cleaner shrimp MIA

[Tang77]

Hey everyone...So after dinner I go to check out the tank and notice my cleaner shrimp is no where to be found. The only possible culprit could be my sebae anemone. Its just hard for me to imagine, they have been together for a year. The sebae is fed well and is happy and healthy, it just puzzles me that tonight the anemone would eat him. He's a very active (was anyway) and friendly shrimp, always trying to clean my hand when I'm doing something in the tank. Whenever he's molted in the past its been during the middle of the night, so I'm not sure where he hides to molt, but I have a feeling this isn't the case. I'm not sure what to think, but if he makes an appearance lol, I'll let you guys know...


Jacques
? - 2012

 

[Waddi]

I would put bet on molt. Sometimes, my little guy didnt come out for days, no idea where he hid, but I wouldnt worry too much. If nothing has changed in the tank, I'm sure he is just hiding away somewhere.

 

[little_fish]

+1 Waddi

 

[Tang77]

Hey Waddi, days really? Ok thats good to hear, I'm hoping thats all he is doing. No changes with my tank though, all is well there.

 

[Waddi]

Yep, after they molt, they become very delicate. So they just hide out. I have known people that havent seen them for weeks! And then they pop up outta the blue

 

[chuck78]

Hey Tang, I finally saw your pm & quickly replied! Your shrimp is hiding out. My coral banded shrimp hide for about a week everytime they molt & get bigger.

 

[Tang77]

Hey thanks chuck, I just saw your reply...I appreciate the confirmation on the angels, I had a feeling the size wasn't nearly big enough for both...Yeah, I'm hoping he's just hiding out, his molt made an appearance late last night.

 

[stiracerdude]

He is hiding out for sure. When I first started I couldnt find my shrimp. later I found his molt caught in my powerhead. I thought he got caught in it. I asked my LFS and they said it was probably his sheddings from his molt. About a week later he showed up fresh and clean lol

 

[Bifferwine]

Like others, I suspect that the shrimp molted and is in hiding. After they molt, their new exoskeleton is very soft and delicate, leaving them vulnerable to predators. So they normally hide out for protection for a few days. Since you saw the molt last night, that's a good sign that he's just waiting for his exoskeleton to harden up a bit before he is comfortable coming out again.

 

[Tang77]

lol yeah stiracer, I rememeber one of his first molts the same thing happened, and I thought for sure he was pulled into the powerhead too. Hoping to see him emerge today.

 

[Tang77]

Thank u Bifferwine, I wanted to ask you, have you heard of larger anemones eating smaller tank members? I should mention the molt I found was all crumbled up like a ball rather than how I found it the past (past molts looked like he just stepped out of a suit). A few weeks back my sebae swallowed a molt than back up it came like an hour later, and it looked like it does in the 1st pic. Thats the only reason I'm suspicious he got more than the molt this time. Thanks for your help

 

[marcah]

my BTA and LTA love ny cleaner shrimp and he is the only thing allowed by the clowns to get close to the nems.. He mainly hangs with the BTA and picks stuff from the bottom of it but when he moves over to the LTA the nem will pull up his sides and allow the cleaner to go under and pick stuff from his underside....

 

[Bifferwine]

Thank u Bifferwine, I wanted to ask you, have you heard of larger anemones eating smaller tank members? I should mention the molt I found was all crumbled up like a ball rather than how I found it the past (past molts looked like he just stepped out of a suit). A few weeks back my sebae swallowed a molt than back up it came like an hour later, and it looked like it does in the 1st pic. Thats the only reason I'm suspicious he got more than the molt this time. Thanks for your help

It is not uncommon for anemones to eat animals that they catch -- fish, inverts, etc.

 

[Tang77]

It looks like he became a meal for my anemone :(, its going on day 8 now and still no sighting. I was really hoping he was just in hiding, but it doesn't appear that way..Well here's the new little guy, he has taken well to his new home and already gave the coral beauty a few cleanings.

 

[little_fish]

Im sorry to hear that :(

 

[Tang77]

Thank you little_fish.