My Cleaner Shrimp ate my chromis

Hello. i was just feeding my tank and had 5 chromis. I looked over moments later and saw my cleaner shrimp picking inside of my chromis gills. (it was a very small chromis). I cant reach the shrimp to take the fish away. Will it be okay to leave in my tank?
Has anyone else seen this happen before?
Thanks,
JP

 

Far more than likely, it was just scavenging the already dead. I wouldn't worry about it in the tank, as the shrimp will clean it up pretty well on it's own, let alone anything else you have in your CUC with a meaty appetite.

 

Also, are you sure it was dead? Is it possible the cleaner was just, well, cleaning?

 

Thanks, yes i have a large CUC. but i am positive it was alive moments before. maybe my anemone stung it... idk. it was a tiny chromis
Thanks for your input.

 

Here is a pic. i forgot to rotate it. sorry!

 

So the fish is dead?
Cleaner shrimp will clean the parasites off of a fish and sometimes the fish will allow the shrimp to clean the inside of their mouth or gills. Hence the name "Cleaner shrimp"
My shrimp have never killed a fish but anything is possible...
If the fish is dead it could pollute the water if you don't have a clean up crew to take care of the remains. If is possible to get it out I would... if it is going to topple everything over and create a bigger headache moving the rocks around to get it just make sure you have Hermits to eat the body...

 

oops just saw your response after I submitted my post...I don't think the shrimp was the cause of the death either.

 

I used mollies to cycle my tank everyone lived threw the cycle. but as time has passed so have a few of them well there remains lasts all of about 3-5 hours and it is eaten by something. If he is gone sorry to hear that. No matter what the loss its always a bummer.

 

Ditto.. i dont see how a cleaner shrimp could actually kill a chromis. but who knows..

I am certain the chromis died before the cleaner got to him.