Invert troubles

[Kizmar]

A little story, and a question:

First off... I ended up losing two small skunk/cleaner shrimp over the last couple days. Well, one for sure died and the other has since disappeared. Because of this, I've been paying extra attention to the water chemistry and the rest of my inverts. The nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, pH, and KH levels all have been well in range of healthy water.

As I've been observing my hermit crab, I did notice that he wasn't quite as active as he was the first couple weeks. Yesterday he didn't move at all. Today I found him in a different spot, but his legs were hanging out... I thought "ohh no, he's dead". I reached in and picked up the shell. As expected, what appeared to be the front half of the crab fell out.

I was bummed until I looked in the shell... I could see something still tucked up in the shell. Now, I know from having land hermit crabs as a kid that they have an unattractive thumb shaped muscle that they use to hold themselves in the shell, and that part didn't fall out with the legs. So... I'm guessing he molted? How long do they usually lay low after a molting?

Right now I'm just sitting here waiting and hoping that a hermit crab with a fresh suit of armor will start crawling around again, because I'm still not 100% certain of what's going on.

Anyway... so that was the story... now here's the question:

Why would I have lost my two small cleaner shrimp when everything else in the tank seems to be thriving (assuming the hermit DID in fact molt). I have an Emerald crab that's fine, snails that are fine, fish all seem great. What gives? Are they more sensitive to something that I'm not paying enough attention to or supplementing?

 

[BL1]

Are you sure they didn't molt? After molting they'll hide until their exoskeleton hardens again. Also do you have any fish that might have gotten to your shrimp?

 

[Kizmar]

Are you sure they didn't molt? After molting they'll hide until their exoskeleton hardens again. Also do you have any fish that might have gotten to your shrimp?

It is possible that one of the shrimp may have molted and is hiding. The other I'm sure is dead. He was pretty weak to begin with and ended up getting pulled through one of the VorTechs. He may have had issues before I even put him in the tank.

As far as fish are concerned: I have two Firefish, a Six Line Wrasse and a Blue Dot Jawfish. I would be surprised if any of them messed with that other Cleaner Shrimp. :)

 

[BL1]

Well the sixline is possibly your problem. My sixline ate 4 cleaner shrimp before I realized it was him. Not everyone has that problem with them though, I'd say it's a 50% chance your wrasse had a meal.

 

[Kizmar]

Ahh... good to know. I'll keep an eye out. What did you end up doing then, no shrimp in the tank?

 

[BL1]

The wrasse ended up getting sucked into my skimmer but before that I just didn't put anymore in. It's a problem with a lot of types of wrasses out there.

 

[Kizmar]

Yep, pretty sure it's the wrasse. I took a gamble, got another large cleaner shrimp. He was in the tank for about 4 days. This morning there was a cleaner shrimp shell sitting on the bottom and the Six Line Wrasse's stomach is huge. Pretty sure he made a meal out of the cleaner shrimp.

Looks like one of the new Emerald Crabs is missing a couple legs this morning as well. I'm wondering if that wrasse went after him too.

This all must have happened over night or early this morning... I didn't realize wrasse's were active at night.

Very unfortunate anyway. I'd rather have shrimp in my tank then that wrasse. :(

 

[MikeG]

I'm with you. I really like the six line wrasse, but I like my shrimp more and for that reason everytime I see a six line I talk myself out of getting it. Sorry about your shrimp.