I seemed to have lost my cleaner shrimp?...

To keep the story short, my cleaner shrimp, that I inherited/bought form a fellow reefer in a move, is suddenly AWOL! I've had him about YEAR!

He was alwyas doing what cleaners do. He would even eats pellets out of my hand, etc.

About a week ago, I noticed I didn't see his long feelers, etc.
On closer inspection, I can't find a trace of him! No molts, fragments, nadda.

What is the lifespan of one of these?

While I'm toppless, I've never seen him trying to get out the top.
All my other lifestock have always left him alone.
With:
2 Tangs= royal blue ande a yellow
3 Dwarf Angels= Flame, Rust, Coral Beauty
2 clowns= Ocelarus and a Black Sebae (the BC is pretty fiesty)
Orbiculate Cardinal
Banded Goby= also very fiesty
Strawberry Basslet= very small, my newest addition
various CUC
Royal Urchin
Conch

I once had a Marine Betta, at first about 12 months ago, and traded him in when I read they WOULD eat my shrimp.

Any ideas?
TIA

 

My clowns ripped mine limb from limb.

 

It's possible your shrimp has molted, and is being scarce while its new exoskeleton is hardening. Give it a few days and see if it reappears.

 

Any nems in your tank, Todd?

Also, what exactly are the members of your "various CuC"?

 

Greg, It molts like every 6 weeks, but nope, not it,

 

Yes, a Maximini carpet and a GBT.- never a problem before.
CUC- mostly hermits, medium and small ones.
a conch, never been a problem.

the Strawberry basslet is VERY small- 1/3 the size of the shrimp.
My clowns never bother him.
Lots of places to hide in my DT is tryng to evade predators.

Never saw anyone mess with him.
Still can't find a trace though.

 

Do you run and auto-top off?

I've had 2 experiences with cleaner shrimp. Both times I had 2 in the tank. I did not have an ATO set up on the tank. Most inverts (especially shrimp) are vulnerable when it comes to salinity swings in our water. I believe mine had bad molt(s) due to these varying levels (even though topping off daily). The cuc usually gets to the bodies fairly quickly after this, explaining their disappearance.

 

I would say the Dottyback more then likely had it for lunch. I have seen tiny dottybacks kill and eat shrimp three to four times there size. Not uncomon.

 

Good possibility. IMOPE, they're the meanest and most opportunistic "non-predatory" fish I've ever kept. Also could've been the maxi-mini- they are known to catch and eat fish and crustaceans. I've lost shrimp to nems before, and vice-versa. Survival of the fittest is key, both on the reef and in our tanks.