Something is killing my shrimps

JDF24

New member
I just bought 2 peppermint shrimp and in about half an hour after I put them in my tank one of them was already half chewed up and the other is hiding at the moment. I had a cleaner shrimp before I got these two and every time it molted it's antennas would be half chewed off and this happened for months and I couldn't figure out why until he finally died, from stress I think. I have a feeling it's either the Bristle tail or the Six line, I'm not really sure which. This is everything I have in my 30 gallon right now.

2x Clown fish
1x Blue/green chromous
1x Six line wrasse
1x yellow clown goby
1x Bristletail filefish
1x Serpent sea star
 
My vote is for the file fish

The Matted Filefish is also known as the Bristletail Filefish, Matted Leatherjacket, Tomentosus Filefish, or Aiptasia Eating Filefish. The body is a mottled green, brown, and tan coloration.
It is a shy fish, and rarely aggressive towards other fish except those of its own genus. It is best suited for aquariums 30 gallons or larger that does not contain small invertebrates.

The Matted Filefish is known to eat Aiptasia anemone in the home aquarium, but normally nips at soft and stony corals as well. The diet should include shaved shrimp, squid, scallop, mysis shrimp, freeze-dried krill soaked in a vitamin supplement, and frozen marine algae. The Matted Filefish should be fed small quantities of food several times per day.

These fish have been known to spawn in captivity, and males are normally large than the females, having fine bristle-like hairs on each side of their body down the caudal peduncle or base of the tail.
 
Last edited:
I had a six line that terrorized anything in the tank. Gave him a new home in the sump


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I just bought 2 peppermint shrimp and in about half an hour after I put them in my tank one of them was already half chewed up and the other is hiding at the moment. I had a cleaner shrimp before I got these two and every time it molted it's antennas would be half chewed off and this happened for months and I couldn't figure out why until he finally died, from stress I think. I have a feeling it's either the Bristle tail or the Six line, I'm not really sure which. This is everything I have in my 30 gallon right now.

2x Clown fish
1x Blue/green chromous
1x Six line wrasse
1x yellow clown goby
1x Bristletail filefish
1x Serpent sea star

My vote is the file fish, but what species of clownfish do you have?

As of now my vote is file fish or hitch hiker of some kind.
 
easy culprit is filefish, most likely the shrimp eater, since it's a natural part of the fishes diet.

I find this surprising. (yes, I've read abt MFF diet)

My Matted File Fish doesn't touch my 4 cleaner shrimp, 1 fire shrimp.

He will eat acans and clams, though, so maybe yours just likes shrimp?

I *did* have a wrasse several years ago that terrorized the entire tank. Took me many, many frustrating attempts before I caught him and he went back to lfs. I'll never have a wrasse again: jmho :)
 
I just bought 2 peppermint shrimp and in about half an hour after I put them in my tank one of them was already half chewed up and the other is hiding at the moment. I had a cleaner shrimp before I got these two and every time it molted it's antennas would be half chewed off and this happened for months and I couldn't figure out why until he finally died, from stress I think. I have a feeling it's either the Bristle tail or the Six line, I'm not really sure which. This is everything I have in my 30 gallon right now.

2x Clown fish
1x Blue/green chromous
1x Six line wrasse
1x yellow clown goby
1x Bristletail filefish
1x Serpent sea star
I bet the 6 line Wrasse.....

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
It could be the six line as well, my go to guess would be file fish, but six lines are super territorial My six line never bothered any of my shrimp but they were in the tank first, he would however kill any new fish I tried to add. so that is possible.
 
Absolutely!
Fast, colourful, fun, darter......but usually a big pain in the.......well....it's a family show...
 
Absolutely!
Fast, colourful, fun, darter......but usually a big pain in the.......well....it's a family show...
LOL.....yep....I kept a six line for a few years...then one day he turned into a serial killer and went on a murderous rampage ....or should I say "attempted" murderous rampage....my poor leopard Wrasses were afraid to even cone out of the sand. I removed him promply and traded him back to my LFS....for that reason I stay away from lined Wrasses....but I have 7 Wrasses in my tank currently....but I don't keep any type of cleaner shrimp because I lost several to my Wrasses in the beginning....

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top