Can a failed molt kill shrimp?

Crazy questions.

Can shrimp refuse to molt because they are pregnant and end up dieing?

Can a failed molt kill shrimp?

Reason why I'm asking is I had a RCS that went into my hornwart and stayed there for 2 days with out moving, on the third it was belly up. I poked it with a chop stick and no movement. It was one of my females that was saddled, and could tell she needed to molt because she had that distinct crack between the body and tail that looked loose, and made the eggs show up more. Since she was in the hornwart, it took me a bit to get her out of it, and when I finally did, her exoskeleton came off and all the eggs floated out of her back. They were yellow btw. So was it a failed molt or did she refuse to molt because of the eggs?

My other 2 females have molted in the same condition, but successful molts, full body pieces, not chunks here and there.

Tank is as follows

Temp 77
pH 8.0
Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate 0 (I use Matrix and have no nitrates because of it)
Kh 8dKH (increased the calcium carbonate because of all the molting going on)
Gh 10dGH
Tank size 29 gallon with Java moss, ferns, moss balls, anubias, hornwart, and 3 pothos plants, lots of driftwood.
Filter Marineland 280 filter, with an old pantyhose stockings covering the intake.
2 (now) female and 2 males RCS and 4 Japanese algy shrimp, 6 rummy nose, and a guppy.

Please help me understand better.

Thanks

 

Bumping this up for you

 

I don't know either but also have shrimp and am curious!

 

I'm really not sure about that one...

 

I've been reading up on RCS and still can not find the answer.

 

Do you have Planarian in your tank? I've heard that they can kill shrimp and are often found in shrimp tanks.

 

Yes a failed molt can kill rcs. It's more common with a low kh but it can happen regardless. Just lost a male today, dead, mid molt. My males can't seem to figure out how to molt in my tank. My females do fine for some reason.

On the pregnancy thing, I don't think they will berry of they are coming up on a molt. The only conscious part of molting if you can even call it that is escaping the old shell. Everything else is biological and reaction to environmental parameters and what I assume is hormonal.

 

Do you have Planarian in your tank? I've heard that they can kill shrimp and are often found in shrimp tanks.

I found a leech in my tank awhile ago, and I think it was a snail leech, but was never able to get confirmation. I got it out and not seen another since. I found it also before I added shrimp to the tank.

 

Do you have fish in that tank? That would help with planaria I believe.

 

Yeah I do. 4 Rummies, 2 Asian Rummies, and a guppy.

 

Lone guppies are fun. If you don't have enough hiding places the stress can affect your shrimp. Mine like to hide in my anacharis and clumps of Java and Christmas moss. One of my males has claimed a tiny flower pot with a tiny opening above the substrate as his. And one of my females isn't scared of anything. Guppy can check her out, I can bump whatever she's on, short of touching her, if she's eating she couldn't care less about hiding.

 

Lone guppies are fun. If you don't have enough hiding places the stress can affect your shrimp. Mine like to hide in my anacharis and clumps of Java and Christmas moss. One of my males has claimed a tiny flower pot with a tiny opening above the substrate as his. And one of my females isn't scared of anything. Guppy can check her out, I can bump whatever she's on, short of touching her, if she's eating she couldn't care less about hiding.

I have some fire red cherries in my guppy/fry tank and they let the baby guppies swim right up to them and don't seem to care.

 

My males care, my females seem like they'd fight if harassed enough lol.