Interesting Photo

I take them out so the 7 year old doesn't freak at the site of a dead shrimp, or hermit crab, or whatever. She about lost it the first time a hermit molted. I have sexy shrimp and those little things are hard to get out because they fall apart easily.

 

I have never seen the actual molting process, but I never have taken out the exoskeleton. Luna

 

Ask! - and you will receive...

Came to me to check Youtube this AM....

Found vid of a lobster moulting, which I am sure is same process as shrimp. But large enough to see what is going on...





Appears to spend some time squirming around in shell, getting everything nice and loose. Then when it is, pops out all at once thru opening right in back of head...like upper neck area.

Wowser...guess that question is answered....pretty cool to watch! 8)

 

Ecdysis (the process of molting) is explained here Ecdysis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

that is cool....it places them in such a vulnerable position during that time. Perfect time for a pred. to come and get them, esp in wild.

I always left mine in the tank when I had shrimp, but there were time that it looked so gross I had to take them out. Never saw anything eat them, but they were always gone in a day so I assumed something did!

 

wow i never thought i would see a lobster shed.. i guess i underestimated you tube lol. i have a flame halk fish who bit off one of the arms of my coral bandid shrimp so i would watch him everyday to see if it finaly would grow back and amazingly i saw it.

 

That was cool omard...thanx from everyone I'm sure!
karma to ya wise one!

 

I have never removed the Molted shells from my crabs, lobster and shrimp I heard that they break down and return calcium and nutrients to the system. I don't think they would cause any harm to the system and they always break down pretty quickly.

 

Yeah, you just have to know where to look. A lobster shed is usually right behind the lobster's house.

 

And I thought MY sense of humor was warped!!!