Peppermint Shrimp Houdini'd

pmgaudio

In Memoriam
I seem to have lost the Peppermint shrim I bought and was wondering if they have a history of this. I looked everywhere and picked up/inspected every rock and nothing. Perhaps he's THAT good at hiding or I was even thinking he got , ummm, eaten? I doubt that a Damsel, or a clown would do such a thing but I am still new to this hobby and have yet to have ANY idea what can happen.
I have a 29 Gallon with about that much in Rock and about a 1-2" sand bed. A few Zoanthids, a crab (rock I think) that seems to hang on ONE rock and does not seem to be a pest.
My other question is the Damsel. He is being a real pain in the *** and my clown won't MOVE from his little corner cause the pesty damsel bothers him. At first it was not like that, the clown started "Pushing" back, but that seems to have passed, and the clown is not eating (week and a half)
I was thinking of setting up a ten gal QT, and perhaps I could put the damsel in ot for a few weeks and reacclimate him to the DT and perhaps he will have forgotten his territory?
Or should I just brig the $5 fish to the LFS and keep the $25 Clown...

AND BTW I have NOT seen the Shrimp NOR a shedding...
 
Well I am unsure about your peppermint, it may have made an escape, or it may just be hiding. Look for it at night when the lights are out, as they like the dark better than the day and do not really like to be out when the lights are on. If you have large aptasia and your shrimp was small it may have been eaten.

As for the damsel you could do that, but he would just become territorial again. I would get rid of him if I were you. I have had a few damsels in the past and would not get one again even if you paid me for it. They usually end up getting banished to the sump where they live out the rest of their lives or given to fellow reefers with aggressive tanks, as we have had our damsel get rather large in the sump. Damsels are very aggressive and territorial and it gets worse as they mature, your best bet is to get rid of the little guy before he takes over your tank too much.
 
i dont know what a "rock crab" is. if it is actually a stone crab, the crab could have very well eaten your pep shrimp. i had a blood red shrimp that was taken out by a fairly small stone crab a few months back. i would remove the crab. as for the damsel issue, i would replace it with something like a royal gramma.
 
hmm. It seems to be the popular choice to get rid of him. Perhaps I will just take him to the LFS, so I don't feel guilty about "getting ri" of him. I was thinking of a fire shrimo to add to my CUC, as well as perhaps a Star, Spiney perhaps. I hear they are GREAT for a CUC crewmember. I have One Nassaius snail, and may get another. As for fish, I would LOVE another clown, (False Perc, like mine) Would they get along?. And eventually one other, either a flame angel, or Cowfish (My GF wants that) But not too many more cause of tank size. Next a 55 Gal when the budget increases.
And If I do decide on an Anenome for the clowns, I read I should wait another few months?
I am sure I will have more questions, I only hope more get answered, as I have felt "neglected" here...
But that might just be that I am THAT new and not putting my qyerries in the right places
 
And BTW that little crab cold have got the shrimp? It was three times his size...
I thought I had Aptasia which is why I got him but I am trying to get a picture of it cause 1-I do not think it is Ap, and 2- if it is it is NOT big enough IMO to kill a shrimp. I also did NOT find min on the floor, NOR anywhere in the tank. I will try when I get home (Recovering from Knee surgery, and have only checked in for topoff three times in two weeks) to see at night.
Thanks again for all advise and input
Pat G
 
Quick question- did your LFS tell you to get the damsel to cycle your tank? That tends to be popular, because they are "hardy" fish but you should not cycle a tank with a fish as it is cruel. (Just a heads up, not sure if that was the case).

If you have a 29 gallon, I would suggest ten or so nassaius snails. They are my favorite they go into the sandbed and really a good cleaners. I would also suggest 3-4 zebra turbo snails as from my experience they are able to right themselves better than mexican turbos when they fall off rock/glass. Did you mean a brittle star? If you want corals flame angels may nip. Cowfish are difficult to keep and need big tanks and are not completely reef safe. Anemomes are a definite no until your tank is more mature and you need adequate lighting for them as well. I would say go ahead and see if you can't get some trade in value for your damsel at your LFS to get another clown if you like. The clowns should get along, however they may chase each other for a bit if one is already sexed. (clowns can change sexes) Bigger one would be your female smaller male.
 
I got the damsel cause, (1)-it was cheap, and the tank had been running for about 4 weeks with live sand and rock, and STILL to this day I have had NO "spikes" of any kind, although the nitrates are about 6. So I did NOT get him to cycle, but, (2)-I did get him with slight anticipation of a mini cycle, and well, he is hardy.
I have a Armour of the Gods Zoanthids, and two other small polyp corals. I am thinking a fire shrimp, but I realy want TWO if they can get along (If I get a paired set). Perhaps a royal Gramma, and a fire angel (dwarf). I will probobly get a few more snails. Get rid of the crab, and most likely was thinking of staying totally away from crabs all together. And YES I was thinking of Brittle star BTW. Thanks. So my CUC would be snails and a star, perhaps a cucumber, most likely not, but was thinking it. I was also told the OC Clown may or may NOT host an ANenome, but I heard there are other "Corals" He(She) May host that are not as "Invasive" or Aggressive as an anenome, and not as expenxive (Bubbles I see go for over 50 bucks, and I am now on a budget)
I am also thinking I may get a nice 55 setup CHEAP and might like an aggressive tank (Lion, and Puffer) FOWLR, and perhaps use the 29 for a small "easy-to-mange-coral", reef
This is very addicting, but I am trying to control myself, LOL

So in short Two fire shrimp, a few mor Nass.. snails, perhaps a few turbos and a couple more fish, and a soft coral (devils hand) or two till summers here...

PS (as far as the addiction goes, well I was thinking a Fluval Edge for a pair of seahorses...)
Thoughts?
 
I got a very large peppermint shrimp and haven't seen it in a month so far. I saw what I believe to be a molt, but the shrimp is no where to be seen. I think he's deep within a rock somewhere but he is not eating my tiny aiptasia that's for sure!
 
And BTW that little crab cold have got the shrimp? It was three times his size...
I thought I had Aptasia which is why I got him but I am trying to get a picture of it cause 1-I do not think it is Ap, and 2- if it is it is NOT big enough IMO to kill a shrimp. I also did NOT find min on the floor, NOR anywhere in the tank. I will try when I get home (Recovering from Knee surgery, and have only checked in for topoff three times in two weeks) to see at night.
Thanks again for all advise and input
Pat G

I still think its possible the crab got em. the crab that got my shrimp was half it size. mustve got em when he was sleeping. i did see a body leftover, though
 
My peppermint shrimp ate my one aptasia that I had the first night I got her (she was pregnant apparently). I see her all the time in my 50T. She comes out during the daytime and night.
 
ithought my two peppermints were dead for 3 months....til I found both of them wandering around the sump! They mustve had a wild ride!
 
they are very shy and usually stay hidden and come out at night. i have 15 in 120gal tank and i harldy see them ever, i know they are alive as i do see them at night and at feeding time.
 
I had bought a peppermint shrimp and could not find it. I had assumed he drifted into an anemone and was eaten, but about a week after I put him in (and thought he was eaten on the same day) he came out to say hi. It takes months for some, so it's probably just hiding.
 
OK I am quite sure the first shrimp is gone. Today I got the Damsel out and returned him. )Had to remove almost EVERY piece of rock, and no shrimp sighting so...
Got TWO more shrimp, aptasia-x (Which is kinda why I got the shrimp, as well as adding them to CUC) Two more Nass Snails. and we will see what happens. IF they disappear the crab is OUT!
(I did see another TINY TINY crap poke out if the coral he is hiding in. slightly larger than the size of a pinhead. cute little @#%er)
 
i got three peppermint shrimp and my 6 large naissurius snails ate two of them. i believe it happened because i didnt acclimate the shrimp correctly and they were stressed. one of them is still living and i see him occasionally and has seemed to been eating some smaller aiptasias.
 
LOL! at Dingo44's avatar pic.

I love my peppermint. It does hide a lot but I've see it out and about a lot too and it ate my aiptasia on the 2nd day. :)
 
well I got two more (shrimp) and they are still there, but so is the aptasia...
. My clown however is still acting weird. Perhaps he does not yet realize the Damsel is gone
 
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