Should I try more cleaner shrimp?

[carey]

When I first started up my 125g I had 2 cleaner shrimp and 3 peppermint shrimp. I shortly got another 3 cleaners. So I had five in all. Up to when I added the second ones the cleaners were fine. Soon after I began loosing cleaner shrimp. I would find them dead and pretty much cleaved in half. After the last one was killed the peppermints started dropping off too, though I never did find their bodies, but they are gone.

I had vowed not to add cleaners again but now that reefs2go is having a special on them, like half price, I was contemplating it.

The list of potential murderers is a pistol shrimp that I have only seen twice since I put him in but I know he's still there cause of the snapping lol, a yellow tang and a pink spotted watchman goby. None of the other fish were in the tank when the shrimp died other than clowns but I have discounted them as the killers.

Do you think it's worth it to add any more or am I just condemning the shrimp to a certain death? I forgot to mention I now have a single coral banded shrimp in the tank, didn't when the shrimp all died off though. Any one have shrimp issues between cleaners and any of the fish I have? Or any coral shrimp vs cleaner shrimp warnings?

thanks everybody!

[Kio707]

Could have a hitch hiker?

[carey]

I've been through that tank so many times it's not even funny. I really only started out with 30lbs of live rock actually and it was only a few pieces. I've been seeding ALL my other rock from base rock. Wouldn't I have run across a mantis by now?

I was also thinking, how many could I put in a 29g cube and how many in a 20rimless? I have on in the cube already and 3 peppermints. I have only 2 tiny peppermints in the 20g.
Any suggestions?

[SwimsWithFish]

I'm courous about how many shrimp in a cube.

[carey]

I was thinking adding one to the cube to total 2 cleaners 3 perppemints and adding 2 to my 20g for a total of 4 shrimp in there. As far as the 125g i would like to get say 4 of them at least but not if they will get killed off. I've since added quite alot of fish, maybe the shrimp killer won't resurface?

[SwimsWithFish]

Originally Posted by carey

I was thinking adding one to the cube to total 2 cleaners 3 perppemints and adding 2 to my 20g for a total of 4 shrimp in there. As far as the 125g i would like to get say 4 of them at least but not if they will get killed off. I've since added quite alot of fish, maybe the shrimp killer won't resurface?

I bet it's the pistol. I saw a video the other day of one killing a peppermint. It was crazy!

[redsea]

I have heard that Coral Bandeds will kill Cleaner Shrimp.

[Greenturtle]

I'm getting 2 fire shrimp and 1 cleaner shrimp for my 29 Biocube. You could probably add more than that, like a total of 4 - 5.

[Hinds04]

why did you add the pistol? Its well known to kill anything it can especially other shrimp. I have also heard coral banded shrimp will kill new shrimp introductions.

[ocean]

Originally Posted by Hinds04

why did you add the pistol? Its well known to kill anything it can especially other shrimp. I have also heard coral banded shrimp will kill new shrimp introductions.

Maybe I lucked out and got a "peaceful" Randalli pistol shrimp. From my understanding they will only kill other shrimp. I have a dartfish and a clown gobie that sleep in the rock and have had no problems. Now a coral banded shrimp is another story!

[Foskett96]

I am almost sure that it is the pistol shrimp because the can fire a jet of bubbles from there large claw that is about the temperature of the sun sunning their natural prey of other shrimp. As other shrimp are there natural prey. So if you took the pistol shrimp out I would say go right a head.

[carey]

I got the pistol shrimp for my goby, thought maybe they would work on a relationship but they havent. :-( I don't think I could get the pistol out if I tried, I have about 250lbs of rock in the tank adn he is literally on the bottom of it all. lol

[Krypt]

+1 for the pistol shrimp. My pistol shrimp has done the same thing to my tank. Had 3 peppermint shrimp, now I have none.

[carey]

hmm maybe it is time for the pistol to be removed. I've just been dreading it. I would really like to have more shrimp, I'd actually like them more than the pistol. LOL

is there any easy or not really difficult way to get a pistol out? Other than breaking down my entire tank? Would a fish trap work or will I just catch my fish? lol

[Foskett96]

I think that there are various crustations traps you van make.

[redsea]

Mantis Shrimp Trap

Here is an article I found on Google about a trap which I believe will work for a Pistol Shrimp.