who ate my cleaner shrimps?

So I got 2 cleaner little shrimps who were very active in my 80gal tank.
some info:
Tank isn't too old - 7months

5 chromis
2 clowns
1 foxface
1 copperband butterfly
2 missing cleaner shrimps

they did well for 2 weeks and then noticed them hiding near the cave.. they'd only come out at feeding time and get hold of all the sinking pellets.

yesterday I didn't see them both, not many hiding places in my tank.
today i say some shrimp-like skin and tentacles / whiskers floating around and the copperband was nipping on them (in the moonlight)

Could it be the copperband?? foxface??
could they just be molting? I can't find them in the tank anywhere

 

While it is possible the CB ate them you may be seeing a molt in which case the shrimp are vulnerable and will hide.

 

+1^^

 

^^+2

 

how long will they hide - approx ??

 

It really depends on the individual shrimp; I had one that would hide for a day or two, and another that didn't bother hiding at all in the same tank.

Hopefully they will both show up soon, but so you know, clownfish have been known to kill cleaner shrimp on occasion, and I have heard cases of one cleaner killing another. While somewhat rare, those are still very real possibilities...

 

I finally saw two tenticles sticking out of a deadspot in my aquascape around the cave.
I'm hoping its one of them at least!

will keep this thread posted so it might help someone else whos worried about their missing shrimp!

Thanks guys!

 

Could be molting though the simultaneous disappearance is suspicious. I still remember my wife frantically texting me from home:

Shrimpy is dead!!!!

He had molted. Give a couple days, but very odd. I don't see anything that would be much of a danger.

 

Ok,

So a friend asked if I'd be interested in a swap - copperband for a yellow tang since he had and aiptasia problem
good deal!
as soon as the copperband was out, from a corner, my shrimp comes out starts working like he was never gone!

I conclude the first one was killed by the copperband and the second one molted and was hiding from the copperband - no other explanation i could think of!