Red banded shrimp

[Jp21921]

I have a few concerns about my shrimp. I noticed little black things in the gravel under the rocks that look like poop. Then I kept looking and noticed a huge amount where my shrimp hangs out at all the time. Could it be coming from the shrimp? Also I had a cardinal fish just disappear I have tons of blue and red hermit crabs, lots f snails,2 crabs, I have a Golby and 2 clown fish. Pics of the black stuff where the shrimp hangs out.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Yup poop, I have the same stuff, but I think mine is from my emerald crabs

 

[Jp21921]

Should I clean it out? If I do I’d have to remove live rock.
Sry I’m new at this

 

[vetteguy53081]

They gotta go somewhere you know. . . LOL.

 

[Afaylenerich88]

I would use airline tube, suck them out. As long as your not afraid to loose a tiny bit of substrate, also detravors can help you here with keeping the poop cleaned up. Nas snails can help eat some, along with a few star fish that live off *poop*blood worms exct. Do some research and find out what will eat it. And if it's *reef safe*. It's better to think of your tank a''s an eco system and try to provide it a natural way to export that *poop* ovb removal will also be continued as you can't expect fish and clean up crew to do all the work for you. *just my thoughts*

 

[Sleeping Giant]

It'll breakdown, and just syphon over the area when you do water changes, it's not harmful...at least mine wasn't

 

[Afaylenerich88]

Learn about this *shrimp* it's acutely not a shrimp at all. It's by definition a decopod. Ergo a crab. Why we call them coral banded (shrimp), I'll never know. They are omnivors. They will eat many things including poop if they can't find anything they like in your tank. I feed mine some seaweed once and a while as I like him to keep looking for food and cleaning rather than just waiting for me and being lazy. He does get any bits of rods food I feed daily to my tank. Also loves coral max. I keep my tank at, alk 12, pH 8.9-9.0
Cal 420, mag 1400. Temp 76-78.
Dosing strontium will help them shed. But be cautious Never add anything to your tank you cannot verify or test for in any way.