Alli's Sunday Nite Scare

[Allivymar]

So I went to look into the planted 10g tonite to see how the shrimp were doing, and discovered the pic below.

LOL I freaked for a second. Then I realised what it was; apparently my bamboo shrimp decided tonite was a good nite to moult. My first bamboo never did; wasn't expecting this one to do it so soon!

 

[madasafish]

hahahahahahah.

Yep--that happened to me, too. Except in my case it was more disturbing. The first of my blue crayfish shed overnight and was just starting to get out of her original shell when I walked in bleary-eyed at 11 AM. On her back, legs flailing--looked almost dead. I freaked for about 10 seconds and then got very chuffed that I was feeding them well enough!! Since then, they've all tripled in size, of course! I think each has shed at least twice.

Funny thing is with the last shed their claws tripled in size (see gallery)--2 have shed in the last week and a half, 2 should some time soon. The difference in size is huge between those that have and haven't shed. About 3/4 of an inch in 3 inch crayfish.

Oh, and yes, they eat the previous exoskeleton if the others don't get to it first.

 

[Tigerlily]

Oh my - that does look just like a dead shrimp! I would be freaked out too the first time it happened! 8O

Good job taking care of that shrimpy! Must be doing something right for it to molt!

 

[William]

I realized right off the bat after my first crab that it molted.

rest of the family thought it was dead but I saw the exo and instantly said " Wow, he molted! "

Guess I'm just special like that



So how big do bamboo shrimp get? and congratz alli

 

[Sinuhe]

Yeah, that does look freaky 8O. My shrimp molted just a couple of days after I got him, but luckily I'd seen my boyfriend's saltwater shrimp do that before, so I didn't freak out .

 

[TankGirl]

When they are dead they turn pinkish, like a cooked one!

 

[Allivymar]

You know TankGirl, I noticed that. When my first bamboo went carpet surfing, I was amazed at how red it was when I found it. It wasn't dead yet, but died 5 hrs later. Then when I got my shrimp shipment last week, one bamboo shrimp didn't make it (everyone else was fine). She too, was quite reddish.

 

[myriam]

Eeks, Alli, I would have freaked, too! That looks so weird. Molting is pretty amazing, if you really think about it.

 

[Allivymar]

OOooo! And his legs are back.

When I got him, he had managed to tear off 2 legs in the bag (no idea how; the bag was nice and roomy). That was last week. He molted what....3 days after he arrived? And he's replaced his legs already.

Wow. I knew they grew bits back, had no idea it would happen so quickly. Molting is even more amazing then I thought myriam

 

[Sinuhe]

What I don't understand is how they slip out of the old "shell" leaving it looking so intact?

 

[Allivymar]

Heh, we were wondering the same thing last nite.

I pulled the molt out after leaving it to see if he would eat it. It fell apart when I took it out, but when I put it back together, the open space where he likely came out was SMALL. I know they're still soft when they leave the old shell, but how did he moosh himself thru such a small space I have no idea LOL

 

[TankGirl]

What I don't understand is how they slip out of the old "shell" leaving it looking so intact?

They slip it off like a coat, with a tear down the back.

The first time I saw the discarded shell I definitely thought it was a dead shrimp, but at least in the picture Alli's looks like it is glowing, like with phosphorescence. Did it look like that or is it the picture?