Amano Shrimp Shedding Or Dead?

[GordonTGopher]

I put 5 Amano in my tank yesterday and this morning I found, what I first thought was a shed skin. On closer inspection it seemed to have legs etc. which had me thinking it's the leftovers of a dead one . What actually gets shed when a shrimp moults?


Gordon

 

[iSnail]

It's not unusual for shrimps to shed their skin shortly after being put in a new environment due to the difference in water parameters. Shrimp moults do have legs too LOL. It's literally the shell of the whole shrimp including legs and antennae. Amano shrimp moults should look half transparent with crack/opening at the back neck area. That is where the shrimp pulls out of it's old skin shell. Here's a shrimp moult of my cherry shrimp. Hope it helps

 

[GordonTGopher]

It's not unusual for shrimps to shed their skin shortly after being put in a new environment due to the difference in water parameters. Shrimp moults do have legs too LOL. It's literally the shell of the whole shrimp including legs and antennae. Amano shrimp moults should look half transparent with crack/opening at the back neck area. That is where the shrimp pulls out of it's old skin shell. Here's a shrimp moult of my cherry shrimp. Hope it helps

Thanks for the quick reply, looks like it was a moult after all. Can only see 1 or 2 at a time, so I couldn't be sure

Gordon

 

[Invader Xan]

If he's only just moulted, he'll probably hide for a day or two... Then he'll be out and about good as new!

 

[GoldLenny]

If your shrimp are in a community tank where there may be predators, here is a little "cave" you can make for your shrimp so they'll feel safe when molting. It's from a page on Ghost shrimp but the DIY cave works for any shrimp.

Appropriate Home
Ghost Shrimp can live in fish bowls and aquariums with and without an aquarium heater at a temperature between 65 and 82 degrees F. Every few months a Ghost Shrimp molts its exoskeleton. When this happens, it's soft body is exposed, and it's vulnerable to being eaten. You can protect your Ghost Shrimp by putting a piece of a broken flower pot on the bottom of your Ghost Shrimp's home to form a small hiding place for the Shrimp. Put the piece of the broken flower pot with it's inside facing down on the bottom of your Shrimp's home, so there is a small cave for your Shrimp to crawl under. If this cave is not big enough for the Shrimps, prop the piece of the flower pot up with a small rock or piece of gravel, or another piece of the broken flower pot. The idea is to give the Ghost Shrimp a hiding place that is too small for the other animals. So the Shrimp will be safe while it molts.

 

[Lynz781]

Here is a pic of amano shrimp skin I'd like to share.

 

[rdd1952]

Mine shed all the time.. Actually had 2 shed in the last 3 days. It is somewhat of a shock when the entire shell is there intact, including the legs. I always have to look twice to make sure it's just the shell. And they are great hiders. Sometimes I go weeks and not see all 5 of mine at the same time and then one day, there they are.

 

[BNyleen581]

If they are dead (mine all died ) they are usually missing legs (the fish eat them) and the remains of the body and shell will turn a gross tan or orangish color. The ones in my tank that live shed all the time and it freaks me out too.