Cleaner shrimp

[mmkeeper]

Would a orange spotted watchman goby kill and eat cleaner shrimp?

 

[Amphibious]

Probably not.

 

[Damsel13]

Wow

Wow, Just Wow.

 

[mmkeeper]

I sure am thinking that my new one did. I had 2 cleaner shrimp for a year to 2 years, added the goby and both are now gone. Noticed what looked like molting but with some flesh a week ago and one shrimp missing, saw goby eating the molting of shell of the second goby yesterday and no shrimp in sight. I have the goby, Sailfin tang, Kole tang, purplefire fish, 2 pink skunk clown an OC clown and one chromis and no other shrimp or stars.

 

[mmkeeper]

Welcome to RF

 

[azgard1]

Amphibious, very cool fish and welcome to RF.

 

[Snowboarda42]

Nope, way too small and most cleaners will actually "jet" away from predators by rapidly flicking their tail. Try and catch, yours, you'll know.

Also, most cleaners will learn to stay out of an area that they know has a potential predator. At least mine has.

 

[mmkeeper]

Just trying to figure out what happened to them. It must have been their time to feed the cleaning crew!!!

 

[ecobalance]

Dont be suprised

When they re-apear.Most shrimp will hide after molting untill their shell hardens.Diamond Gobies have been known to munch on cleaners,but this isn't common.

 

[mmkeeper]

They aren't hiding, they are gone!!!!

 

[aquarookie]

I sure am thinking that my new one did. I had 2 cleaner shrimp for a year to 2 years, added the goby and both are now gone. Noticed what looked like molting but with some flesh a week ago and one shrimp missing, saw goby eating the molting of shell of the second goby yesterday and no shrimp in sight. I have the goby, Sailfin tang, Kole tang, purplefire fish, 2 pink skunk clown an OC clown and one chromis and no other shrimp or stars.

I used to think my fish caught and ate my shrimp, but later observation showed me that the fish only ate shrimp that were already dead. Perhaps your shrimp died from some unknown reason (disease, stress, old age, water chemistry changing, etc) and the goby had a nice treat.

 

[mmkeeper]

Thats probably it

 

[Amphibious]

Wow, Just Wow.

Wow what?

I sure am thinking that my new one did. I had 2 cleaner shrimp for a year to 2 years -& - Welcome to RF

Thanks for the welcome, mmkeeper. I actually joined in Oct, '06 and forgot to come back until I received the Merry Christmas e-mail.

Shrimp of any kind are not long lived animals. If you got two years out of yours, you did good. I had 2 cleaners in my 135 for a year and a half now and feel fortunate. I have two Marine Betas in there and they are capable of gulping them down but haven't. I also put in two Peppermint shrimp for Aptasia control. They disappeared into the rocks and I didn't see them for six months. My Aptasia are gone and I thought the shrimp were, too. The other day I noticed one coming out from the rocks, so, shrimp can be very secretive when they want to be, especially when they have freshly molted.

Amphibious, very cool fish and welcome to RF.

Thanks, azgard1, glad to be here.

Dick

 

[Damsel13]

I was admiring the picture of your Goby. I like it a lot.

 

[WA coral]

I had the same expierence in the past week I lost 2 of my large cleaners with in 3 days with no reason that I can see maybe old age for one and the other got lonly or possibly something else funny going on but I have sexy shrimp as well that seem fine so the possibilty of a poisoining is doubtful and water perameters are great?? I guess it just happens sometimes.

 

[Amphibious]

I was admiring the picture of your Goby. I like it a lot.

Oh, thanks. He's one of my favorite fish.