where is my cleaner shrimp?

[sramkumar]

All,

I got two cleaner shrimps last wednesday (mail order from CA - I live in MD) and ever since I introduced my shrimps into my tank, one of them is missing. I saw that one go underneath a rock but it never came out. Is it molting? I mean, does it molt for so long? Assuming the worst case scenario that it had died, how would I know? Do I have to disturb my rock work and go hunt for this dead one? Is it okay to leave the dead one in the tank and let the filtration take care of it?

Please advice....

Thx!

 

[Waddi]

Might not be dead, they might just be hiding, mine hide for a day or two when i introduced them, did you acclimate properly?
A shrimps molt looks exactly like the shrimp itself but lighter in colour and it will be bent forward with a rip on its back. Just wait a couple of days and then start worrying, what are your other inhabitants??

 

[sramkumar]

i have 3 yellow tail damsels, like 10 hermit crabs, 4 turbo snails, 6 margarita snails, 1 sand shifting sea star and the second cleaner shrimp...

 

[Reefrookie]

sometimes when they molt they will hide for a few days until they are not so vulnerable. I wouldn't worry, he should show up soon

 

[Reef Nutz]

No worries, you have enough crabs in there also, that if he did indeed not make it, your CUC would not let it go to waste.

 

[little_fish]

Hopefully the other one will show up sooner or later.

But you should return your sand sifting star. Only in very large, very established tanks is there enough food for them to survive. They also eat all the good stuff in your sand bed. You should instead get a brittle or serpent star. They are much hardier, and they are a great member of your CUC!

 

[cms722]

My serpent star never leaves his lil cave he's claimed for himself. How do they manage to contribute to the CuC if they never move lol

 

[Waddi]

Oh he will move dont worry, its like i never see my watchman move, but sand is cast everywhere over my rocks! :roll:

 

[cms722]

Lol ok. I just want to make sure he's eating ok and everything. Does anyone have any recommendations on something that I can get that will clean my sand really good?

 

[marcah]

Nassarius snails are a great sand sifter or maybe tongan Nassarius snails

 

[Reef Nutz]

Nassarius snails are a great sand sifter or maybe tongan Nassarius snails

+1. Got to have quite a few of them though.

 

[Northstar24]

My serpent star never leaves his lil cave he's claimed for himself. How do they manage to contribute to the CuC if they never move lol

I thought the same thing, until I happened to be looking at the tank several hours after lights out. I believe they are more nocturnal

 

[cms722]

+1. Got to have quite a few of them though.

Nassarius snails are a great sand sifter or maybe tongan Nassarius snails

I was planning on getting a bunch of the nassarius snails. I hope to add a goby maybe as well? I like the diamondback gobies. Can I have one of those with a lawnmower blenny? Or would that be a bad idea?

My serpent star never leaves his lil cave he's claimed for himself. How do they manage to contribute to the CuC if they never move lol

I thought the same thing, until I happened to be looking at the tank several hours after lights out. I believe they are more nocturnal

I've looked all hrs of the night too. I never see him come out. I have seen him eat though so that at least makes me feel better knowing he's going after food.

 

[Waddi]

Yep the diamond and blenny would be ok, although i think they like it when they have enough of their own space, or they get aggressive.
Although feeding a blenny of this kind would be hard i imagine, but then again i have never had one. See what other people say about its diet.

 

[cms722]

Why would feeding that particular one be hard? The one at my LFS pretty much eats anything they throw in the tank lol but if there is anything I should know from anyone else then I definitely appreciate the info.

 

[Waddi]

Well their diet is only normally algae, some are hard to get to eat others not. Its all down to personality!

 

[BL1]

If you get a lawnmower make sure you see it eating at the LFS. They are notorious for starving to death. I've had two of them and after they ate all the HA in my tank they slowly starved to death because they wouldn't eat prepared foods or nori.

 

[cms722]

I've seen this one eat shrimp that they fed him. I'm gonna try. I have him in my tank and so far he's been chasing my clown around and nipping at the food I fed the clown. Hopefully he makes it. They've had him at the store for a while and he's only getting bigger, which means he's got to be eating something lol