Missing Shrimp

[Seascapes]

I've got a problem. I've been putting peppermint shrimp, coral banded shrimp and a huge blood shrimp in my tank and i can't find any dead bodies. They are completly gone. I also put some red crabs and various snails in there as well. Something or someone is eating them i think. I have a red flame hawk, a Purple Pseudochromis dollyback, a flasher wrasse, which is reef safe, tangs, molly miller blenny, pink spotted gobie, a swallowtail angelfish, bumblebee snails and tangs. What the heck is going on?? I'm not feeding live food!! I'm scheduled to get some nudivranch to get rid of aptahasia and green crabs to get rid of bubble algae I don't want them to be food too. I even put in the peppermint shrimp in at night. The huge blood shrimp was in its corner, now I don't see it. There is also a serpent star in there too. I'm at a loss.

 

[Tahoe61]

My money is on the Red Hawk fish. A serpent star will eat a molting shrimp as well.

 

[Timfish]

Welcome to the joys of reef keeping and having to always wonder about something. :D No bodies is a good thing. That surprisingly brightly colored and not insignificantly small animals can find someplace to hide is a common frustration I still experience after decades. Best advice is be patient and when you feed sit at eye level with the tank and just watch for a while to see if anybody comes out. Some animals will loose their shyness very quickly and some may remain shy for very long times. And, unfortunately, some will dissappear forever without a trace. Also, while all the animals you've listed have reputations for being compatable, when shrimp and crabs molt they are very vulnerable for a little bit as thier new exoskeleton expands and I wouldn't put any of your other livestock past grabbing a shrimp or crab dinner should the opportunity arise.

 

[Seascapes]

Welcome to the joys of reef keeping and having to always wonder about something. :D No bodies is a good thing. That surprisingly brightly colored and not insignificantly small animals can find someplace to hide is a common frustration I still experience after decades. Best advice is be patient and when you feed sit at eye level with the tank and just watch for a while to see if anybody comes out. Some animals will loose their shyness very quickly and some may remain shy for very long times. And, unfortunately, some will dissappear forever without a trace. Also, while all the animals you've listed have reputations for being compatable, when shrimp and crabs molt they are very vulnerable for a little bit as thier new exoskeleton expands and I wouldn't put any of your other livestock past grabbing a shrimp or crab dinner should the opportunity arise.

Oh boy, just got my nudis and emerald crabs. I'm scared This is ridiculous!

 

[Seascapes]

My money is on the Red Hawk fish. A serpent star will eat a molting shrimp as well.

I don't know what to do about aptahasia at this point. I had a copperband that cleared them out but it started eating coral so it went to another tank. This is frustrating

 

[Common Blevil]

Oh boy, just got my nudis and emerald crabs. I'm scared This is ridiculous!

Check for a few days and tell us if some of the shrimp survived)
Also, wishing luck for crabs and nudis. Crabs should be fine, but small soft berghia nudies with a big curious wrasse, hawkfish and a blenny... Might work out, might not.

 

[Michael71]

I would say watch the red hawk fish . Hawk fish are not typically safe with shrimp in the tank but it wouldn't eat that many all at once. As far as controlling the Aptasia, You can try Joe's juice, It works really well just don't treat too many of them at once. I have read about another option but never tried it and that is injecting them with boiling water

 

[Seascapes]

I got some f-aptasia if the nudis become lunch. I'll look into the Joe's juice too. Thank you

 

[Seascapes]

I would say watch the red hawk fish . Hawk fish are not typically safe with shrimp in the tank but it wouldn't eat that many all at once. As far as controlling the Aptasia, You can try Joe's juice, It works really well just don't treat too many of them at once. I have read about another option but never tried it and that is injecting them with boiling water

I got some f-aptasia if the nudis become lunch. I'll look into the Joe's juice too. Thank you