Last night my dog was barking at the tank in the middle of the night. I didn't think anything of it then I got up later and check the tank and one of my cleaner shrimps was missing. Today I get home from work and my coral bandit shrimp also disappeared without a trace. No mess, no body... nothing. I check to see if they go sucked into the over flow but no luck. I noticed yesterday my shrimps have had their antennas chopped off a bit and onw was hiding by the overflow. So there must be something praying on them in the tank? Any idea as to how to tell what it could be and how to catch it? Thanks in advance... 2 cleaners left now... I hope I get to the bottom of this soon.
Help! Disappearing shrimps!
- Thread starter EVO
- Start date
Where did you get your liverock from and how long have you had it? Could be a variety of things, clicking would indicate either a mantis or pistol. I doubt it would be a pistol they are too blind. So I agree with Bethany, could be a mantis. Could also be a crab?
B.
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I've had the shrimps about 5 - 6 months. I don't think they are dying of old age because of the antennas being clipped and the one that was hiding by the overflow... that seems to be very odd behavior. Yes I was thinking mantis shrimp. Are there any signs that would point towards this? I thought I heard clicking but I think that was my electric flame scallops flapping their shells. Do those mantis shrimp traps really work? *sigh* when I got my live rocks I thought I found something that was a little lobster, I put it in the tank... but then I think it died. How big does a mantis shrimp have to be to pray on chromises and shimps about 3 inches long? I had 10 green chromioses that disappeared one by one for no reason, I thought maybe they get sick but now I think it might be a mantis, mostly because all the other fish are fine. 
Bastard mantis shrimp of the appocolipse... I'm going to get that sucker!
Bastard mantis shrimp of the appocolipse... I'm going to get that sucker!Okay here goes... you guys are going to call the tang police on me. 72 gal bow front, 90 lbs LR, 1 yellow tang, 1 blue hippo tang, 1 yellow eye poo eater tang, 1 clown, 1 lawnmower, 1 spotted mandrin, 1 firefish, 1 coral angel, 1 cleaner goby. One long tentical anemone, 1 small bulb anemone, 2 cleaner shrimps left, 2 electric flame scallops, 2 brittle stars... one is getting very big, 1 serpant star, 3 emerald crabs, 1 porcelin crab, 1 giant feather duster, bunch of green zoos, snails, bunch of small hermits. I have about 700 gal / hour moving through the drip filter and abouit 600 gal / hour going through the skimmer, 2 wave maker power heads in tank moving aboutg 270 gal / hour each. It seems my 2 cleaner shrimps that are still here have been spared for now... I've been feeding the tank a little more than usual to apease the gods. Do those mantis shrimp traps work? I did find some remains today, antennas and legs, seems they have been ejected from under the rocks.
The remains you found are prolly from a molt of one of your exsisting shrimp.
When you say cleaner shrimp you mean the ones with the white stripe down their back? If it is the Skunk cleaner I think a 72 is to small for more than one or a mated pair.
It could be one of the stars - how big is the serpent?
When was the last time you added live rock? and is this when the prob started?
3 tangs in a small tank - you know what to do.
When you say cleaner shrimp you mean the ones with the white stripe down their back? If it is the Skunk cleaner I think a 72 is to small for more than one or a mated pair.
It could be one of the stars - how big is the serpent?
When was the last time you added live rock? and is this when the prob started?
3 tangs in a small tank - you know what to do.
okay... I forgot ... also... 6 line wrasse and 2 cleaner clams HAHA. The two brittle stars are black with the spikes, I didn't think they could move fast enough to hunt. The serpant start is banded, seems to be too slow to hunt also. I had a green one what was trying to eat the feather duster, I've moved it to a holding tank, not dure what to do with it...
The 4 shrimps have been in the tank together for a good 6 months with no issues, they hatch eggs all the time and keep the fish clean, the bandit usually just hides in the back and roam around at night.
The 4 shrimps have been in the tank together for a good 6 months with no issues, they hatch eggs all the time and keep the fish clean, the bandit usually just hides in the back and roam around at night.
Hummm interesting discussion on the brittle stars... well... at least they'd be easier to remove from the tank than a mantis shrimp Do you guys think I should trade these for small ones? I put them in the tank to help keep the bottom clean. Sicne then I've made custom PCV plumbing that blasts all the crap out the bottom and I probably don't need as many bottom feeders. Hummm... maybe they ran out of crap to eat when I did that and went after the live animals. *sigh* maybe I should mount a servallance camera...
Next question.. these brittle stars seems to be wrapped inside the LR, how do I flush 'em out?
Do you guys think I should trade these for small ones? I put them in the tank to help keep the bottom clean. Sicne then I've made custom PCV plumbing that blasts all the crap out the bottom and I probably don't need as many bottom feeders. Hummm... maybe they ran out of crap to eat when I did that and went after the live animals. *sigh* maybe I should mount a servallance camera... Next question.. these brittle stars seems to be wrapped inside the LR, how do I flush 'em out?
Yeah the six line... it bothers the shrimps when they are carrying eggs but otherwise leaves them alone. It can't be that guy because the coral bandit never gets eggs because I only have one. It's my favorite fish in the tank, will stare back at you like a dog... next favorite is the spotted mandrin.
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