cleaner shrimp eating snails?

[ci11337]

Does this happen to anyone else? I've noticed my cleaner shrimp eating snails several times. Do they only eat dead/dying ones or are they murderers?

 

[perfectdark]

No they are not murderers. They are indeed taking advantage of a golden opportunity and getting a free meal.

 

[travis89]

They will eat them after they die but usually not if they're alive as far as I know.

 

[petjunkie]

Maybe they are hungry? I know when I had one there was no problems, got another and they started killing my cleanup crews, ripping hermits out of shells, ripped the legs off my decorator crab

, generally being monsters. I removed one and had no issues after that, it was really weird. Normally they aren't killers though. What kind of snails are they eating? Turbos sometimes fall off the glass and croak.

 

[ci11337]

I've got trocus and they do sometimes fall and land upside down. I guess theres nothing i can do but feed the shrimp more and right any upside down snails i see. The shrimp must just eat any he finds upturned.

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by Travis89
They will eat them after they die but usually not if they're alive as far as I know.
Agree. Cleaner shrimp will not eat live snails to my knowledge. Live snails won't even register as a food source. Are you positive that the shrimp you have are cleaner shrimp? Cleaner shrimp have comparatively small claws and I've never heard of one going predatory.
Pictured below is a cleaner shrimp.

 

[buckster71]

Came home from work one night and notice my cleaner shrimp doing a tango in the moonlight with a pepperment I added much earlier.
Never saw the peppermint again!