Shrimp Dying...HELP!!

[Surfside74]

OK,

Let me start off with tank info. I have a 57 gallon mixed reef tank. It has SPS, LPS, chalice, zoas, rock anemone, and a clam. I have not added anything new to the tank for sometime other than corals. I only have three fish: 2 Black ice clownfish and a purple firefish. I have blue leg hermit crabs, zebra crabs, red leg crabs, turbo snails, mexican turbo snails, and a harlequin starfish. I had three cleaner shrimp, two blood shrimp, and a peppermint shrimp. My parameters are as follows:

SG: 35 ppm
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phopshpate: Some but not bad at all (been overfeeding I think)
Cal: 430 ppm
Alk: 8.4 ppm
Mag: 1400 ppm

I do a ten gallon a week water change. I run GFO and Rox carbon. All of the equipment has been the same and nothing has changed other than adding some new corals as previously stated.

Last week, one of my cleaner shrimp went missing and I have not seen him since. Earlier this week, one of my blood shrimp went missing. Tonight, my daughter called me at work to say the peppermint shrimp was missing and it appears one of the cleaner shrimp was eating the head of the peppermint shrimp and the wellso coral was eating what looked like the missing blood shrimp. Not sure if it was their molting skin or not. All of the fish and all of the corals are open and fine.

Questions:
1. Could the crabs or the starfish be eating the shrimp? If so, can I remove them and still have a stable tank just using snails for a clean up crew?
2. Could the rock anemone be eating them?
3. If not any of the above, what is going on?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[koz99gst]

What is the temperature in the tank and is it constant? I had a problem with shrimp for a little while (peppermints and cleaners) my tank temperature would fluctuate about 4 or 5 degrees from day to night and that happened to be the issue. I also had to start dosing small amounts of Iodide (aquavitro vibrance).

 

[Squishie89]

1. Could the crabs or the starfish be eating the shrimp? If so, can I remove them and still have a stable tank just using snails for a clean up crew?
Unlikely unless the shrimp(s) was sick or dying.
2. Could the rock anemone be eating them?
Same as above.
3. If not any of the above, what is going on?
I have never been able to keep peppermints. They just do not do well in my tank. However I have been able to keep other shrimp so it is a bit odd. My best guess is the shrimp are hiding while molting and their new exoskeleton is hardening and the other shrimp/corals/etc. are eating the molt, but hard to know without a better description or photos.

 

[Surfside74]

What is the temperature in the tank and is it constant? I had a problem with shrimp for a little while (peppermints and cleaners) my tank temperature would fluctuate about 4 or 5 degrees from day to night and that happened to be the issue. I also had to start dosing small amounts of Iodide (aquavitro vibrance).

No, temp is stable at 77-78 degrees and it really doesn't fluctuate.

 

[Surfside74]

1. Could the crabs or the starfish be eating the shrimp? If so, can I remove them and still have a stable tank just using snails for a clean up crew?
Unlikely unless the shrimp(s) was sick or dying.
2. Could the rock anemone be eating them?
Same as above.
3. If not any of the above, what is going on?
I have never been able to keep peppermints. They just do not do well in my tank. However I have been able to keep other shrimp so it is a bit odd. My best guess is the shrimp are hiding while molting and their new exoskeleton is hardening and the other shrimp/corals/etc. are eating the molt, but hard to know without a better description or photos.

Ok. I dont have any photos but what other information can I provide?

 

[Naiad]

Try to find an iodine test kit. With that many crabs and shrimp the level may be too low. This would cause molting difficulty. It is also possible the shrimp are attacking each other. Cleaners are very territorial. A mature pair will set up a cleaning station and drive all other shrimp out.

 

[Naiad]

Here is the article so you can read.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/presscenter/pressreleases/20111111

In nature the blood cleaner and skunk cleaner ranges don't overlap but I wouldn't put it past them to still fight. My cleaner killed a Petersons anemone shrimp. ...

 

[Surfside74]

Here is the article so you can read.
BioMed Central |

In nature the blood cleaner and skunk cleaner ranges don't overlap but I wouldn't put it past them to still fight. My cleaner killed a Petersons anemone shrimp. ...

OK. Thanks. I am hoping they are just molting somewhere. I have decided im not going to remove my crabs or clean up crews over this. Their benefit outweighs that of the shrimp

 

[tyler1503]

My best guess is the shrimp are hiding while molting and their new exoskeleton is hardening and the other shrimp/corals/etc. are eating the molt, but hard to know without a better description or photos.

+1 my red handed shrimp would do this all the time.
They'd disappear for 3-4 days every couple of months for the bigger ones and every few weeks for the smaller ones.
The molt should look like a perfect replica of the shrimp, but be pale in colour.

 

[Surfside74]

+1 my red handed shrimp would do this all the time.
They'd disappear for 3-4 days every couple of months for the bigger ones and every few weeks for the smaller ones.
The molt should look like a perfect replica of the shrimp, but be pale in colour.

Thanks. I'm hoping that is what is going on. If not, maybe they are fighting. I'm glad my corals and fish are good though which is why I think it is something dealing with just the shrimp and not the water or system.

 

[koz99gst]

Try to find an iodine test kit. With that many crabs and shrimp the level may be too low. This would cause molting difficulty. It is also possible the shrimp are attacking each other. Cleaners are very territorial. A mature pair will set up a cleaning station and drive all other shrimp out.

+1 and check into dosing the aquavitro vibrance