Reef Discussion

[Buddy]

This morning I noticed my cleaner shrimp had started molting over night so I let him be. I have just come home from work and he is lying on the ground half molted. I thought he was dead and went to scoop him out but he started kicking away.
It looks like it is stuck around his legs.
Can I do anything to help him?

 

[Savage Henry]

I would at least try to isolate it in a container of some type to protect it.

I'd probably try to place it somewhere well oxygenated, maybe near your skimmer outlet.

I don't know what else to do.

 

[daveH]

Yep, I would try and protect him. When my Peppermint shrimp were in the middle of molting the others would eat them.
Bastards!

 

[Buddy]

Well the good thing is that there are no fish or other shrimp in the tank at the moment so that's probably the only reason he survived the day

I managed to pull most of the molt off. It was really wrapped around his legs like he was hog tied.
Here is a picture of the state he was in.

This is after I got most of the molt off.
I had to carefully cut in between each leg with scissors to get them apart.

Now I am not sure if these are new legs or half new half old. They don't work at this stage anyway.
His 'arms' near his mouth are working and he actually ate a couple of pellets from my fingers. Also the parts under his tail are freely moving.
He is in a container at the moment and I will just let him be for now and see if he survives and his shell hardens up. I don't think there is much chance of survival though.

 

[Sam Parker]

Your a good dad :D

 

[Buddy]

Your a good dad :D

Time will tell :p

 

[Savage Henry]

Well, shit like this happens all the time in the wild and that's how predators get to eat. The irony is that when we see it in the hobby we think it's something we've done wrong or that there is something more we should do, but the reality is it's meant to happen. That's a part of being human, unfortunately.

This will sound callous, but at worst, if you had to cut it's legs off, it will probably be able to feed well enough in your tank, especially if you continue to protect it and it should grow a new pair of legs.

 

[Savage Henry]

edit, it should grow, what about eight new legs or however many they have...

 

[ezza]

Well the good thing is that there are no fish or other shrimp in the tank at the moment so that's probably the only reason he survived the day

I managed to pull most of the molt off. It was really wrapped around his legs like he was hog tied.
Here is a picture of the state he was in.

View attachment 52847

This is after I got most of the molt off.
I had to carefully cut in between each leg with scissors to get them apart.

View attachment 52848

Now I am not sure if these are new legs or half new half old. They don't work at this stage anyway.
His 'arms' near his mouth are working and he actually ate a couple of pellets from my fingers. Also the parts under his tail are freely moving.
He is in a container at the moment and I will just let him be for now and see if he survives and his shell hardens up. I don't think there is much chance of survival though.

awww !!! what a beautiful caring man. i hope he pulls through. it's a whole new world to find yourself caring about the survival of some of the smallest life forms to live on our planet.

 

[suta42]

Moulting is a high risk time for shrimp and is when most fatalities occur. But if he is feeding, and you can ensure he gets enough pellets to eat then he may survive till his next moult. At the next moult he should then be intact ie have new legs.

GL with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Buddy]

Well he was barely even moving this morning so I think he will be Anemone food by tonight! I guess the stress of it all got to him in the end.
Thanks for the replies everyone :)

 

[Sam Parker]

:(

 

[Franklin Dattein]

I vaguely remember reading that molting issues are some sort of diet deficiency, but I can't remember exactly what.
A coral banded of mine did the same thing, I managed to helped it with my hand and it survived, until next molt. However, next time it died half way through. :(

 

[Savage Henry]

I think I read that it is important to have adequate iodine levels.