Is this a corpse or a molt?

[juanmanuelsanchez]

I'm starting to be intrigued. One of my cleaner shrimp went missing, I'm seeing a peppermint t shrimp almost dead with a black lunar on the shell, and then this.

So I'm wondering of there is something in my tank that could be eating them.

The tank is almost 2 years old and I haven't added anything in months. Also the tank is in fallow time. So there are no fishes in it.

Any help is appreciated.

Also I just took a pic of the 'injured' peppermint



Thanks in advance.

 

[DSC reef]

Looks like a molt in the pic. If the tank is fallow make sure you still feed the crabs. There opportunistic eaters and will go rouge if hungry.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

On a side note, it looks like you have a baby aiptasia in the sand in your first picture. I would remove it while it is easy to do so.

 

[juanmanuelsanchez]

I have an aitapsia infestation. I'm trying to get rid of it, that's why the peppermints. But if something is killing my shrimps, thats a problem!

 

[jsker]

I would think low iodine, copper, or a predator.

 

[juanmanuelsanchez]

Here you can see the hole in it. It died shortly after I took the first picture.

 

[jsker]

Hmmm, #reefsquad

 

[4FordFamily]

Any pistol shrimp? (Hear any clicks in the tank?)

 

[juanmanuelsanchez]

Nope... I'm suspecting a predatory snail

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Looks like a corpse. You can tell the difference based on if the eyes are still present. If the black of the eyes cannot be seen its a molt.

Nice scoly btw.

 

[Maritimer]

I know that in freshwater shrimpkeeping, there's a thing called "black spot disease" - does that apply to marine shrimp, as well?

~Bruce

 

[juanmanuelsanchez]

How can I identify a predatory snail?

Thanks

 

[Maritimer]

Well, one thing you could do would be to post it here - someone would undoubtedly be happy to identify it for you.

I don't know of any way to identify that you specifically _have_ a predatory snail without getting a look at it, though.

~Bruce