[vasubandu]

What would cause a tank of peaceful fish to suddenly kill two cleaner shrimp? The cleaner shrimp have been in there for months, and no one has even pestered them. Of course, they did their job of picking at the fish.

This weekend a friend brought his kid by, and they looked great. A few hours later, I checked the tank, and the fish were picking at the dead body of one of the shrimp. The other was nowhere to be seen. He did later appear, but his "whiskers" had all be cut back, and the fish were pestering him. Today, they got him too.

The culprits are a 3-inch auriga butterfly, a 5-inch Red Sea racoon, a 4-inch Red Sea regal angel and a kole tang. The tank is a 180 with what seems to be plenty of room. The auriga seems to be the instigator.

I never expected this to happen. Any ideas?

[tendar]

I would suspect the butterfly.
I had a large pair of cleaners in my tank for almost a year then added a long nose butterfly 2 mounths ago and a week latter both of my cleaners had disa ppered to never be seen again. I never saw the butt pick or attack them but he was the only new thing in the tank for 6 mounths and the cleaners where fine before then.