cleaner shrimp molted

Well, I got home from work today and found that my skunk cleaner has molted. Kind of took me by surprise as he has only been in there for a couple of weeks, but I guess it means he is healthy.

Question: Does the old exo-skeleton need to come out of the tank? Or just leave it?

 

Yes. Take it out. They molt once a month. At least mine does. It's a good sign. He will also hide more the next 24 hours while his new exoskeleton hardens.

 

LOL...the little freak spent most of the evening dancing around on the very top of the live rock. My wife thinks he is weird.

Thanks for the info. I will get the old one pulled out.

 

Try hand feeding him ... They'll grab Formula 1 pieces right out of your fingers. Don't do it all the time or he will look for a free handout everyday LOL.

 

Oh, yeah...he crawls all over my arm whenever I get in to work on the rock or whatever. I had to hand feed him the first couple of days I had him as he was not aggressive enough to get any before the fish devoured it all. He is doing much better now...crowds right in and gets his share!

 

Well, he molted again last night. That's twice in less than 2 weeks. I have an overachiever!

 

Mine molts about every 3 to 4 weeks. Here's a photo. My daughter named him Jacques, of course ! LOL

 

Excellent picture! You know...yours looks just like mine and even has the same name! Think they're related?

 

Hahaha that's so funny

 

hI all!

I had a cleaner shrimp that seemed healthy but he passed away a few months ago....(he lived about a year..) (his name was Gaston). Anyways, I recently bought a new one to rplace him. He looks the same except a little smaller. My problem is he keeps losing his "feelers" (tentacles?). Could somebody be eating them???? He still has his legs but has a hard time eating with nothing to grab food with. He hasn't molted yet and i've had him about 3 weeks. I'm feeling really bad for him, especially if someone is picking on him. He looks so pathetic with just legs and no feelers! I have a yellow tang, regal tang, 1 clown fish, 1 psuedo chromis, 2 green chromis 1 sea cucumber, chocolate chip starfish some crabs and a sweeper (sleeper?) goby. Thanks

 

If my cleaner shrimp gets too close to the clowns ... The larger clown snaps one of his tentacles right off. Maybe your is doing the same. Also do you have enough live rock for your cleaner shrimp to hide ?

 

oh, that's horrible!! That never happened with my old cleaner shrimp and clown! Yes, I have plenty of live rock and he does go and hide, but for the last couple of days he's been siting beside my anemone right on top of the live rock, in full view! Will he die without his tentacles? what should I do??? I just tried hand feeding him but he scurried away.

 

Will he die without his tentacles? what should I do??? I just tried hand feeding him but he scurried away.

No he won't die. His tentacles will grow back during molting. Also, the only time my shrimp won't take a hand-out in when he is getting ready to molt.

 

One thing that I'm not entirely sure of, but I have a hobby of studying marine life, and I have raised freshwater shrimp in the past. Aren't there certain nutrients/minerals that shrimp need to successfully molt? There's something niggling in the back of my brain that says that a shrimp needs some mineral or something or it won't have the strength to split its own shell, but I can't remember what it is (or if I'm just being crazy).
Could one of you saltwater gurus confirm or deny this for me?

 

They need iodine. Iodine is essential in the molting process .

 

Thanks agsansoo! I'll keep an eye on the little guy. He's still siting beside my anemone. Maybe he thinks it'll protect him!

 

Thanks agsansoo! I'll keep an eye on the little guy. He's still siting beside my anemone. Maybe he thinks it'll protect him!

Actually most shrimp do this. They're looking to steal a meal from the anemone.

 

So does their shell then protect them from the anenome's poison, or is this a really risky endeavor for a little shrimp?

 

Yeah ... Their exoskeleton protects them. Until a clownfish gets them, because they're trying to protect the anemone. A friend has a clownfish and a anemone. One day he decided to buy a cleaner shrimp. So he floats the cleaner shrimp for around 20 min's and then releases the shrimp. His clown races to the shrimp, clamps down on the cleaner shrimp and proceeds to feed him to his anemone. Ouch ! He said that was the most expensive ($25) meal he's feed his anemone. LOL

 

That's so cool. (not the $25 dollar thing)
It may be a bit brutal, but it's things like this that amaze me about the world we live in. Not only does the clownfish know that the anenome provides protection, but it also feeds the anenome, so that it can continue to provide that protection.

 

Yeah ... Their exoskeleton protects them. Until a clownfish gets them, because they're trying to protect the anemone. A friend has a clownfish and a anemone. One day he decided to buy a cleaner shrimp. So he floats the cleaner shrimp for around 20 min's and then releases the shrimp. His clown races to the shrimp, clamps down on the cleaner shrimp and proceeds to feed him to his anemone. Ouch ! He said that was the most expensive ($25) meal he's feed his anemone. LOL

Yes, I'm horrible. Couldn't help myself!

 

actually when shrimp molt you should leave the old exoskeleton in because they eat it and regain the lost nutrients.