successful shrimp molting

[sakuras]

What are the criterias for shrimp to have successful molting? I've been observing that some of my shrimps that have died have a crack on their back which indicates a fail molt. What can I do to have more successful molts?

[cephelix]

From the top of my head, usually the presence of heavy metals, especially copper would result in this.
Any bros care to chime in?

[Jianyuan]

Whats the gH of your tank water?

[sakuras]

I don't record my ph kh gh etc.. But I just read in an article that top offs increase the tds in the water. Ive been topping water off often these few days as the heat in singapore is unbearable and evaporating a cm of water each day. So does this conclude why my shrimps are dying? One more thing can anyone recommend a food for my shrimps for calcium?

[cheetf]

From the top of my head, usually the presence of heavy metals, especially copper would result in this.
Any bros care to chime in?

Copper and moulting problems? Erm, care to share where you found this info?

[Navanod]

The right forms of copper in the water would result in near immediate deaths of all shrimps and other invertebrates. Note that I said the right forms. There are biological forms of copper that do not kill shrimps. In fact, shrimp's version of "blood" is a copper based biomolecule, hemocyanin (human and most red blooded animal uses iron based).

Other forms of heavy metal, such as lead and mercury, would lead to long term problems. It is true that we get these in our tap water but as these are very serious contaminants, PUB have kept them at very very low levels. If you are worried, you can filter the tap water through activated carbon, or add activated carbon or old sea mud to the tank. These will help to "lock" any free contaminants up.

If it is true that the shrimp died from failure to molt properly, I would suggest you check the TDS or GH of your water first. From the sound of it, the daily topups of water without any waterchanges would've resulted in a higher TDS, which affects osmotic pressures. Osmotic pressure is an important part of molting.

[sakuras]

The right forms of copper in the water would result in near immediate deaths of all shrimps and other invertebrates. Note that I said the right forms. There are biological forms of copper that do not kill shrimps. In fact, shrimp's version of "blood" is a copper based biomolecule, hemocyanin (human and most red blooded animal uses iron based).

Other forms of heavy metal, such as lead and mercury, would lead to long term problems. It is true that we get these in our tap water but as these are very serious contaminants, PUB have kept them at very very low levels. If you are worried, you can filter the tap water through activated carbon, or add activated carbon or old sea mud to the tank. These will help to "lock" any free contaminants up.

If it is true that the shrimp died from failure to molt properly, I would suggest you check the TDS or GH of your water first. From the sound of it, the daily topups of water without any waterchanges would've resulted in a higher TDS, which affects osmotic pressures. Osmotic pressure is an important part of molting.

Wow shrimp keeping is more dense than I thought. More research to be done. Thanks for the clarity.