How long till I declare tiger shimp dead?

[BigGimp77]

Two weeks ago we got a Red striped Tiger shrimp. For the first week he was easy to spot. Then for about 2 days I couldn't find him. The reason I couldn't find him is because he was under a different rock! Well it's been about 5 days since he moved under that other rock and I haven't seen him once! I've checked under all the other rocks too.

Is he just M.I.A or is it time to declare him deceased?

[James605]

Anything that could have eaten him? check in the filter???

[FrankenReef]

he might have moved to a different rock again.

[sedor]

Shrimp can do that. I have a peppermint shrimp in my tank that I never see. The only reason I know its even in there is because when I upgraded my tank a few months ago he popped out of one of the rocks when I was moving it over.

[nrbelk]

Try checking at night. That is when my coral banded shrimp and my peppermint shrimp both become active. There will be weeks go by that I don't see my peppermint shrimp only to have him show up one night enjoying some food.

[pepsiDX20]

Shrimp are great hiders. I had a peppermint go missing for months, I thought he was dead. Then one day while mounting a frag I saw him peeking out from some rocks.

[TripleT]

I'm sure he's in there. You can go for months without seeing him.

What else is in your tank?

You'll probably hear him before you see him. Are you familiar with the snapping sound they make? It sounds a little bit like your tank's glass is cracking.

I'd make sure to feed food that you know will make it to the bottom, and into crevices. Small sinking pellets for example. You might also feed this (very) late in the day, since he'll probably be more active after lights out.

[BigGimp77]

Thanks for the load of responses guys!

What I have in the tank currently:

2 True Perc Clowns
5 Blue Leg Hermits
2 Cerite Snails (I had 5 but 3 kicked the bucket for whatever reason)
1 Conch (Haven't seen the conch since I put him in the tank. He burried himself and hasn't came up since so IDK his status)
1 Small rock on the sand with 4 mushrooms on it (The mushrooms are getting BIG)

I have checked all throughout the day and periodically from 8pm-1am. No sign of him in the sump, overflow or other rocks. I try to float some pellets down at night, but I had an algea outbreak due to over feed so I've been careful about leaving food on the sand as of late.

The guy was TINY probably less then an inch in size. I probably should have waited to get a tiger shrimp but it was kind of an impulse buy when I went to get my clowns. I haven't seen tiger shrimps at the LFS before so I wanted to scoop him up before anybody else did. I just hope he's ok!

Tank was probably 2.5 months old, but 2 weeks ago was the first live stock added. Levels are fine now after a tiny amm/nitrate spike that subsided 3 days after adding the fish (no casulaties during this time). Fish are healthy... Physically atleast. Mentally I'm not so sure. They seemed to like being hosted by my Return pipe and hang in the corner all the time. It's a pain because it's hard to see them because of the canopy. They are eating a bunch (to the point of almost biting me when I stick my fingers in). Minus the couple of nerites all of my other CUC (assuming the conch is in the sand) are healthy. Mushrooms are doing really well in the bottom.

My next fish is going to be a Yasha goby which I WAS gonna get to pair with my shrimp.

[TripleT]

No triggers, no coral banded shrimp, no other crustacean chompers... I'm sure he's fine.

Starvation would be my main concern. He's a carnivore, so make sure to feed some meaty stuff every day, like mysis, krill, and sinking pellets.

One other thing... I have a bullseye pistol in my 10 gallon QT. I know the rock he's under (the only one in there) and I haven't seen him in weeks, except for the few times I picked up the rock!

[dwinter]

I find mine comes out when I feed frozen food. I will go days with out seeing it, but I still hear the clicking noise from it's claw on occation.

[singold]

The Goby may draw it out. Looks like you have a Randalls Pistol Shrimp, they are red & white striped. The Tiger Pistol Shrimp is Brown & White striped. Both types pair the same with a Goby. The Randalls Pistol Shrimp will feel safer with the Goby protecting it. My pair did. Also, it could be hiding inside the Live Rock, if not in the sand. I would bet when you add the Yashi Goby, the Randall's Shrimp will re-surface within a week & pair up with the Yashi.

[Dino]

You'd be surprised how well they can hide. I have an actual tiger pistol shrimp in my tank (or assume I still do) that has been in there for close to a year probably now and I can count on one hand the number of times I've even seen it.

[BigGimp77]

Yea, I’m kind of hoping that if I get a goby then it will coax the shrimp back out into the open. I have noticed that out of my 3 dead Cerite snails on the sandbed, 2 are picked clean and have become empty shells. The third still has a snail body in it (they all died around the same time). The 2 that are picked clean are pretty close to where the Tiger shrimp hides out, so maybe he could have had something to do with that?

The food I’ve been feeding the fish are herbivore/omnivore pellets. I know they contain a little bit of meat (I know shrimp is one of the ingredients). I have on occasion dropped 2 or 3 of these little pellets every couple of days near where the shrimp hides out.

Interesting development today… I have been seeing this black worm looking thing in the corner where my Conch buried himself into the ground when we first got him. Every time I’d try to blow sand off of it to see where it was it would disappear. Well today it came out REALLY far…. Andddd it was my Conch snail? He really hasn’t sat in that corner, buried completely, not moving an inch, for two full weeks has he?!?