NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/rec/aquaria/8865

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-16 | 1.9 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!adm!smoke!brl.mil!moss
From: [e-mail]
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Shedding in banded coral shrimp (M)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 16 Nov 92 14:07:30 GMT
References: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Ballistic Research Laboratory
Lines: 26

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] writes:
|> I have a coral banded shrimp which is in a 30 gallon reef tank with 2
|> damsels. It had been in a 58.  When it was in the 58 after about a week
|> it shed its  antennae and pincers and spend 3 days growing new ones.  That
|> was a month ago.  Two days ago it shed again (this time in the 30, after
|> having been in the tank for approximately two weeks).  Is this shedding
|> natural or the result of stress?  Is it harmful to the shrimp?  Water
|> quality in both tanks is good.
|> No nitrates, nitrites, or ammonia. pH 8.3 Salinity 1.022.  Any comments?

The shrimp will normally shed it's entire shell as part of the normal growth
process.  If it lost its antennae and pincers, that's not normal unless it
tangled with a tank mate.  Perhaps you saw the discarded shell and thought it
was the real thing, or a crab, mantis shrimp, etc. got a hold of it after it
shed when it was most vulnerable.  Shedding once a month is normal.  I don't
think growing antennae and pincers is possible in 3 days, most likely the
shrimp hid for 3 days which is normal after shedding, and when it appeared
again you thought it had grown new appendages.  I'm fairly certain that when
a shrimp losses a limb, it doesn't appear again until the next molting is
complete.

As far as water quality, shrimp require Iodine for proper shedding, and most
likely Calcium is important for shell formation/growth.  It wouldn't be a
bad idea to add supplements of these if you don't already.

-Gary