Peppermint shrimp have disappeared

[Lauramichelle]

I haven't seen either of my 2 peppermint shrimp in 3 days. Night or day. I've used lights to search through the caves in my aqua scape without luck. I have no fish. Coral and CUC only. No carcasses either. All water levels are good. Short of dismantling my aqua scape I can't see them at all.
Do shrimp hide like this?
Thank you

 

[AquaRick]

Peppermints and Blood shrimps hide in rockwork all the time, IME. It's the cleaners that tend to be more out and about etc. My perppermints and blood shrimps only come out during feeding time. Have you fed the tank lately?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

How large is your tank?? They can be very good at hiding, or maybe they are about to molt so they are more sluggish and hide more. I agree, try to feed a little

 

[FlopNewsom]

Mine also comes out when it's time eat. Today he jumped on my hand to get mysis.

 

[redsea]

My Peppermint Shrimp always hides, it is really normal for mine. I wouldn't worry.

 

[Jems]

I had four and now down to two. I think they may have ended up as lunch for one of my fish.

 

[Lauramichelle]

My aquarium is a 20 gal. I regularly feed the tank mysis shrimp. No sign of them yet.

 

[Greenturtle]

What fish do you have? I have 3 peppermints in my 90 gallon that almost never come out, but they were relatively social before I got a hawkfish. The hawkfish never terrorizes them (he even lets the cleaner shrimp on him to pick off parasites!) but I think they are scared of them.

 

[Lauramichelle]

I have no fish. Just coral, the CUC and the shrimp (to eliminate aptasia)

 

[Flreefer]

I have 2 peppermints as well, and rarely ever see them, once and awhile I'll see one posted up under a coral at night. Pretty normal I imagine, in the ocean, once they leave cover they're usually something's meal!

 

[Lauramichelle]

Ok, it's been 2 wks and no shrimp. Nothing at all. I did water changes and searched for bodies. I've searched each night. I looked all around the outside in case they leapt out. And still nothing. I'm wondering if I have built a small Bermuda Triangle in my reef. I found an aptasia on a rock in back and may need to buy 2 more shrimp, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. BTW, I have no fish in my 20 gal. Thanks for your help.

 

[Rutrag]

How did you acclimate them? IME, shrimp can be very sensitive to any change in water quality - even for the better. They may have passed and the CUC took care of them.

 

[Lauramichelle]

Possibly, but they had been doing fine for 2 wks before they disappeared. I drip acclimated them for 1 1/2 hrs when I added them. I do weekly water changes and test the water each week always tests good. They did take care of the aptasia I could see at the time. If they did both die, could the CUC have decimated them so quickly? And without a trace? I have 10 blue leg hermits and 20 or so snails for a CUC.