Whodunnit?

[jrobbins]

I have a shrimp killer loose in my system.

The tank is a 40 long, and the current residents are a centropyge argi, a bicolor blenny, and false percula clown. I also have a cleaner shimp that has been with me since the beginning.

I added a pair of peppermint shrimp a while ago to deal with some unwanted pests, and while they were successful in getting rid of the aiptasia, they mysteriously dissappeared without a trace after a few months in the system.

About 2 months ago I added a Coral Banded Shrimp, which was easily the size of the cleaner shrimp, and i though everybody would coexist.

However, the other day i found a ripped off claw from the CBS, and a few other fragments of him on the bottom of the tank.

Now my question is, whodunnit? Do i have a tough as nails cleaner shrimp, a grouchy blenny or a killer dwarf angel? or perhaps something nastier?

any guesses?

 

[NJ_ychung1]

CBS is the toughest among shrimps... unless you have a mantis or a pistol shrimp. i have to guess it's your angelfish. if he is innocent than look for signs for mantis or pistol shrimp.

good luck....

 

[D1J8Z]

what would some of those signs be?

 

[Killerdrgn]

snapping or popping sounds at night.

 

[EmilyT]

or maybe it died for other reasons and your fish/cleanup crew were picking at it...
just a thought

 

[jrobbins]

when the pair of peppermint shrimp disappeared the angel wasnt in the tank, so while it may have taken out the cbs, something else got the others.

as far as a mantis or pistol shrimp, i baited a empty water bottle and staked out my tank with a flashlight for the past few nights. other than being totally exhausted the next day, i didnt see or hear anything suspicious, i just kept catching my blenny and cleaner shrimp

thanks for all the input so far guys (and gals), any other ideas?

 

[Killerdrgn]

Was the flashlight red? Usually a mantis will not come out if there is white/irregular light.

 

[jrobbins]

no, it was just a plain flashlight. maybe I will try to find a red filter to hold over it...

 

[KathyC]

Here's a thought...you may not have anything in there causing trouble on a regular basis
The fact that your peppermints lasted a couple of months in the system is a clue. You said they ate your aipstasia and you haven't seen them since. I put some peppermints in my tank about 4 months ago, didn't see one until about 3 weeks ago and then a second one last week. Get yourself a red filter for that flashlight & I'd bet that in the middle of the night sometime soon you'll find one or both...
The fact that your CBS lasted 2 months is also telling..a pistol or mantis would have killed it before 2 months..maybe he was old, or your cleaner or someone else got to him right after he molted..
From what I've heard the clicking from a mantis is very noticable..good luck in your quest

 

[ellebelle]

The mantis clicking is VERY noticable.

Are you sure it wasn't just a molt from your CBS? I thought one of my corals at a peppermint shrimp, but it turned out it was just a molt.

 

[jrobbins]

elle and kathy, thank you both! and yes, i am sure that it wasnt a molt from the cbs. i thought it was at first, but upon closer inspection, i am pretty sure it was the actual shrimp.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Col. Mustard in the Library with the candlestick.

 

[jrobbins]

:splitspin just imagine my surprise if i found tim curry bobbing around in the tank.

Col. Mustard in the Library with the candlestick.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

LOL J Sorry I couldn't resist

 

[jrobbins]

not at all B. i got a good chuckle out of it.

 

[h20 freak]

If the angel got lucky and found the shrimp right after a molt, he might have taken his chances and attacked.As for the peppermints I bought two and only see one of them every now and then so you may very well still have them.