The difficulty you'll have with metabolization experiments, you need to have complete control over when, and what they eat. So you've got a dichotomy. You'll need a cycled tank (environment that will produce algae/food for the shrimp), and you'll need to know the approximate caloric intake of each shrimp.
Here's a quick and dirty list of influences on shrimp behaviour.
1. Stress, this can be broken down into ### variations.
Predator stress. This may only be a preceived threat, by the shrimp, but it still affects the same. They will hide as much as possible, and may have shorter than normal life spans.
Environmental stress. This is where the water quality is not suited for their survival. This often causes shrimp to frequently circle the tank, looking for an escape.
Lack of a 'comfort zone'. Shrimp need to feel comfortable in their environment, in order to thrive. So, they need plenty of small nooks to hide in. I've noticed that, when there are plenty of hiding places, the shrimp will tend to spend more time out scavenging or exploring. If the tank has little or no hiding places, the shrimp tend to huddle to gether.
2. Mating. When an an adult female is nearing her time to molt, the adult male shrimp can sense this. They will swim and chase her all over the tank. As soon as she molts, the nearest or fastest male will fertilize the eggs.
3. Feeding. Shrimp will always get excited when food is placed in the tank. However, if they have not been fed enough, longer, more savage, fighting will occur. This is one way that many shrimp loose their claws.
4. Molting. Shrimp, particularly the young, molt frequently. After a shrimp has molted, they feel very vulnerable, which is true. I've noted that my shrimp will try to get as high as they can, as well as hidden. That way they can sit and wait 30 minutes or more until their carapace hardens enough for them to feel comfortable.
There are many more, but some are particular to each species.
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