Sea urchin ate my cleaner shrimp

[rkmcewen]

Hello, I have a 30g tank with a clown fish, orchid dotty back, cardinal pajama along with a sea urchin, a cleaner shrimp and a few hermit crabs. I've had them all for years. One day I came home and my sea urchin was eating my shrimp for dinner. Was it just a matter of time? I'm afraid to get another shrimp

 

[crister13]

Lol a sea urchin can't catch a live shrimp. The shrimp died and the urchin cleaned up.

 

[Elude82]

I second that!

 

[obscurereef]

Yeah a lot of people think since an invert is eating a fish or invert that they killed it. If you see snails, a starfish, or in your case, an urchin, eating something most of the time it's an indication that they are cleaning up after a deceased fish or invert before it decays.

 

[Elude82]

Thank that urchin! It did its job! Lol but sorry for your loss!

 

[ezy33]

Just a thought. Could it be your shrimp molted and is in hiding?

 

[crister13]

I was thinking that also. That's very possible.