shrimp molting?

[kidder]

Was wondering if anyone has witnessed their shrimp molt? My peppermint is in the back corner of my tank, out in the open (in the location where I always find molted pieces) and is on his side/back and looks like he is struggling. Am I losing him or is he just molting in the daytime and in the open?

 

[G&NSalty425]

I have never actually seen one of my shrimpy molting I would love too I think it would be interesting. Does it look like it'sskin'scoming off or does it look intact and the shrimp is just having problems?

 

[seattle989]

are you sure that just not his shell struggling in the current? i myself have seen my skunk shrimps whole former body laying in the middle of the tank and though i lost him but it was just his shell lol. usually when shrimp molt they are easily subjected to predation thus their instinct is to hide.

 

[kidder]

Its about an hour or two since I first noticed it. Definitely not a molted shell - both the peppermint and the blood shrimp are alive but both acting "weird." Both are out in the open and not too scared of anything - its almost as though they are inebriated. They also appear to be eating the strange algea that was talking about in another current thread. I am hoping they are just molting, but it is kinda strange. Prepping a water change just to be sure I can't do something about it.

 

[G&NSalty425]

Have you added anything to your water lately that is different? Have you tested your Iodine/Iodide levels?

 

[kidder]

Here is the final tally. Looks like the peppermint is a goner (gonna leave him in there for a few more just to be sure we don't have a live one) but the blood shrimp seems to be recovering (hopefully) I wish I could have run some tests but quick action is always a better bet. Did a 12-14 gal water change (100 gal total volume). Then tested.
1.026 s/g
ph 8.2
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
calcium 360
alk 8dkh
I wish I could have tested Iodine as I know it is important to the molting process, but seeing as how one died I doubt that to be the case anyway.
As far as changes to the tank, the only thing new is a couple frags attached to a few small pieces of dead rock that were added a few days ago. I first noticed the problem shortly after feeding my two BTA's a small piece each of frozen raw shrimp (I have noticed the shrimp always try to steal these off of them).
Not really sure what caused the carnage but hopefully it is over. Haven't had the best of luck with this tank - its only been set up since Oct and have lost a couple fish - a couple chromis early with an ammonia spike and a flasher wrasse jumped out on me a week ago. Upgrading my skimmer (reef octo 150 from a Red Sea Berlin) so hopefully that will help. Well, thanks for the input everyone.

 

[seattle989]

your still early in the game (4 months?) take your time. imo i wouldn't add anything else for awhile.

 

[G&NSalty425]

Is this tank brand new or was it a used tank?

 

[charlesr1958]

I wouldn't be so quick to assume Iodides have any function in the molting process as there has not been a single study done to show that such crustaceans have a need or don't have a need for it. There are however quite a few viruses and bacterial problems that shrimp are subject to along with their not having a lengthy life span.

Chuck

 

[kidder]

Tank is pretty young (little over 4 months) and I know this can have a big effect on things but also know I have been reading perfect chemistry for the last 2 months or so. Funny thing is that the two shrimp were the only things that seemed effected. Tank was a used tank but had been dry for over a year and was fresh water washed before set up. I wonder if it had something to do with feeding my anemones? Right before that I fed them a small piece of raw shrimp - at least one of them spit it out and I know the shrimp hit this hard when that happens. Thanks for all the thoughts here folks. As far as iodide goes I was under the impression that it was necessary for molting - probably because of some product statement rather than study.

 

[gloo]

I recorded my sexy shrimp molting on one of our cell phones but I can't locate it atm. I noticed it since it was arching its back at an odd angle, and it wasn't moving its legs at all. Then the back split open and it literally jumped out of its old shell. The shrimp remained very frail and had probs holding onto rock right off the bat.

 

[brad2626]

Watched my old tarantula molt a few times. Never saw my shrimp though.

 

[G&NSalty425]

I know everytime my Shrimp molt I miss it one of these days just maybe I will see it.

 

[nwinverts]

While I'm a noob with saltwater inverts I have been breeding and selling freshwater shrimp for several years... Two of the biggest mistakes people make is that many commercial fish foods contain copper in trace amounts so read the labels on all manufactured foods if you keep shrimp. It may take weeks or months of feeding but it is a cumulative effect and it will kill them eventually. Second is that shrimp require stable tank parameters they will not tolerate any rapid chemistry changes. Do changes slowly over a period of days rather than all at once.

 

[boosted306]

I had a similar situation happen to me the other day and I lost my peppermint. He had been in the tank for months. From what I understand they can have trouble molting and not make it. I believe this to be the case with mine and could quite possibly be the case with yours. Best of luck.