help! Coral Banded Shrimp Dead?

[nanonewbie]

I think my coral banded shrimp is dead, it was fine this morning when I went to work and now it is laying motionless on the sand on its side, and it looked like a hermit crab was attacking it? Maybe just cleaning it? do they lay still for that, does that even happen? I'm so confused, I am very new to all this, I'm not quite sure what I am doing, but everything else in the tank seems fine - in fact all my corals/mushrooms have almost doubled in size! Do I need to get another cleaner shrimp? any ideas, advice, suggestions, etc would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

[saltwaterdave]

Are you sure it did'nt molt? When they grow they will shed their skin something like a snake or spider does. I usually left the shells in the tank and let the clean-up crew do it's job.
David

[nanonewbie]

I don't think that is what happened - although I haven't seen that ever to know what it looks like - but it looks like the whole shrimp, tentacles, claws and all...looks like more than just a shell! If that is what happened - would it look like a complete shrimp left over? Where is my shrimp then? do they go into hiding?

[zhenya]

I don't think that is what happened - although I haven't seen that ever to know what it looks like - but it looks like the whole shrimp, tentacles, claws and all...looks like more than just a shell! If that is what happened - would it look like a complete shrimp left over? Where is my shrimp then? do they go into hiding?

In the nutshell yes, what's left behind will look like the whole shrimp and when I first time saw it I freaked as well .
And yes on your second question,the new shell have to harden and shrimp usually goes into hiding untill it does. Look for it in a couple of days and it should be out and about, providing that molt were successful and your shrimp isn't dead but I think its fine ;)

[nanonewbie]

So if I haven't seen it in like a week, then it's probably dead? If so, should I remove it? I have a 12 gallon Nan-reef, would it be good to get another shrimp if this one is dead, and would a perppermint be better?

But if I do see it - do I need to worry about removing the leftover shell?

Sorry for the 20 questions - I just don't know much about Shrimp, I want to make sure I do the right thing! Whatever it may be.

[zhenya]

So if I haven't seen it in like a week, then it's probably dead? If so, should I remove it? I have a 12 gallon Nan-reef, would it be good to get another shrimp if this one is dead, and would a perppermint be better?

But if I do see it - do I need to worry about removing the leftover shell?

Sorry for the 20 questions - I just don't know much about Shrimp, I want to make sure I do the right thing! Whatever it may be.

I used to remove leftover exoskeleton but you can leave it in there if you wish,if you see your hermits going after it they'll probably clean it up for you.
I'm not sure about what shrimp is best for a nano tank and personally I don't like any of them as they are polyp eaters primarily and very well adopted to do so.I'm talking about the peppermints, Lysmata sp. shrimps and I have not kept a shrimp in years
Some people swear that they do not touch anything but I know that this is what they eat in Natural setting primarily from reading about them.
FWIW,I would try to remove those remains and inspect it closely just to assure myself that the shrimp isn't dead ;)

[Northman_with_reef]

Hi!

I don't think your shrimp is dead, after they molt they are pretty shy and they hide because their shell is soft.

I remember my old CB shrimp... he was kinda evil, he would try to attack my purple tang and he was extremly territorial.

Good luck!
-Thomas

[nanonewbie]

ok it's been three days since I pulled my cbs out of my tank - still no sign of him...still hiding? or dead?

[Northman_with_reef]

Check all nooks and crannies...

I still think he's hiding, but its possible he might be dead.
If your getting paranoid(like I usually am...) lift up some of the LR you think he might be hiding in(dont lift it out of the water) and check.
Do you suspect any predators might have killed him?
Is there anything else in the tank that might be a threat to him?

-Thomas

[Emma Louise Hinton]

i bought a Banded Coral Shrimp two days ago it was fine last night got up this morning and he was on his back, but alive.. he is still alive but not really moving , he had wedged one of his claws in the rock.. is he shedding his skin or dying help.......

[Reefing Madness]

i bought a Banded Coral Shrimp two days ago it was fine last night got up this morning and he was on his back, but alive.. he is still alive but not really moving , he had wedged one of his claws in the rock.. is he shedding his skin or dying help.......

He just get stuck in the rock? Doesn't sound like a molt. Then again he my be stuck in that molt, unable to complete it.

[chrisfont23]

i bought a Banded Coral Shrimp two days ago it was fine last night got up this morning and he was on his back, but alive.. he is still alive but not really moving , he had wedged one of his claws in the rock.. is he shedding his skin or dying help.......

This should be pretty easy no? If it's stuck in the rock it will probably not be able to move. CBS can regenerate arms, but I don't know if it's willing to rip one off if it's stuck. If it's molting, the exoskeleton will look exactly the same as the shrimp but..well, won't move. So is it the exoskeleton? If you gently poke around it does it react?

My CBS tends to go into hiding very easily after it molts and I only see the exoskeleton.

[HongW]

Hey guys,

Chrisfont23, yeah my CBS practically does not move at all when i poke it gently or even carry it out with a net. I don't think that it's molted exoskeleton. I could still see the greenish eggs in it's tummy.

[bchuck]

I guess if you are really bothered and worried if your CB shrimp is dead or had just molten then the best way is to touch it, get the "shll" and feel if it is indeed jut a shell or its your shrimp just to give you that piece of mind, you don't have to completely remove it in the water anyways just poke you finger in it and check if you feel its a shell or the shrimp itself. I do hope though that it had just molten since i feel that you are really find if your CBS and it'll probably be really sad if it did die. Its best that you check it personally and have a poke at it just to be shure.