my cleaner shrimp

[claire_r]

Jacques, my cleaner shrimp who would "run and jump" onto my hand whenever I did anything in the tank, was found dead this morning!

Everything has been doing well in the tank, so on Friday I finally got my first fish - 2 clowns. They're gorgeous and they've been eating well. I also got a second cleaner (skunk) to get Jacques company. Did I mess up? Could my second shrimp have killed my first?
I have 2 ocellaris clowns, 5 snails, 6 hermits who haven't bothered anyone, and two peppermint shrimp (I think, I haven't seen them in a few days). This morning I found Jacques on the sand with his head missing. A scarlett hermit was eating the body. Does anyone have any ideas?
claire

 

[sw_h2o]

Sorry about your shrimp.

 

[joker_ca]

could he of molted, because many people confuse that for a dead shrimp???

 

[whaa...?]

only one way to find out either take out the body or put ur hand in the take oh as for the shrimp if he died

 

[mudplayerx]

I've read that some of the cleaner shrimp species will kill one another if they aren't mated pairs. Examine the dead shrimp. If he is not missing any limbs, then I doubt he was killed by the other shrimp.

 

[claire_r]

Thanks, SW_H2O.
As for the death, I'm very certain. I picked up the body and it was not empty, though his limbs were all there. :nope:
I guess I'll check into this more before I buy any more shrimp, though.

 

[aloredo]

i hate to be the one tell you this, but your coral band shrimp could have been tthe assains.......i had a coral band and a cleaner and the coral would scare my cleaner into the rockwork. Until one day the coaral was molting and one of my fish made dinner out of him and now my cleaner is all over tank..... IMO

 

[snipe]

Do you still have the bodie? If so do an optopsy on him and see if his inerds are still there. If so then he died if not then he probly molted. But if your scarlet was eating on it you probly dont have it anymore. I know my 2 "out of 3" sally light foot crabs molted and I was kinda freaked but to make sure I took it out and looked for an openening and sure enough were there body is it was split so I knew he was ok. Then the next day one of my bigger ones molted I wasnt so worried then.

 

[dea_mt]

yes when most things molt it looks exactly like a body...i thought i had lost a few things but now i look back i have no deaths except one pepermint shrimp who's body just never got found...:notsure:

 

[claire_r]

Thanks for the tips, but yeah, I checked his body (yuck!). His insides were still there. That's how I knew.
On a more positive note, the rest of the "critters" seem to be doing very well. My two clowns have settled in nicely. The slightly smaller one keeps pestering the bigger one by running up and nearly bumping him/her. The big one seems to be starting to take up for itself, though. I suppose they'll work out who's dominant soon.
I really appreciate everyone's response. It's hard to explain to other people how it feels when you lose a fish or shrimp or whatever. But if we didn't want to see these creatures live and be happy, we wouldn't be in this hobby/obsession!
Claire

 

[cowfishrule]

Originally posted by Snipe
Do you still have the bodie? If so do an optopsy on him and see if his inerds are still there.
ohhhhhhhh baby.. i see a new CSI spinoff a brewin...

 

[snipe]

only way to tell if there there then he is dead if not then he is hiding somewhere.