Killer shrimp??

[newt5005]

I have a 90 gal tank, live sand and around 15 lbs of live rock (in 10 pieces). Tank has been 'alive' for around 7 years or so. It has 9 crabs, a clown fish a damsel and a cleaner shrimp. Had been struggling with high nitrate level and thought that was the reason my (4) green chromis had been dissapearing.
They had not been dying, so much as simply dissapearing.I also thought that they might have been dying and the crabs had been cleaning up before I had a chance to either pull out the carcuss or maybe the crabs were burying the remains.
Maybe someone else has seen this before, but it's new to me. My cleaner shrimp had the last of the green chromis in his clutches and was in the process of eating him alive. Mystery solved, but now new questions arise. Is this a trait? I had seen cleaner shrimp completely inside the gills of larger fish on occaision, but never knew they killed for food. The damsel looks like it may have been attacked as it has aquired some lighter areas on the top edges of its body but the clown looks untouched. The chromis was not dead, but could not escape.
Are larger fish unaffected, or at this point is it time to get rid of the shrimp? The nitrate level is still high, around 120 or so, but have had zoe and mushrooms growing very well over the last few months, so I know the tank itself is fairly healthy.
I have had this shrimp for a few years and had not had fish dissapear before, but really, had never introduced fish this small (one and a half inch) into the tank. The clown was almost this small as was the damsel, when introduced, but the shrimp at this time was not as large.

 

[el bob]

wow umm, i dont think the shrip would kill, r u feeding them???????? get a skimmer and do a water change

 

[newt5005]

I feed frozen -half a cube every other day. If I feed every day, almost nothing gets eaten, I think because of the minimum load in the tank. Thanks for the response.
Mike

 

[el bob]

honestly if he is eating ur fish get him out of there, ive never heard of a cleaner shrimp eating fish, i thought they would most likely eat him, maybe its your other fish attcking one another

 

[newt5005]

The cleaner shrimp. It had the fish in its cleaning limbs devouring it in front of us for half an hour, while the fish was ALIVE. The whole fish was eventually consumed.

 

[el bob]

omg, get a trigger and let it eat the shrimp as payback

 

[ophiura]

Is this a coral banded shrimp?
If so, absolutely I would say it will catch fish. If it is a typical cleaner? Seems strange.

 

[newt5005]

Not a CBS. Just your run-of-the-mill cleaner shrimp. He is now, I think full grown. Has not molted in a few months. Size is approx 2 1/2" long, 'whiskers' if you will, are about six to seven inches across.
Maroon and cream colored stripe running down his back.
We thought it odd as well, otherwise would not have started a thread.

 

[renogaw]

how old is your test for your nitrates? if your corals are living that would be an indication that you actually do not have any nitrate problem. what is your filtration (bio balls, crushed coral, live sand?)
you may not have enough rock to support the bioload you are trying to put in your tank also...15lbs of rock in a 90 gallon tank can only handle so much. How long have your fish been in the tank? if you added all 4 at one time, did you ahve an ammonia spike while your live rock adjusted to the new bioload? Your high nitrates could also be the result of your fish dying (ammonia cycle)
i wouldn't bet your cleaner killed them, but rather may have just been eating a dead/dying fish and maybe hitting a nerve, making the fish seem alive. chromis's are schooling/swimming fish and probably weren't anywhere near your cleaner.

 

[newt5005]

Please. Keep in mind I SAW the cleaner shrimp catch the fish, pick him apart and eat him. Nitrate levels are out of the question regarding the attitude of the shrimp. The other fish didn't die, simply dissapeared, making sense that the shrimp had killed and eaten them LIKE he had when i WITNESSED it. You guys have posted responses, in which I appreciated so thank you, but I amm telling you the attitude of the shrimp, you are asking about my nitrate levels and what not, and you are forgetting or neglecting to read that I witnessed the shrimp do this. Please take everything I said into consideration and help. I don't see how changing my water, fixing various levels and what not is going to change the attitude of my shrimp. I just want to know if you have ever heard of it. Thank you.

 

[renogaw]

i think what people are trying to say is that your fish may have died/dying from something else and the shrimp saw an opportune moment to get a nice meal. i also think people have said that it is rare for a cleaner shrimp to become a killer shrimp. good luck

 

[maryd]

I suppose you could have gotten stuck with a nasty shrimp. That sounds really awful. I suppose there was no chance to net that murderer before he killed the fish?
There can always be a "general" trait/personality for any creature but there are always exceptions to the rule. I'd get that shrimp out of there into his own tank for a while.
Good luck.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by newt5005
Please. Keep in mind I SAW the cleaner shrimp catch the fish, pick him apart and eat him. Nitrate levels are out of the question regarding the attitude of the shrimp. The other fish didn't die, simply dissapeared, making sense that the shrimp had killed and eaten them LIKE he had when i WITNESSED it. You guys have posted responses, in which I appreciated so thank you, but I amm telling you the attitude of the shrimp, you are asking about my nitrate levels and what not, and you are forgetting or neglecting to read that I witnessed the shrimp do this. Please take everything I said into consideration and help. I don't see how changing my water, fixing various levels and what not is going to change the attitude of my shrimp. I just want to know if you have ever heard of it. Thank you.

Look, people are just trying to come up with alternatives as this is REALLY weird. People are trying to come up with alternate explainations. They are trying to help you.
The answer, if you SAW this happen, is simple. Remove the shrimp and trade it in

If you suspect it is a problem, there is no way to change it, other than to keep feeding the shrimp. But then this will always be a risk.

 

[newt5005]

Thanks for all the help. I suppose I just got a bad shrimp. I am thinkin' I am just going to get bigger fish from now on.