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NanoTankGuy
06-07-2008, 02:39 AM
I always wonder what my shrimps do when I don't sit by my tank and stare at them. Turns out, they shed their "skin".
I found like two chitin coats beside my filter intake; at first, I thought it was a dead shrimp and I was like "man, that sucks". Then I noticed the second one and I was like "wait! I just saw 4 shrimps, that doesn't add up to 5!" lol
So, I just threw a little food pellet in the tank and all 5 shrimps crawled out from nowhere to get some.

Now it makes sense why I noticed one of my shrimps (2 actually, consecutively) sitting in the midst of my Java Fern, almost motionless. They were going through ecdysis.

P.S. I'm a bio major, but one thing is to read about it and another to actually observe it in your tank :)
P.P.S. I should take them out, shouldn't I?

I also noticed some algae growth on the front wall of the tank today - is that good?

Nick_Pavlovski
06-07-2008, 02:45 AM
Hmmm...I would only take them out if they start to fungus.

If there are no other courses of calcium available, often shellfish will snack on their own discarded shells in order to help build up their calcium levels after shedding. Also, if there are no loinger-term sources of calcium available, they'll have to eat their own old shells in order to help strengthen up their new shells!

Algenco
06-07-2008, 02:46 AM
don't take them out, the shrimp will eat them and recycle the nutients

NanoTankGuy
06-07-2008, 02:48 AM
Nice to know. I'll leave them in. I already love my shrimps :)