Shrimp Shedding....

Desertdualsport · 08-28-2006, 04:51 AM

My Blood Shrimp sheds its entire shell about once a week, is this normal? I had terrible water quality until last week. Ammonia at 0, and in Nitrite spike now. He seems happy though. Nick

inwall75 · 08-28-2006, 05:20 AM

Real young shrimp molt more often than older shrimp. However, once a week is quite often. By chance are you dosing an Iodine supplement? If so, you are dosing too much.

SAW39 · 09-02-2006, 10:22 PM

I have a Banded coral shirimp that regularly sheds his shell every 4-5 weeks (he did it again 2 days ago, shed number 7 or 8 since October.)
I agree with Inwall75. Once a week is unusually frequent.

LVReefer · 09-12-2006, 10:08 AM

The faster he grows the more often he will molt. Are you going through a cycle?

Desertdualsport · 09-18-2006, 08:19 PM

water quality is good now....yes was finishing the first cycle. He has only shed once in the past 3 weeks. Thanks!

JustPhish · 09-19-2006, 04:20 AM

Yeah once a week is dangerous. I can't see the shrimp growing, molting, hardening his new shell, growing enough to molt again and then molting all within 7 days, several times a month.

There's some speculation that shrimp molts in nature are timed with the new moon cycle so that it's easier to hide when the new moon is out while their shells are still soft for a few days after a molt.