Peppermint shrimp

[undertcontrolj]

I bought a peppermint shrimp about 2 weeks ago and about 4 days ago he molted and i have not seen him since. First question is that normal from him to molt? Second question how long should i wait before i start dismantling and looking for him?

 

[Tennyson]

I would wait maybe 2-3 more days before getting worried. But its normal that it molted.

But if u haven't seen it for a while, it could have been food since they are most vulnerable during and after their molt.

 

[undertcontrolj]

there is nothing in there to eat it. I am just going to wait another day or two and then i guess i will try to find him.

 

[undertcontrolj]

okay tore tank apart and still did not find shrimp. What happened?

 

[Tennyson]

This is probably unlikely. But I had an anemone shrimp in my 46 gallong for a month. And one day I found it dried up behind the tank dead. so there is a chance that it could have jumped out.

Or...what other inverts/fish do you have? In an invert loaded tank (particularly ones with shrimp) the carcus of a dead shrimp will not last long.

 

[undertcontrolj]

well i have some blue leg hermits. I thought they might have eating him. He disappeared right after he molted. So i don't know. He might have escaped i leave the top of the nano up sometimes to cool it down.

 

[Tennyson]

Theres just a really small chance that it jumped out, but it probably didn't since there doesn't appear to be anything harmful in your tank. And hermit crabs would take a long time to eat a whole peppermint. How many do you have?

It could have decomposed already or was broken apart after it died and small pieces of its body were scattered around the tank, making quick meals for hermits.