Bamboo shrimp failure to moult

[madiechan]

Hi there, looking for some advice, couldn't find anything online, all the information appeared to be about cherries.

I found my bamboo shrimp dead, and seemingly stuck in its shell, what can cause a failure to moult in bamboo shrimp? The water readings are all stable, no nitrate or nitrite spikes, and I feed them shrimp powder every other day.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Hi there, looking for some advice, couldn't find anything online, all the information appeared to be about cherries.

I found my bamboo shrimp dead, and seemingly stuck in its shell, what can cause a failure to moult in bamboo shrimp? The water readings are all stable, no nitrate or nitrite spikes, and I feed them shrimp powder every other day.

Welcome to the forum.

Are you absolutely certain that you did not find just the molt?
They can look VERY similar to a dead shrimp...and just after a shrimp molts, they will hide for some time, because their soft new shell makes them very vulnerable to predators...your shrimp could have molted, and is now in hiding.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

What is the GH of your water? If your water is too soft, the shell will be weak and might be a cause. Just a thought

 

[madiechan]

Welcome to the forum.

Are you absolutely certain that you did not find just the molt?
They can look VERY similar to a dead shrimp...and just after a shrimp molts, they will hide for some time, because their soft new shell makes them very vulnerable to predators...your shrimp could have molted, and is now in hiding.

No unfortunately the body was in there and he was very dead.


I have soft water but add shrimp calcium blocks and have limestone in the tank to raise it. I was assured by LFS that, that should be enough. Do you get water hardness testing kits?

 

[Slaphppy7]

I have the kits, but rarely use them, because my tanks stay pretty stable, and my tap and tank water params are similar.

I wonder if it was getting enough to eat, your water column in the tank needs to be full of nutrients (established tank), bamboos are constantly filter feeding...

 

[mrsjoannh13]

No unfortunately the body was in there and he was very dead.


I have soft water but add shrimp calcium blocks and have limestone in the tank to raise it. I was assured by LFS that, that should be enough. Do you get water hardness testing kits?

Yes, I bought the API GH & KH test kit. I have basically 0 dGH out of the tap and need it to be about 4-5 for my shrimp (amanos but I think most shrimp need at least this level). I have to dose Seachem Equilibrium to get up to 4-5 dGH with each water change. I believe the other methods you mentioned may help but I'd test your GH to be sure.

 

[madiechan]

I have the kits, but rarely use them, because my tanks stay pretty stable, and my tap and tank water params are similar.

I wonder if it was getting enough to eat, your water column in the tank needs to be full of nutrients (established tank), bamboos are constantly filter feeding...

It's a heavily planted tank and I also supplimented with a powder shrimp feed specifically for bamboos. I'd mix it with water and scoosh it up stream a bit from him. Also the tank is two years established. He was plump and looked healthy. I think I'm going to order a kit and test what specific hardness I'm getting to as my tap water is very soft (east coast Scotland) as that might well be what caused the poor things demise.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I see.
Have you kept shrimp or other inverts in the past, in this tank?

Where did you get the bamboo?....local shop?

 

[madiechan]

I see.
Have you kept shrimp or other inverts in the past, in this tank?

Where did you get the bamboo?....local shop?

yeah it's got a healthy colony of Cherries, no moulting issues with them. The bamboo shrimp was about 4 months old and I got him at a LFS. Not my usual one, but one with very good reviews and housekeeping. The skin had split (not like the white ring of death) but looked like he got stuck, he was bent partially erupted from the shell.