Shrimps

[nog]

hi can any one tell me why my dancing shrimp (i think it was this one) has shed its skin. it did it last night it looks fine today, i have heard that its something they do....but why?

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

Its called molting, and its a healthy part of life for a shrimp. Thats why if you've ever heard of having "the proper amount of iodine" for inverts, its because it promotes proper molting. Im not sure how often they do it, but its a pretty regular thing. Sometimes after molting, they will not be as active for a few days, I believe because it takes a lot of energy, but I may be wrong. But that is totally normal too if the shrimp seems a little sluggish.

 

[smithrc]

they will not be as active for a few days,

It's because they are waiting to the new bigger 'shell' to harden - they are very vunrable after a moult until the shell is tough again, they will hide

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

O yeah thats y! forgot lol

 

[nog]

many thanks its good to know im not doing something wrong

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

Yeah the first time one of mine did that, I though my shrimp had gone transparent because the skin was in a position that the shrimp would normally be in, and I told my dad to come here and i said, my shrimp is clear! And he could see both of them, and I could only see one and he said, I didnt know you had 3! So then I remembered that they shed their skin every once in a while.

 

[Aquascaper]

I was lucky enough to be round at Navarres house when one of his three Blood shrimps moulted right in front of our eyes

Very weird watching a shrimps back splitting open and it climbing out but the most amazing thing was the reaction of the fish. The shrimp had chosen to moult in rather an exposed place and all the fish were circling around watching the shrimp. As soon as it was out of its old shell a fish swam in and tore off three of its legs from one side of its body. Needless to say the shrimp crapped itself and shot into a gap in the live rock but the damage was done........I guess that explains why they usually hide for a while