Fire shrimp dead, why?!

[ToadstoolCoral155]

First off I'll make it clear, YES, I have checked all water parameters except copper, but I know this tragedy wasn't because of copper since I have mostly inverts in my tank and they are all sparkling healthy.

I have two featherduster worms, 2 clownfish, 5 astrea snails, 3 turbo snails, 17 hermit crabs, one starfish(WAY TOO SMALL TO HURT THE FIRE SHRIMP), one toadstool, one GSP frag, red bush algae bush.

This morning I woke up and checked on my tank, and my fire shrimp was entirely fine except for one eye being slightly tinted gray, but other than that he was in perfect health and he ate. Not even an hour later when I came home from church, he was dead- on his side, and his eyes missing from his sockets but no other signs of injury, trauma, etc. The tank was not cloudy at all so no struggle was indicated, it's as if he just dropped dead out of nowhere.

He was in perfect health and died an hour later, can anybody figure out why he is dead and why is eyes are missing?

 

[Jusha]

Are you sure it's not the molt but the actual shrimp? Check your tank again carefully and see if the fire shrimp is still there.

 

[ToadstoolCoral155]

Are you sure it's not the molt but the actual shrimp? Check your tank again carefully and see if the fire shrimp is still there.

Should have made it clear, 100% THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE SHRIMP. My shrimp has molted before, I know how to tell a molt from the actual shrimp.

 

[Jusha]

Maybe it died from old age?

Should have made it clear, 100% THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE SHRIMP. My shrimp has molted before, I know how to tell a molt from the actual shrimp.

 

[ToadstoolCoral155]

Maybe it died from old age?

I did buy it as an adult, so that is possible, but why was he eating just fine and then drop dead of old age an hour later?

 

[Jusha]

Not sure, but they only live for around 2.5 years so it is likely it dies from old age.

I did buy it as an adult, so that is possible, but why was he eating just fine and then drop dead of old age an hour later?

 

[cracker]

So The eyes were missing otherwise no other signs of trauma ? Were the snails or hermits on it?
For instance my female clown just swam up to a shrimp & popped its eye right off ! The shrimp freaked out & was dead the next morn. perhaps a fish did this.

 

[ToadstoolCoral155]

So The eyes were missing otherwise no other signs of trauma ? Were the snails or hermits on it?
For instance my female clown just swam up to a shrimp & popped its eye right off ! The shrimp freaked out & was dead the next morn. perhaps a fish did this.

If that is plausible then I am sure that's what happened...MY female clown tried to pick at his eyes numerous times.

 

[ToadstoolCoral155]

If that is plausible then I am sure that's what happened...MY female clown tried to pick at his eyes numerous times.

Well...What can be a replacement for a fire shrimp? I won't buy any more shrimp for this tank, my clownfish will kill them most likely. I was looking at urchins. What would you reccommend as a replacement?

What I don't/cant get: Hermit crabs(already have plenty), regular crabs(picks at corals and fish), other shrimp.

 

[Stevenlburton]

Cleaner shrimp should be fine, and more visible and useful than a fire shrimp IMO

 

[ToadstoolCoral155]

Cleaner shrimp should be fine, and more visible and useful than a fire shrimp IMO

Well...What can be a replacement for a fire shrimp? I won't buy any more shrimp for this tank, my clownfish will kill them most likely. I was looking at urchins. What would you reccommend as a replacement?

What I don't/cant get: Hermit crabs(already have plenty), regular crabs(picks at corals and fish), other shrimp.

Cleaner shrimp or not, the eyesballs are fair game for my clowns.

 

[AdamNC]

Not sure, but they only live for around 2.5 years so it is likely it dies from old age.

Not true at all sorry to tell you. Mine has been with me for about 4 years, Oct 20th 2014. He was bought as an adult also so who knows how old he really is.

 

[Dancingmad]

Cleaner shrimp or not, the eyesballs are fair game for my clowns.

Coral banded shrimp could be an option. I bet a CBS would have something to say about a clownfish pickin' at it's eyes w/ those big ol claws. I kept one with a marine beta, and despite them getting into a fight and the CBS losing an arm (it regrew in a couple molts) everything was fine. They even started hanging out together under a ledge. BFFs!