Are shrimp killing my fish?

My husband's 55gal tank had ~40 fish in it, half albino neons and half furcate rainbows. There is also a young bristle nose pleco (small), 4 or 5 nerite snails, and these shrimp in the photo. I don't know what they are. The LFS sold them as "Indo Shrimp" I think? There are also baby pond snails but something has been keeping those totally in check lately and there are barely any. The shrimp have been in the tank since set up a year ago, although I did add some new ones from another tank so I think there is a total of 8 in there currently. The tank is heavily planted.

The fish have been slowly dwindling over the past year. I think there are probably only 25 left. I've only found a dead fish maybe once? I had to euthanize a couple after my husband went rogue and injured them during cleaning. Otherwise nothing, none sick or dying or dead. Just vanish. I assumed that someone was eating the bodies before I could find them which makes sense, fine, but I have not been able to locate any reason whatsoever the fish might be dying or disappearing. Water parameters perfect. Temperature perfect. Etc. That will be another mystery for another day - currently I am only wondering if maybe these shrimp are hunting and killing the fish now that they have gotten so big? I caught two of them eating one of the neons yesterday so I snapped a photo. They did leave the bare skeleton afterwards - which is the only time I've seen a skeleton either.

Thoughts on murderous shrimp would be appreciated! Sorry if it is an ignorant question... I just took shrimp that the LFS recommended.

 

Shrimp will not kill your fish in fact it's the other way around but shrimp will eat dead fish so you need to find out what's killing them
Edit
Those are ammano shrimp

 

How big are your shrimp? How old are your neons? Maybe there was an ammonia spike from them dying? Hmm this is strange, I've personally never seen shrimp killing fish.

 

Shrimp will not kill your fish in fact it's the other way around but shrimp will eat dead fish so you need to find out what's killing them

Thank you! All I needed to know. With the shrimp outgrowing the fish and swimming quickly I wasn't sure!

Also, any ideas on what the heck these shrimp might be?

 

Those are amano shrimp. Not killers. They will scavenge dead bodies. I'd look for another solution. What is "perfect" in terms of parameters and temp?

 

How big are your shrimp? How old are your neons? Maybe there was an ammonia spike from them dying? Hmm this is strange, I've personally never seen shrimp killing fish.

The shrimp are now a bit bigger than the neons, all have been in the tank 1 year so, roughly 1 year old? About an inch. The tank is really understocked and I've tested everything but if I know it isn't the shrimp then I can move on down the list lol

 

They are ammano shrimp a bit boisterous to smaller shrimp but not a threat to fish

 

The shrimp are now a bit bigger than the neons, all have been in the tank 1 year so, roughly 1 year old? About an inch. The tank is really understocked and I've tested everything but if I know it isn't the shrimp then I can move on down the list lol

Perhaps the rainbows are getting old and passing from old age? I know they only live a few years. Or something is not perfeclty compatible and they are dying early. Is your water hardness and PH compatible for all the critters in your aquarium?

 

Those are amano shrimp. Not killers. They will scavenge dead bodies. I'd look for another solution. What is "perfect" in terms of parameters and temp?

Thanks, I definitely will now. Just had to soothe my curiosity! lol

I'll retest everything tonight when I get home, and do a full post so I can try to get to the bottom of it! Thank you all so much! Glad I don't have to ditch my shrimp. They're voracious.

 

55 gals for 40 fishes+ 5 snails+ 8 shrimps + pleco= alots of live stock for this tank from beginning I think.To me 2 gals for each live stock is fair for them to have room to live even they are small .That is what you currently have now Is good .These shrimps are hardly shrimp and peaceful ,I do not think they attck the fish until dead.Fishes in tank vanished some time due to many reason .Could be filter, could be weak and sick on individual then other fish attck to drive one away or kill instantly ( beside the BB ,your tank some how still have bad B by food or some other way you bring them in).,could be metal poisoning while used wrong fertilizer ( I seen some use garden fert for aquarium fert ,to me that is no no), could be temp under or over , could be water condition good for most but uncomfortible for one that weak or sick ...They must be disappear for some unknown or undetected reasons Which uncomfortable and make them die.Then one die might be eaten by other or disappear in to filter system or floating over water surface month later...fish eat dead fish body is not very good, the one that sick and dead will or might pass the sickness to other then more fish disappear.Even shrimps eat dead body fish is ok but too much then no good for them too.Got to keep an eye on them and take the dead body away( thanks to shrimp but they can not eat too much dead one).