Peppermint Shrimp Death

[Trenton Henderson]

Hi all! I got a peppermint shrimp about a month ago to replace two I banished to the sump for eating LPS (they were the more aggressive Atlantic type). One of the old ones still lives in the sump. I didn’t realize that the new shrimp in my DT was pregnant, but I came back home Kate last night and found a bunch of babies swimming about (I think the sump shrimp fertilized them via the water column). The DT shrimp was swimming around as well as it was spreading the babies.

Fast forward to this morning, I found the DT shrimp chopped off at the head (I don’t know where the back half was). I can’t figure out if it died from birth, molting issues after birthing, or getting sucked into an MP40 (and getting chopped) while it was in the water column. My thought is that if it didn’t get sucked into the pump, it probably lost the back half via hermit crabs or something.

Thoughts? I am just trying to figure out if I should buy those NemGaurd covers for the MP40s.

 

[MoshJosh]

Obvious question first, are you sure it's not just a well preserved/intact molt that looks like a corpse?

 

[Trenton Henderson]

Obvious question first, are you sure it's not just a well preserved/intact molt that looks like a corpse?

Yes. Still had color (with black eyes) and had meat inside. I’ve had shrimp a long time, so I’ve seen about every form of molt.

 

[MoshJosh]

If that's the case then I agree that it was probably taken apart by CUC.

 

[Trenton Henderson]

If that's the case then I agree that it was probably taken apart by CUC.

How do we propose it died?

 

[MoshJosh]

How do we propose it died?

likely divine intervention.

 

[MoshJosh]

likely divine intervention.

Sorry, could not help myself.

I know very little about the shrimp birthing process, could possibly be a stressor that lead to it's death, though that is just me grasping at straws.

Could very well have been a molt issue. Could have been "attacked" mid molt by CUC or other tank inhabitants wanting an easy meal.