Cleaner Shrimp dissapeared

Got a cleaner shrimp a couple of days, he seemed fine and was moving around through the rocks and cleaning my yellow tang. Today I saw him on the sand and then I came back home, I don't see him anywhere. I saw his shells on the sand, could he be molting ? I have 6 hermit crabs, could they have eaten him ? if molting, would he be under the sand ? if so for how long ?

 

I doubt it will be under the sand
but when they moult they do hide for a few days to give the new shell time to harden
they feel vunerable to predators

give it a couple of days or so and hopefully you should see it again

Steve

 

still no signs of him. I just changed the water. I am afraid he is dead. Weird that there is no signs of him even the body.

 

Just be patient. I had one hide for almost 2 weeks.

 

oh wow .. that long ? then I should keep my hopes high then ..

 

Yep. They're pretty good at hiding when they want to....

 

Yeah he's probably molting, give it some more time.

 

There's a good chance he is molting, if so looking under the overhangs and crevices, they will usually hang upside down. If not, he may be dead. I had my cleaner shrimp die suddenly, never found the body, CUC must have gotten to him.

 

Inspect the tank at night, if he's there he will probably be out and about. My cleaners are always out at night and upside down in their respective cleaning stations during the day. They will hide after molting for a few days until thier new shell hardens - but I suspect you are past this point already.