Interesting Photo

Only one shrimp here...
Someday I'll see him do it from the beginning...
I just missed him shedding his exoskeleton ...by seconds.
Molting..
Has anyone else seen this happen..as it happens?

It is amazing....
also, should exoskeleton fragments be removed from tank? I remove what I can but I do see chunks here and there...mainly crabby stuff.
Thanx

 

never seen it happen but the first time mine molted i thought it was dead.

I asked the same ? when mine molted the first time, and e-one told me to leave the exo in to provide protein for whatever might eat it?

 

some people say leave the skin in there incase the shrimp needs the nutrients. personally ive never seen a shrimp eating it or anything. if your doing water changes i dont think the shrimp will need what ever is in the skin. i would take it out if i was already doing something in the tank but if i wasn't id leave it. it won't harm anything if you leave it

 

I'm about 50 / 50...so I'm right where your talking about.

Cool.

 

I always take mine out, but I've never heard anything bad about leaving them in either.

 

I found a exoskeleton not knowing what it was on my powerhead and thought what a dumb a$$ shrimp for sitting on the powerhead so I took it out since I didn't want to see it on my PH. Way later that evening it was a miricle he came back to life. I couldn't believe it.

 

Ever wonder process shrimp goes about doing this???

Is it something like just pulling off a t-shirt?

Molt always so intact, just can't figure it out...:-/

Would love to see a vid of it going on....8)

 

Never seen it happen, but I also would love to see them do it. It amazes me how the entire shell stays intact. Anyway, I always leave the remains in the tank!

 

In all the molts I've had take place in my tanks over the years, I've never caught one real-time. I used to remove the molts, but haven't in a year or so.

 

Very interesting topic. Like everyone else, I wondered the same thing. When I got my two skunks from the LFS they were my first additions. They loved having the 75g to themselves and immediately started growing and molting because of the lack of competition for food. I would see complete skeletons and partial pieces like tails and fore-pincers. They have grown and molted at least 3 times since then. I guess the best thing to do would be going to a LFS and scoping a small cleaner. Maybe you could ask an employee to keep an eye on one of them since they're mostly in tanks without rocks, corals and the like that could obstruct a view. There is one LFS in the area that keeps a certain number of every shipment for their own tanks. Maybe you guys have places that do the same?