6-line and cleaner shrimp: OK to mix?

[Delphinus]

Wellllll ...... hate to say it but I'm pretty sure someone ate my new cleaner. MIA since Wednesday last week, not even a fleeting glimpse.

The problem is, they are so dang TINY to buy these days. It wouldn't take much of a gulp to swallow them whole if they were just a little out of sorts following a tank acclimation (and hence a little slower to escape an opportunisic snatch attempt..). My other cleaner shrimp (in my other tank) is easily 5 times the size of the ones I can go out and buy. I would just move him over, and hope for the best that the increased size means increased odds of not getting gulped, but since I don't know for certain what happened, I couldn't live with myself if I moved the shrimp over just so it can be eaten the first day.

Dang it, I've never had a problem with disappearing shrimp before. Did I just get unlucky or is someone in the tank having a penchant for shrimp meat??? It's too bad shrimp taste so good!!!

[christyf5]

Yes, what is going on with the size of inverts these days? The hermit crabs I bought a few months ago were practically microscopic. That didn't slow their voracious appetite for my snails though and all are wearing new homes.
The cleaner/peppermint/camel shrimp I have seen in the past 6 months or so have been absolutely tiny and I'm reluctant to add any to my tank as they just seem too small to survive in there. I don't think I have any predators but at $17.95 a pop for cleaners I don't really know if I want to give any gourmet offerings to anyone in my tank that may have a lust for a tiny innocent cleaner shrimp.

Christy

[GinKu]

i got some cleaner shrimp from J&L and they aren't small they are pretty big
i think it's 2 inch or something

[christyf5]

when did you get them? recently??

Christy

[Delphinus]

I have to eat crow now, because tonight I got a "fleeting glimpse" of hitherto-MIA cleaner shrimp.

Man, there really are too many dog-gone hidey holes in my tank that inhabitants can go hiding for a week at a time without ever having to come out for food or whatnot ... Oh well.