[Vent] Can't find shy cleaner shrimp

[ArtsyAxolotl]

I know it's just a matter of waiting for her to come back out but I'm just so frustrated.

I just moved to a new place and upgraded my fish from a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon. A couple weeks before moving, I saw a cleaner shrimp at my friend's store that had a big isopod on her side. I've removed one from a peppermint shrimp with success, so I asked him if he noticed it. He let me take her home since I knew how to take care of that issue.

So I got her home and removed the isopod. She was really docile and gentle, and clung to my hand the whole time I worked. After I got her into the tank (sans-isopod), she did really well. Ate just fine, pretty friendly with the other animals.. she wasn't quite as touchy feely as my last shrimp but if I offered her a chunk of algae pellet, she'd take it out of my hand or climb on me (so long as I didn't move to fast).

Fast forward to last weekend, when I moved. She traveled very well and when I got their new tank set up, she climbed right into my hand and let me put her in the tank. I didn't even have to cup my hand over her (unlike the peps who freaked out as soon as I grabbed them). She's spent the last week camped out on the side of one of the rocks where I can always see her just a little bit.

As of today, I can't find her.

She's not in her normal spot and didn't come out when I fed the tank. I did a partial water change (since the tank is doing a mini cycle and I wasn't comfortable with the ammonia levels) and she didn't come out even when I poured new water in (I was hoping the flow of the water would at least flush her out a little bit so I knew where she was.

I checked the built in sump (the tank is a Nuvo 20 by Innovative Marine) and nope, no shrimp. A couple days ago I lost my pipefish and found him inside the filter sock, alive and well but shaken up a little. I checked all around the stand just in case she somehow jumped out, even with the lid. Nope, nothing.


I'm just frustrated. That little shrimp did so well up until this point and now I can't find her. Maybe she's off molting somewhere. That would be nice, get rid of that lump in her carapace. But I'm so worried she died somewhere.



Also, side note, is it normal for a hermit crab to carry a non-food item around? I only ask because my biggest hermit had a big white chunk of something that he was carrying around and I worried it was shrimp, but when I took it from him, it was a big piece of dried reef glue. I gave it back to him and he continued holding it. It was weird lol.



Blah. Like I said, I know I just have to wait and see if she comes out, but I'm worried about her.

 

[Congaken]

I know it's just a matter of waiting for her to come back out but I'm just so frustrated.

I just moved to a new place and upgraded my fish from a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon. A couple weeks before moving, I saw a cleaner shrimp at my friend's store that had a big isopod on her side. I've removed one from a peppermint shrimp with success, so I asked him if he noticed it. He let me take her home since I knew how to take care of that issue.

So I got her home and removed the isopod. She was really docile and gentle, and clung to my hand the whole time I worked. After I got her into the tank (sans-isopod), she did really well. Ate just fine, pretty friendly with the other animals.. she wasn't quite as touchy feely as my last shrimp but if I offered her a chunk of algae pellet, she'd take it out of my hand or climb on me (so long as I didn't move to fast).

Fast forward to last weekend, when I moved. She traveled very well and when I got their new tank set up, she climbed right into my hand and let me put her in the tank. I didn't even have to cup my hand over her (unlike the peps who freaked out as soon as I grabbed them). She's spent the last week camped out on the side of one of the rocks where I can always see her just a little bit.

As of today, I can't find her.

She's not in her normal spot and didn't come out when I fed the tank. I did a partial water change (since the tank is doing a mini cycle and I wasn't comfortable with the ammonia levels) and she didn't come out even when I poured new water in (I was hoping the flow of the water would at least flush her out a little bit so I knew where she was.

I checked the built in sump (the tank is a Nuvo 20 by Innovative Marine) and nope, no shrimp. A couple days ago I lost my pipefish and found him inside the filter sock, alive and well but shaken up a little. I checked all around the stand just in case she somehow jumped out, even with the lid. Nope, nothing.


I'm just frustrated. That little shrimp did so well up until this point and now I can't find her. Maybe she's off molting somewhere. That would be nice, get rid of that lump in her carapace. But I'm so worried she died somewhere.



Also, side note, is it normal for a hermit crab to carry a non-food item around? I only ask because my biggest hermit had a big white chunk of something that he was carrying around and I worried it was shrimp, but when I took it from him, it was a big piece of dried reef glue. I gave it back to him and he continued holding it. It was weird lol.



Blah. Like I said, I know I just have to wait and see if she comes out, but I'm worried about her.

Hard to say...but of all the cs that I've had...only 2 peppermints have gone missing...I have blood shrimp in my 10 nan0...a CBS with several peppermints in my 65...In my case, I think that they were bad to begin with...also could be hiding somewhere to molt...good luck...

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Any time I've ever had a shrimp go missing, I eventually found chunks of the body or part of the molt. But this time, I couldn't find her anywhere.

She must've hidden herself away really well in order to molt because she's finally back now! I just put a wave maker in my tank and she came out from behind a rock to see what was going on. The little lump in her carapace is gone now so she must've molted, although I can't find the molt anywhere.

 

[fragit]

I would just wait it out. Mine hides in a cave pretty much all day long. Have you looked to see if you can find it at night with a flash light?

 

[DeepBrew]

I'm glad she came out for you. Mine generally disappears for a day or when it molts and I get worried when I can't find it or the molt.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

fragit, yes I had looked around with a flash light. I still have no idea where she was hiding. My tank is only 20 gallons so there aren't a ton of hiding spaces.

my previous cleaner shrimp was much larger and never really went into hiding when he molted. He'd get really skittish for a couple days, molt, and then be fine. So I was surprised when this one disappeared to molt. I'm just grateful she survived her first molt post-isopod removal.