Stupid cleaner shrimp...

[LostMind]

I buy a bunch of stomatella snails...

put half in one tank, half in the tank with the cleaners... I decided to feed the shrimp and fish before I put the snails in the tank. So, all my critters pig out (shrimp at a big bundle of brine shrimp each <shrimp eating shrimp is funny somehow>) and everyone seems happy so I add the new stomatella snails and a few other snails (nassarious and a conch) and the FIRST thing my shrimps do (both of them) is run for the stomatella's and go nuts on them like they are ambrosia or something. I lost two snails before I realised what was happening (I thought the shrimp were just checking the snails out... doh!)

So, I went and dropped a bit more brine shrimp in the tank. Both shrimp grabbed a bunch more and I thought the shrimp must have just been hungry... oops, my mistake... lesson learned, right?

So I come back to the tank 15 mins later and notice that the rock I put the stomatella on seem to be missing a few more snails.. take a quick glance at my shrimps and both have another stomatella in their dirty lil claws!

So I fed them some mysis shrimp I have, figuring maybe they just want to eat like rich men and have some variety... shrimps both grab a big bunch of mysis shrimps and go to their rock and start chowing...

Now, I had half a dozen stomatella in my tank somewhere before I added the cleaners... I see one or two occassionally still. But, out of a dozen I added today, I think there are only 2 survivors left as of lights out.

Stupid shrimp!

[Jack]

That gets expensive!

I never knew cleaner shrimps ate snails.

[Son Of Skyline]

I think maybe u should NOT feed your animals right before you put in new animals! Looks like you're putting your shrimp into feeding mode, then dropping in the snails in for desert...like jumping into shark infested waters during a feeding frenzy. I've never seen my cleaners do this, but then again I've never fed right before adding snails.

What I do is if I'm putting new animals in that may get eaten when they first enter the tank, I turn the lights out while I float the bags. Everybody seems more calm when the lights go out and it works for me.

Sorry to hear about your losses btw

[Bob I]

I agree with the previous poster. My two cleaners have never touched a snail, except to investigate. They are always all over every new thing I put in the tank, but have never eaten snails.

[Delphinus]

I'm afraid I have to report I have witnessed my cleaners eating Stomatella snails. I long suspected that something was eating them because they are always WAY more numerous in my fugia or my sumps or in spaces inaccessible to larger creatures, but I did finally one day find a cleaner shrimp going nuts on something, and on closer inspection I realized what he was eating.

Those shrimp are literally just empty stomachs with an exoskeleton.

Stomatella reproduce fairly freely in aquaria though, so as long as you have a place where they can live out without being predated into psuedo-extinction in your tank then at least you can have THOSE areas kept clean by the snails (if not the other areas).

[Bob I]

It is certainly a possibility, as Stomatella get little protection from their shells. I will check my 50 to see if there are any Stomatella left.

[Aquattro]

All mine are gone from the main tank also. I never suspected the shrimp! I do have stomies in the sump though....

[StirCrazy]

I have a abundance of stomatella in my tank and I have two big cleaners and 3 peppermint shrimps.. I have never seen one eaten by a shrimp either.

Steve

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

I have a abundance of stomatella in my tank and I have two big cleaners and 3 peppermint shrimps.. I have never seen one eaten by a shrimp either.

Steve

Steve, let's be honest. None of your animals eat anything normal. Your tangs won't touch algae either

[LostMind]

So my shrimp are normal then.. ok, I wont banish them to the sump!

Poor Steve - tangs that dont eat algae? wth is up with that