My shrimps molt but don't hide

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Jackie
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My shrimps molt but don't hide

Post by Jackie »

My "Red Nose" started to molt 2 days ago. I have 5 and already 3 of them decided to get rid of their skins :wink:

Anyway, this morning all 5 of the "Red Nose" came for breakfast. Why aren't they hiding? I have 8 "Fire Red" shrimps in my tank besides the "Red Nose" and a male Betta splendens that completely ignores the shrimps. This is OK, but how do the shrimps know that they are safe?

Is it possible that they have formed new skins already? One of them molted yesterday.
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Post by Mustafa »

The "skin" (exoskeleton) is already fully formed under the old exoskeleton. When the shrimp molts the new exoskeleton has to harden. That takes several hours and then the shrimp just go about doing their thing.

Your shrimp will hide a short time until their new exoskeleton is formed...even if you have no fish in the tank. You just don't notice it. :) Also...if they know that a current fish in the tank poses no danger they are not going to "freak out" and "run" for their lives.

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Jackie
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Post by Jackie »

Thanks, Mustafa!

Good to have you around :D
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