Cleaner shrimp dead or moulding???

[spinx]

Hi guys :sad: How does a cleaner shrimp mould because mine isnt moving at all it looks pretty much dead.

 

[dorkfish]

Yes, they molt. If it's his old shell it should seem translucent and hollow.

 

[Reefscape]

Usually, if it is dead, and not shed its skin ( which sometimes does look like the shrimp itself ), it will start to get a white covering over its actually body..This is an indecation that ammonia is being generated on the dead flesh..

Hope this helps..

Niko

 

[spinx]

Does the shrimp go into a non active phase whilst molting, apear dead. How does the process work?

 

[Reefscape]

to honest mate, i have not ever actually witnessed it..Both mine shed while lights were out and i was in bed..

But, i would imagine it is exactly the same as when a snake sheds its skin, onoly difference is that its being done in water..The snake is never motionless when shedding its skin as it is constantly wriggling out if it..I think i am right in saying that when an animal sheds, it has to keep moving else it will in effect get stuck in the process and suffercate...

Can you get a picture of it?

Hope this helps mate..

Niko

 

[spinx]

Thanks dude Im pretty sure its dead. I will see tonight when i get home. Ive learnt my lesson. My setup is small and only 2 months old and i didnt really do any research prior buying. Anyway thanks a bunch for all the help

 

[Reefscape]

no problem, stick with it though mate, we all make mistakes, especially me..

Keep us informed in the future about how things are going and any new additions or changes

Niko

 

[Victorio]

Usually you will know if hes dead, is he stuck on a rock, or just rolling about the bottom of the tank.

Generally when they are shedding they look whiter in colour, pretty sure when they are shedding they tend not to move as much.

Let me know if he you chucked him

 

[spinx]

Hi guys When i got home last night from work the first thing i did was to check up on the patient. to answer your question, victorio, in the morning i would say he was in an upright position sort of clinging to a LR so my innitial though was death, no movement. But I had faith and was hoping that the little guy was just molting, so i left him. but about 9 hours later (when i got home) he was still static laying on his back ,whitish in color as if starting to decay. thus sadly he pegged. Only had him for a couple of days, still gonna miss him though.
By the way his name was "frenchie"

 

[Max]

Did he start going down as soon as you purchased him? Fwiw, you hae to be carefull when you introduce inverts they don't deal well with osmotic shock. I put my new inverts in a bucket and add about 10% of my tank water over an hour period,"slower or some like stars!!! and corals.
hth
Max