Do shrimps shed their shells?

**r0663664** · 14th Sep 2007, 10:52

Hi all,

I started to rear some cherry shrimp and tretra. I saw white colured shell at the bottom of the fish tank. I am wondering whether did a shrimp just die or the shrimp actually shed their shell? Does anyone know?

**vinz** · 14th Sep 2007, 11:09

Yes, shrimp do moult. Dead shrimp usually turn red... as if it got cooked. If it looks white and translucent, it's most likely just their discarded shell.

**bossteck** · 14th Sep 2007, 23:04

Yes. Some shrimps eat their discard shells as well.

**Puffer** · 14th Sep 2007, 23:42

Yes...and a good source of calcium intake.

**Suhsia** · 15th Sep 2007, 10:08

so we can just leave the discarded shell in the tank n don't actually need to remove it right? cos cause i used to remove it !!!!

**gummynut** · 15th Sep 2007, 12:34

i suppose that you could just leave the shell in the tank as what i usually do.. they will eventually eat the empty shell as a calcium source. i don't think that the discarded shell will cause the water to deteriorate.

**Aeon** · 15th Sep 2007, 21:44

I leave the shell in there. Calcium source.

**bossteck** · 15th Sep 2007, 22:21

Interesting. I have always thought it was sort of a defense mechanism by shrimps to prevent predators from detecting that they have just moulted.

**yang yang** · 16th Sep 2007, 04:35

Don't worry about it. It will happen very frequently. Just leave the shell inside the tank.

**Sunfire** · 16th Sep 2007, 05:08

Waste not want not - a good shell.

In any case, if it get unsightly you can just remove them. Most of us can't be bothered.

**vinz** · 16th Sep 2007, 18:30

Originally Posted by bossteck

Interesting. I have always thought it was sort of a defense mechanism by shrimps to prevent predators from detecting that they have just moulted.

No, they are just really untidy fellows, and like to leave their dirty clothes lying all over the place.

I think they just go hide under something hard until their new shell hardens.

**luenny** · 17th Sep 2007, 14:22

Yeah, once my CRS molted with the eggs stuck to the shell. Darn it!! I leave the shell in there hoping the eggs would hatch but the shrimps just ate the darn shell and eggs too.

**Peterfoo** · 18th Sep 2007, 15:04

heh, after reading thru through, i thought the white stuff are dead shrimps after many days. Now i realised they were just shrimp shell after moulding. Luckily i am the lazy one leaving everything in the tank, the calcium did not go to waste.

**whq** · 18th Sep 2007, 15:21

Should be glad to see shell lying around. Signs of growth and health. Regards

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