Predator???

[Pafster]

I have a 28 gallon tank. it is only 4 months old. In it I have 2 firefish, 1 clown, I did have 2 cleaner shrimp 1 peppermint shrimp. Over the last 3 weeks have lost all my shrimp They completely disappeared . Am I looking for a predator? I was also thinking of taking the tank apart taking out the sand , cleaning the rocks to try to find whatever made my shrimp disappear. I know I have a worm in the tank it is a good size. But could not tell if it was good or bad. Being new at this. My water test are very good. Would like to hear from you and what you think of my idea!

Thanks

 

[mr_X]

i doubt very much that any worm will kill shrimp. what are your water parameters? maybe the shrimp died and then the scavengers took over.

this might be a stupid question to you, but did you ever use any copper based medications in the tank?

what kind of live rock do you have? if it's florida live rock, the odds are better that you got some mantis shrimp or something with it. do you ever hear any loud snapping/clicking sound coming from the tank?

 

[snapper1]

Mantis Shrimp they are EVIL or a large crab.

 

[Pafster]

Parameters are all perfect, no copper or any medication ever used in the tank. I don't know where the live rock originates from, but the are 2 distinct types.
Well the 2 cleaner shrimps were quite big , around 2.5 inches each
and they disappeared one week apart, during the night between 11pm and 6am. The peppermint vanished 2 weeks later. I never seen anything more than a bristleworm and a peanut worm, and only have one hermit crab left out of 2, So I don't think there are enough scavengers to clean up a big shrimp in so little time.

Do you think there's a problem going from a dsb to bare bottom, and clening out the live rocks? Removing the hair algea at the same time.

PS, I saw a new unexpected inhabitant last week also, it's a small black nudibranch

Thanks again for the replies.


Debbie

 

[Pafster]

Sorry, forgot to answer to the clicking sound, never eared any noise from the tank, and nothing has moved ( small rocks or anything else). So I don't think it's a mantis shrimp.


Thanks again


Debbie

 

[mr_X]

if i'm reading this correctly, you removed your dsb and went bare bottom with the tank full of inhabitants? if so, other than some ammonia spike and cycle, i wouldn't expect shrimp to disappear. i don't know. :?

 

[Pafster]

No,I haven't done it yet, I want to do it on the weekend. What in your opinion are the chances of finding the predator? Also do you think it's a good move?

Thanks again for the quick replies.


Debbie

 

[mr_X]

well, how do you plan to "clean" the live rock?
also, at 4 months i don't think you'll have too much trouble removing the sand bed, however, i'm hoping someone more knowledgeable will chime in and second me. at best, my response to the sandbed issue is a guess.
i know my tank at 4 months, still had a fairly clean sandbed.
however, i don't think your predator, if in fact you have one, would hide in the sand. a simple stir with a stick and you'll see if something is indeed in there.
you can rule out worms, they won't go after something like a shrimp.

if you like the sandbed, i wouldn't get rid of it because of a predator. you might make a simple trap and put some food in it and see what you get.
like a clear plastic soda bottle, cut the end off, then invert it and glue it back in...sort of like a funnel heading in the bottle. apparently, marine creatures know how to get in, but not out.

they also sell traps at fish stores...i don't know how good they are, but i'd try something like this before i removed my live rock and sand.