I had a Pederson's for a few months in my 29g. He seemed happy and healthy, and he had established a set routine in the tank. Then, one morning, he was just gone. I loved that little guy, so I'm bummed. I'm trying to determine the most likely cause of his disappearance.
Suspects:
Royal Gramma
Ocellaris Clown
Tailspot Blenny
Neon Blue Goby
Orange Spot Goby
Firefish
Fire Shrimp (large)
2 Peppermint Shrimp (1 large, 1 medium)
Emerald Crab (med)
Scarlet Hermit Crab (large)
Randall's Pistol Shrimp (med)
Pocillopora Crab (med)
I've pretty much crossed off all of the fish, except maybe the Gramma who is the only fish in the tank who ever took a passing interest in Pederson. Even then, however, it's highly doubtful since Pederson disappeared sometime overnight, while the Gramma is sleeping in his cave. I noticed he was gone in the morning before the light even came on, and the Gramma wasn't up yet.
That leaves the inverts as the prime suspects, but I haven't seen any information anywhere suggesting that any of them, specifically, are incompatible with Pederson. In order from least to most likely...
Randall's - Like the Gramma, the pistol shrimp spends his nights barricaded in his den with his Goby lover.
Scarlet Hermit - He's way too large and clumsy to catch Pederson IMO.
Pocillopora Crab - I suppose if Pederson ventured into his home it's possible that the crab exercised the local stand-your-ground laws. Pederson spent his days in the bottom left front corner of the tank, but he did have a habit of roaming the upper end of the rockwork as soon as the lights went off, which would put him in the Pocillopora's neighborhood.
Fire Shrimp - His sheer size makes him an invertebrate of interest. He also has a tendency to always appear hungry. However, I've been told by many that they are supposed to be compatible.
Emerald Crab - Many people have shared many stories about Emerald Crabs. I'm just not sure how easy it would be for a crab to actually catch a healthy shrimp.
Peppermint Shrimp - the large Peppermint is the prime suspect. He's large, as well as being a giant ******-nozzle when it comes to eating. He's the obnoxious ****** who enjoys reaching into the bowels of random LPS looking for a free meal. Again though, I was told these shrimp were supposed to be compatible. Following the general rule that "shrimp are jerks", is it possible that I have a rogue player on my hands?... or that Peppermints are just unpredictable by nature?
I hate to get rid of the Peppermints because they are proven aiptasia hunters, and the aggressive personality combined with a seemingly insatiable appetite makes him the captain of my clean-up team.
I may try again when I get everything transferred to my 90g. Perhaps the larger territory will eliminated this kind of thing from happening again? What do you guys think?
Suspects:
Royal Gramma
Ocellaris Clown
Tailspot Blenny
Neon Blue Goby
Orange Spot Goby
Firefish
Fire Shrimp (large)
2 Peppermint Shrimp (1 large, 1 medium)
Emerald Crab (med)
Scarlet Hermit Crab (large)
Randall's Pistol Shrimp (med)
Pocillopora Crab (med)
I've pretty much crossed off all of the fish, except maybe the Gramma who is the only fish in the tank who ever took a passing interest in Pederson. Even then, however, it's highly doubtful since Pederson disappeared sometime overnight, while the Gramma is sleeping in his cave. I noticed he was gone in the morning before the light even came on, and the Gramma wasn't up yet.
That leaves the inverts as the prime suspects, but I haven't seen any information anywhere suggesting that any of them, specifically, are incompatible with Pederson. In order from least to most likely...
Randall's - Like the Gramma, the pistol shrimp spends his nights barricaded in his den with his Goby lover.
Scarlet Hermit - He's way too large and clumsy to catch Pederson IMO.
Pocillopora Crab - I suppose if Pederson ventured into his home it's possible that the crab exercised the local stand-your-ground laws. Pederson spent his days in the bottom left front corner of the tank, but he did have a habit of roaming the upper end of the rockwork as soon as the lights went off, which would put him in the Pocillopora's neighborhood.
Fire Shrimp - His sheer size makes him an invertebrate of interest. He also has a tendency to always appear hungry. However, I've been told by many that they are supposed to be compatible.
Emerald Crab - Many people have shared many stories about Emerald Crabs. I'm just not sure how easy it would be for a crab to actually catch a healthy shrimp.
Peppermint Shrimp - the large Peppermint is the prime suspect. He's large, as well as being a giant ******-nozzle when it comes to eating. He's the obnoxious ****** who enjoys reaching into the bowels of random LPS looking for a free meal. Again though, I was told these shrimp were supposed to be compatible. Following the general rule that "shrimp are jerks", is it possible that I have a rogue player on my hands?... or that Peppermints are just unpredictable by nature?
I hate to get rid of the Peppermints because they are proven aiptasia hunters, and the aggressive personality combined with a seemingly insatiable appetite makes him the captain of my clean-up team.
I may try again when I get everything transferred to my 90g. Perhaps the larger territory will eliminated this kind of thing from happening again? What do you guys think?
