morgan175 April 24, 2014 Share April 24, 2014 I just bought two peppermint shrimp yesterday and today I found the head and part of the body shell. Really can it be dead or could it molt that quickly. The only fish I have in my tank are a green chrome and foxface. 2 red leg hermits 2 blue legs 1 white leg. I also have plenty of bristle worms. i can not test Iron and I acclimated them for 1 hour with a slow drip. the only time they hit the air and no water when I transferred them in. The antennas are on the head part of the shell. 1.025 salinity 9.0 alk 420 cal nitrate .05 to .10 mag 1320 ph 8.1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A April 24, 2014 Share April 24, 2014 Hard to say without seeing the remains. If there is meat (sorry can't think of a better word) in the exoskeleton pieces that you found then it doesn't sound good. It's possible it was a molt. It could have been on the verge of doing it and it just happened shortly after your transfer. The antennas sheaths would be part of the molt so seeing them doesn't mean anything. Check out this pic http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FK9myhBOFNQ/S-N_yNmWKkI/AAAAAAAAADY/ukguudDNo5o/s1600/IMG_0528.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makai531 April 24, 2014 Share April 24, 2014 I understand shrimp sometimes molt with salinity changes. My cleaner molted within 24 hours of putting him in. Scared the crap out of me and I was so pissed that he was dead. He later was found cruising the tank. Hope it's the same for you. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 April 24, 2014 Author Share April 24, 2014 Rob A. I think we are good. Thank you. Fingers crossed. Hate even wasting 10$ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime April 24, 2014 Share April 24, 2014 Could be a molt, easily. Is it meaty, that was the best description. If it's just the shell, then it's a molt. I've had crabs and shrimp molt within 24 hours of intro. It's not a salinity issue to my knowledge, it's a growth and comfort issue! My bets on a molt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A April 25, 2014 Share April 25, 2014 Good luck! Keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova423 April 25, 2014 Share April 25, 2014 I understand shrimp sometimes molt with salinity changes. My cleaner molted within 24 hours of putting him in. Scared the crap out of me and I was so pissed that he was dead. He later was found cruising the tank. Hope it's the same for you. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I think this is a reefers rite of passage. Everyone has a "I thought my shrimp died but it just molted" moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads April 25, 2014 Share April 25, 2014 I think this is a reefers rite of passage. Everyone has a "I thought my shrimp died but it just molted" moment Hah, this is so true. For me it was a hermit crab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 April 26, 2014 Author Share April 26, 2014 This is not good 2 feeding times and no shrimp to be seen. I do have a lot of rock work so it might be okay. Keep you all posted. Tomorrow hopefully someone will teach me to use and post pictures. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM April 26, 2014 Share April 26, 2014 They are good hiders, but all of mine eventually made it over the overflows and into the filter sock where they perished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A April 27, 2014 Share April 27, 2014 Wait for a bit after the lights go out and go looking with a flashlight. Most if not all of the peppermints I've ever had have been very nocturnal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstContact April 27, 2014 Share April 27, 2014 This is not good 2 feeding times and no shrimp to be seen. I do have a lot of rock work so it might be okay. Keep you all posted. Tomorrow hopefully someone will teach me to use and post pictures. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Shrimp often hide after they molt because they are waiting for their new exoskeleton to harden and are more at risk having just molted. I have read that adding strontium encourages molting. I feel that I lost a crab once because he was not able to molt within my water parameters and grew too large for his current shell. Molting also requires calcium, and when I had this crab I was using IO instead of Reef Crystals which has more calcium and elements for reefs/corals. At the time, I was not growing corals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 April 28, 2014 Author Share April 28, 2014 Well an aiptasia is missing. I'm hoping they are still in their somewhere. In the least it is fun trying to find them. If the aiptasia keeps disappearing I don't care if I ever see them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djplus1 April 29, 2014 Share April 29, 2014 Those things don't last very long. Not that it died the day after you bought it, but don't expect it to be there in a couple weeks/ months. I added about 20 at once a while back. Within a month or so I was only seeing 3-4 at any one time. Three months in I could only see two. Next month or two, only saw one. Haven't seen one in months now. Granted, there could "possibly" be a weird shrimp club I my tank that I can't see, but I doubt it. That and my aiptasia is only getting worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 May 5, 2014 Author Share May 5, 2014 Well last aiptasia is gone. I still can't find a shrimp at this point I don't care. I got rid of what I wanted. Now to get a sexy shrimp or skunk. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef May 6, 2014 Share May 6, 2014 (edited) Those things don't last very long. Not that it died the day after you bought it, but don't expect it to be there in a couple weeks/ months. I added about 20 at once a while back. Within a month or so I was only seeing 3-4 at any one time. Three months in I could only see two. Next month or two, only saw one. Haven't seen one in months now. Granted, there could "possibly" be a weird shrimp club I my tank that I can't see, but I doubt it. That and my aiptasia is only getting worse. mine congregate under a rock at the edge of my tank...5 of them,lol Well last aiptasia is gone. I still can't find a shrimp at this point I don't care. I got rid of what I wanted. Now to get a sexy shrimp or skunk. Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkGlad to hear something took care of your problem...it's gotta be hiding somewhere...I see mine every now and then but mainly only when I turn off the flow in the tank to feed the LPS...they come out to steal pellets,lol Edited May 6, 2014 by smallreef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 May 21, 2014 Author Share May 21, 2014 Well I have seen one of the two. I feed today a little heavy as a treat and someone stuck their head out. In a deep scary voice. It is alive. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A May 22, 2014 Share May 22, 2014 Hooray! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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