pipebash]

shrimp was fine after a week in confinement so it wasnt a water quality issue so this morning i woke up early before the lights came on and just happened to look in a hole of live rock and saw a pistol shrimp. now i have to catch the killer.

 

[JeepTJ]

shrimp was fine after a week in confinement so it wasnt a water quality issue so this morning i woke up early before the lights came on and just happened to look in a hole of live rock and saw a pistol shrimp. now i have to catch the killer.

Pistol shrimp killing other shrimp? I've always thought they were pretty much passive and defensive?

 

[Lolas_boy]

Thats not what I've heard or seen. I've seen video of one specificly targeting a cleaner. Although I may be wrong as I've never really had an intrest in pistol shrimp.

 

[JeepTJ]

Thats not what I've heard or seen. I've seen video of one specificly targeting a cleaner. Although I may be wrong as I've never really had an intrest in pistol shrimp.

Well, well! I had always been told they were peaceful. Guess this could explain some odd disappearances I've had over the past couple years.

Anyone got some tips for baiting him out? Perhaps mine would like a vacation to the refugium to see if my peppermint mortality rate improves, hehe

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

I have 6 peppermints,and one night I caught one molting and the other peppermints attacked the freshly molted one.I have seen cleaner shrimp do that to.

 

[mndfreeze]

Well, well! I had always been told they were peaceful. Guess this could explain some odd disappearances I've had over the past couple years.

Anyone got some tips for baiting him out? Perhaps mine would like a vacation to the refugium to see if my peppermint mortality rate improves, hehe

You can try the reverse-top 2-liter trick, or a glass jar tilted.

I've been doing a loooooootttttt of reading and searching and asking here about pistols before I got my candy cane. It really seems to be certain species of pistols are more prone to killing tank mates, carribeans get mentioned a lot on this. Seems in general they were all bigger species.

So it might NOT be, but a fuge break can't hurt