super strange shrimp behavior on video

[thrujenseyes]

Hey all I've been MIA for a tiny bit but all has been so great with my tank (knock wood) that I've kinda put attentions elsewhere.
Anyway...super weird behavior caught on video of two dwarf shrimp (neocardinia) one red and one blue (both male...only have males in my tank 5 and one amano).
They seems to be fighting? I've never heard of them fighting but I'm not sure what else is happening here? Not mating. It appears the red is trying to eat the blue?!? This went on for a minute and a half until the other red came along and broke it up.
As you can see later in the video that the blue guy is fine.
The second part of video is two days later he's seen eating a shed.
Could it have been his? Was he having a tough time getting it off and the red one was trying to eat it while still attached?!? I'm baffled.
Sorry for the bad quality on first video it was dark and I used the light on phone.

This tank has been running flawlessly for quite a while now with no fluctuations or deaths.
There are 5 neocardinia, 1 amano, 1 nerite snail and 6 ember tetra.

any ideas?!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Kind of weird, have never seen this personally with my own shrimps. I too have both blue and red colourations (as well as rare black ones as well).

It’s definitely not mating as both these are females and the mating ritual is totally different anyway.

Does appear that the blue is trying to ‘help’ with shedding the moult off the red and got a particular appetite for moult

Would not worry too much to be honest. It’s one of those quirky things when it comes to shrimp keeping

 

[thrujenseyes]

(as well as rare black ones as well).

I too have a jet black one! (three red, one blue, one black and one amano)

both these are females

wait...what?!?! I thought they were both male?!?

Does appear that the blue is trying to ‘help’ with shedding the moult off the red and got a particular appetite for moult

I thought so too!?! haha....strange little critters.

It’s one of those quirky things when it comes to shrimp keeping

they really are soo very quirky! I just adore them and their antics.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yeah, having another look on your vid, the lighter red shrimp does look like female by the size of abdomen as well as size of shrimp.

The interloper or third shrimp who comes into the vid is a male by the look of things being compared to the other two.

Now am unsure as to the sex of the blue shrimp , at first thought was female by the size of the shrimp but it’s kinda tricky to tell due to the vid.

Anyhow, makes little difference as to what gender they are, still does look like trying to eat some of the moult would be best guess.

Sorry if I made things confusing earlier, was not intended.

 

[thrujenseyes]

The interloper

that cracked me up

I have struggled wondering if that one red was a female...Oh boy, that's not so great since I have black red and blue...I'll surely get wilds in there. Oh well, they're all cute.

I've had them all for many months now and no eggs or babies.

But I have to agree ...I swear the one is trying to eat the moult!

 

[Colin_T]

shrimp and other crustaceans regularly eat the moulted skin. It has some nutritional value and gives them something to do while their shell hardens.

 

[thrujenseyes]

shrimp and other crustaceans regularly eat the moulted skin. It has some nutritional value and gives them something to do while their shell hardens.

I know, but do they try to eat it while it's still on a living shrimp!?!? That's what was odd about the video. The second part of the video I was just showing that he was ok after a few days and happily eating a moult.
It truly seemed like the blue one was trying to moult and the red one was "helping it along" by eating it off of him...against the blue ones wishes.