# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Invertebrates >  Unsuccessful molting - Cherry Shrimp

## alien54d

Hi,

Today I saw with my own eyes a cherry shrimp trying to molt. 

While it was lying on the substrate trying to shed away its other shell, another shrimp came along and TORE the soft tail away from the body. So, my shrimp died.

Is that the reason why I keep noticing that my adult shrimps are getting lesser and lesser?

(I do have baby shrimps in my tank and water parameters seems OK. NO3 undetectable, kH 4 deg and GH 5 deg)

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## mozaqua

Never had that problem with Cherry shrimp, myself. CPO and tiger shrimp, yes. Very frustrating to watch them die from unknown molting problems.

How often do you change the water? I have seen in most shrimp, changing conditions too frequently will cause molting problems, which can lead to fatalities.

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## stormhawk

Sometimes other shrimps are opportunistic, and take the chance to get a meal when a fellow shrimp is trying to molt. I've had my Sakura attack my Cherry when they are molting, and vice versa. Which is why it is vital to have several hiding spaces for the shrimp, especially if they're in molting mode.

Do you have other shrimp species in the tank, apart from the Cherry Shrimps? 

Shrimps can die if they are unable to molt fully. It is possible that your adult shrimps are being killed by something else in the tank, when they are molting. Sometime back, I found 2 damselfly larva, that had been helping themselves to my shrimps when they were molting... needless to say, I promptly removed the damselfly larvae and squished them to death.  :Evil:

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## alien54d

> Never had that problem with Cherry shrimp, myself. CPO and tiger shrimp, yes. Very frustrating to watch them die from unknown molting problems.
> 
> How often do you change the water? I have seen in most shrimp, changing conditions too frequently will cause molting problems, which can lead to fatalities.


 
hi my WC regime about 10% weekly, excluding top-up.
maybe i go and test my NO3 again.
thanks for your advice.

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## alien54d

> Sometimes other shrimps are opportunistic, and take the chance to get a meal when a fellow shrimp is trying to molt. I've had my Sakura attack my Cherry when they are molting, and vice versa. Which is why it is vital to have several hiding spaces for the shrimp, especially if they're in molting mode.
> 
> Do you have other shrimp species in the tank, apart from the Cherry Shrimps? 
> 
> Shrimps can die if they are unable to molt fully. It is possible that your adult shrimps are being killed by something else in the tank, when they are molting. Sometime back, I found 2 damselfly larva, that had been helping themselves to my shrimps when they were molting... needless to say, I promptly removed the damselfly larvae and squished them to death.


i only have cherry and sakuras. i think i have a lot of hiding spaces, my java moss has already taken over the tank.

haha, i cant see any alien predator in my shrimp tank. only sometimes appear a tubifex worm. i promptly take out and feed my white clouds in my other tank.

thanks for the advice.

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## Navanod

What about the pH?
Sounds like that shrimp was already in trouble before the tail got torn off.

Molting is normally an instant affair in my tank. They just bend back and forth many many times and then suddenly just jump out of the old shell in one single action.

Then they swim away to hide

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## alien54d

Hi I havent tested pH for sometime.
But according to your description of molting, yes my shrimp is already in trouble before being ripped apart.

Do you have any suggestion to improve the molting chances of shrimp? Is it more water parameter dependant or diet dependant?

Water - I added some coral rock previously to up my kH and GH value (not sure by how much).

Diet - I feed Dennerle Crusta Gran according the description "contains minerals to help in successful molting"

Thanks.

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## Jungle-mania

Maybe it is the other way, you need to reduce your pH if you want them to molt. Also, maybe you can try the Mosura shrimp tonic, I had reduced mortality with it.

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## alien54d

> Maybe it is the other way, you need to reduce your pH if you want them to molt. Also, maybe you can try the Mosura shrimp tonic, I had reduced mortality with it.


 

reduced mortality, meaning its inevitable?

Thought of buying mosura products for some time already. Will go and get the starter pack.

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## stormhawk

Well sometimes you cannot predict what will happen, because some shrimps just can't molt. They usually die from exhaustion, just trying to split the shell open. Usually it's how Navanod describes it. Just a jerk or two, then the shell splits and they're out. But sometimes they just die trying to get out.

Those shrimp products contain certain minerals, probably to aid in good shell growth.

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## Jungle-mania

> reduced mortality, meaning its inevitable?
> 
> Thought of buying mosura products for some time already. Will go and get the starter pack.


If you had one or two death in a week out of a 100, I wouldn't fret, pretty normal. It is when you start seeing those numbers everyday, you have an issue.

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## alien54d

> If you had one or two death in a week out of a 100, I wouldn't fret, pretty normal. It is when you start seeing those numbers everyday, you have an issue.


 
maybe not everyday, one death in a week.
though at this rate i still have increasing numbers, as new shrimplets keep appearing also.

thanks everyone for the advice.

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## Gucci

> Hi,
> 
> Today I saw with my own eyes a cherry shrimp trying to molt. 
> 
> While it was lying on the substrate trying to shed away its other shell, another shrimp came along and TORE the soft tail away from the body. So, my shrimp died.
> 
> Is that the reason why I keep noticing that my adult shrimps are getting lesser and lesser?
> 
> (I do have baby shrimps in my tank and water parameters seems OK. NO3 undetectable, kH 4 deg and GH 5 deg)


Ouch i never seen such things happening in my tank. I feel sorry for your cherry shrimp. IF the popluation is rising then you need not worry .

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## Shrimpong

> Hi,
> 
> Today I saw with my own eyes a cherry shrimp trying to molt. 
> 
> While it was lying on the substrate trying to shed away its other shell, another shrimp came along and TORE the soft tail away from the body. So, my shrimp died.
> 
> Is that the reason why I keep noticing that my adult shrimps are getting lesser and lesser?
> 
> (I do have baby shrimps in my tank and water parameters seems OK. NO3 undetectable, kH 4 deg and GH 5 deg)



I have seen LIVE performance before of molting. I was really lucky as I was looking at this shrimp and in a nano second, the shell just 'exploded' out of the body and flew quite a distance away. It was quite a sight. I am very fortunate to experience such a phenomenon.

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## kennyseah17

yah.. I saw it once too.. i tot the shrimp was being attacked by another shrimp..

then realise the same shrimp and its molting...

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