Missing 2 Peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp

[mntcfish]

I have 3 shrimp that have gone MIA in my 29 gallon tank. My peppermint shrimp have been no where to be found, dead or alive after about 2 months. My cleaner shrimp purchased 1 week ago fro a LFS is now also gone. I have a tank of about 10 hermit crabs - would they have eaten them. MY other thought is I have microscopic critters with clear skeletons that look like miniature beetles crawling around - I have tried taking images with a camera but they are too small. Any thoughts would be helpful - I need shrimp in my tank but want to correct the issue before I purchase more.

 

[soviettaco]

I don't see a hermit catching any shrimp but what else do you have in the tank? That being said shrimp and starfish are the most delicate animals you can put in a tank so it is possible that a change in parameters has caused this to happen. Can you give us your params? And has anything spiked recently?

 

[jstdv8]

The peppermints are known to hide very very well once they get in the tank. Look for them with a red light at night
The cleaner though. they tend to be front and center and always come out when the tank is fed.

 

[flower]

What else is in the tank besides the shrimps and crabs? Some fish eat them and so do anemones.

 

[mntcfish]

Yea - no change in parameters the only thing I can think of is when I do water changes - there is a temperature change is the new water is cooler than the existing water. All I have is a occilaris clown and some snails. I have heard the peppermint shrimp hide - however I re-arranged my rock for this reason and could not find them. It was also strange the cleaner disapperead basically after the first night. I have seen very small clear micro bug like critters crawling on my rocks and have yet to get a pic of them to ID, they have long skinny bodies with antennas and look like a short centipede. Could these be parasites killing the shrimp who hide in the rocks? Thanks for your help

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by mntcfish
http:///forum/post/3286633
I have seen very small clear micro bug like critters crawling on my rocks and have yet to get a pic of them to ID, they have long skinny bodies with antennas and look like a short centipede. Could these be parasites killing the shrimp who hide in the rocks? Thanks for your help
No, those are Bristleworms and not a threat to Cleaner Shrimp.

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by Jstdv8
http:///forum/post/3286391
The peppermints are known to hide very very well once they get in the tank. Look for them with a red light at night
The cleaner though. they tend to be front and center and always come out when the tank is fed.
+1.....I had added 5 once, and didn't see any for a couple of months....one night after all the lights went out, I looked in and saw all of them running around LOL.....Peps will rarely come out during the day unless they are hungry when you feed