Mystery wrasse and cleaner shrimp

[Surfside74]

OK. I think I already know the answer but let me pick your brains. I have a 120 mixed reef and I have the following fish in it:

Mystery wrasse
yellow tang
Kole tang
Blue hippo tang
Blonde naso tang
fox face
firefish
2 chalk bass
2 clowns
3 chromis
algae blenny

I also have brittle stars, snails, 2 emerald crabs, conchs, 1 coral banded shrimp, 4 fire/blood shrimp, and had 5 cleaner shrimp.

Over the last 2 weeks my cleaner shrimp have been disappearing. I had five originally and was down to 2 today. Tonight I came home and found a blood shrimp and a starfish fighting over the carcass of a cleaner shrimp. The cleaner shrimp was alive a few hours ago because I saw him. It looked like he was torn in half. My mystery wrasse is looking like he has a full belly and a guilty face.

So may question is do you see anyone else from the above list that would be killing my cleaner shrimp other than the mystery wrasse? The blood shrimp seem fine and it seems to be happening to only the cleaner shrimp. I like the mystery wrasse and am not going to get rid of him. I know you can keep a successful reef without the shrimp but I like them. I am just making sure I am not missing something else.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Perhaps your chalk bass. From Liveaquaria: "Larger specimens may attack small shrimps, especially those within the Periclimenes genus." There seem to be several types of cleaner shrimp included in Periclimenes, so it's a possibility.

 

[Surfside74]

Perhaps your chalk bass. From Liveaquaria: "Larger specimens may attack small shrimps, especially those within the Periclimenes genus." There seem to be several types of cleaner shrimp included in Periclimenes, so it's a possibility.

The chalk bass are small and the cleaner shrimp are bigger. Not sure if its them or not. The chalk bass usually hang out in an area away from the shrimp. Not sure. The cleaner shrimp are of the Lysmata amboinensis type or scarlet skunk shrimp

 

[PDR]

I think it's the mystery wrasse.

 

[Surfside74]

I think it's the mystery wrasse.

Thank you for your reply. I guess the worse thing that can happen is he eats the rest of the shrimp. Do you or anyone else see a downside or a problem with no shrimp in the tank?

 

[PDR]

Thank you for your reply. I guess the worse thing that can happen is he eats the rest of the shrimp. Do you or anyone else see a downside or a problem with no shrimp in the tank?

I think shrimp are great at cleaning up excess food, but they aren't necessary imo

 

[Surfside74]

I think shrimp are great at cleaning up excess food, but they aren't necessary imo

ok. Thanks. I have a lot of snails, brittle and sand sifting starfish, 2 emerald crabs, and conchs. I think that should handle the load. Can always increase amount if needed I guess. Hopefully he is done messing with the ones left. LOL

 

[Jesterrace]

I think shrimp are great at cleaning up excess food, but they aren't necessary imo

Agreed. When my first cleaner shimp died (My Melanurus Wrasse left it alone), I replaced it with another cleaner shrimp that was a bit smaller and it didn't last 24 hours. The following morning I found both my Melanurus and Coral Beauty eating it. I don't know if it died (or was near death before they started eating it) or if they attacked it, either way I have gone shrimpless since. I have considered getting a large Fire Shrimp though and seeing if they leave it alone.