Help shrimp might need help

please help, I've just woken up to see steve my cleaner shrimp looking as he does in the picture, he isn't dead, as he is still breathing and moving, is he shedding his exo skeleton, should i turn him over or just leave him, or is the poor guy dying???

Help some1 please....

 

He has now moved around the tank a little tgough he is still on his back is this normal, how long does it usually take to remove the exo skeleton?? any one got any ideas

 

I don't know, as I have never seen my shrimp as they were shedding their shell. I would advise you to leave him alone and watch what happens. Some times it's best to just watch as there really isn't much you can do and interfering can cause harm.

 

ok the tail is detacted, so its just his legs to come away now, does anyone know if they can die through shedding or not?

 

Yes, they can die when shedding--sometimes it does't go right.

 

oh know, i'll just have to keep watching. I feel like a mum waiting on news from my daugther whose in labour. the nerves....

 

You're lucky to be able to watch it shed. I've never actually witnessed it. I always just find the empty exoskeletons in the morning on the sandbed or stuck on the side of the powerheads.

 

u guys are lucky u can even see ur shrimp, i never see my shrimp they never ever come out. i just know they are alive because there exoseleton gets moved around in the tank from the flow.

the only time i saw my shrimp besides when i bought them was one time he was up under a rock and his wisker/front antenas things were sticking out from under the rock

 

^^ norm. cleaners are more social shrimp, the more you add the more they come out, because they feel safer in numbers......i had 2 in a 55 and they were out all the time cleaning all my fish, i am in the process of getting 5 or 6 for my 150, i think thats just what my tank needs .....looks like its just molting i wouldnt worry about it,

 

I would suggest adding Iodine to help with the molting, but you probably don't have a test kit for that. Iodine can be a very finicky additive and is the topic of much debate. I'm pretty lucky as I have access to University test kits, but I would suspect that might be why he's having trouble molting.