Shrimp died right after shedding it's skin. WHY???
- Thread starter hondamx
- Start date
mine just did the same! I've got 3 cherry shrimp in a breeder with two baby bristlenose until I move them into my new tank being cycled. One just died after a shed.
jay's thought is a very good one. crustaceans are definitely vulnerable during and right after shedding, before their new shell has hardened.
another possibility is molting deaths. i've heard of it on a shrimp forum, but am confused about the efficacy of iodine supplements. Some people recommend using liquid iodine supplements to help crustaceans shed (their exoskeleton needs iodine), while others say it is useless. Either way, I use it. You can find it in marine reef (coral) supplements. I just add 1 mL per 30 gal after water changes. I figure it can't hurt :huh:
another possibility is molting deaths. i've heard of it on a shrimp forum, but am confused about the efficacy of iodine supplements. Some people recommend using liquid iodine supplements to help crustaceans shed (their exoskeleton needs iodine), while others say it is useless. Either way, I use it. You can find it in marine reef (coral) supplements. I just add 1 mL per 30 gal after water changes. I figure it can't hurt :huh:
hmm, after doing some reading, it seems that people think the shedding itself can be brought on by stress. In other words, it's not the other way around: shedding does not result in death, a stressor that resulted in death also triggered the shedding. Quite a few people are saying that iodine is useless to FW shrimp.
What are your water parameters?
What are your water parameters?
My banded shrimps come out at night to feed, one on Thursday was out in the morning when the lights came on and it seemed strange, then upside down, then in a crumpled slump, has it died or just shed it's skin and is hiding?
Algy, get tweezers or just reach in and scoop it out. If it's hollow it's a shell. If it has any flesh in it (it might have been nibbled on by other tank members since its demise) it is, alas, a deceased shrimp.
If it's just a shell toss it back in; they say the other shrimp will eat it as they need the minerals to keep growing their own exoskeletons. although I must say my tigers never show the slightest interest in doing this and mine just drift around the bottom of the tank occasionally being nudged by fish or climbed upon by snails.
If you don't want to reach in and retrieve it find a long slim rod lilke a skewer or chopstick or stick of any sort. Just nudge it around a bit and you'll be able to tell if it's hollow or not. It's amazing how detailed they are; even the long antennae are shed and new ones pulled out when the shrimp molts. After awhile you'll be able to tell the difference between shell and corpse at a glance. Good luck.
If it's just a shell toss it back in; they say the other shrimp will eat it as they need the minerals to keep growing their own exoskeletons. although I must say my tigers never show the slightest interest in doing this and mine just drift around the bottom of the tank occasionally being nudged by fish or climbed upon by snails.
If you don't want to reach in and retrieve it find a long slim rod lilke a skewer or chopstick or stick of any sort. Just nudge it around a bit and you'll be able to tell if it's hollow or not. It's amazing how detailed they are; even the long antennae are shed and new ones pulled out when the shrimp molts. After awhile you'll be able to tell the difference between shell and corpse at a glance. Good luck.