CPO question

[octanejunkie]

We have had our CPO for around a week, interesting creature.

He seems to climb around the tank, almost to the surface, daily. He also forages for food on the tank floor, sometimes "fighting" our neon tetras for a meal. He got his lunch stolen by Shelly our assassin snail the other day... there was nothing he could do, the snail was un-phased by his poking and pinching.

Our CPO molted last night. I found his exo this morning. I don't think we will see him for a few days until his new shell hardens... will look when the lights come on (still early here).

QUESTION: How often do these guys molt, and how long before they are "back in the game" after molting?

Also, since he is the only invert in our 6G tank, should I pull the shell out?

 

[Fishfur]

Leave the shell in, he'll probably eat it, to reclaim the calcium it contains. How often he moults is affected by age, water, feeding, etc. Hard to say when it will happen again. But I think less often than shrimp do.

 

[octanejunkie]

Back in action

FWIW, our CPO was up and about in the tank as of this morning

Seems all is well again

And though we've left his old exoskeleton in the tank, he hasn't even approached it yet, as far as we can tell

 

[severum mama]

He still might, or he might not. I would leave it in the tank for now still. I always kept mine in groups so I can't tell you how often they molt, but like you've seen they seem to "recover" from the process pretty quickly.

 

[octanejunkie]

He still might, or he might not. I would leave it in the tank for now still. I always kept mine in groups so I can't tell you how often they molt, but like you've seen they seem to "recover" from the process pretty quickly.

I'm in no rush to do anything actually... I'm happy to leave it in along with all the plant debris that is accumulating on the substrate... looks more natural IMO

 

[Fishfur]

It won't do any harm and will eventually degrade even if he does not eat it. I am not certain crays eat their shells. Shrimp certainly do.

 

[severum mama]

I'm with ya, it's pretty cool the first time you find a molt.

If you ever decide you are interested in a CPO species tank, they aren't difficult to breed... our group bred several times that I know of before we moved them along.

 

[GodFan]

Can you tell me anything about water parameters and feeding? I have had these guys twice and they seem to last a month or so then die.... I think it may be that Im not feeding them enough. I dont feed my tanks often. I wanna try again with more feeding but want to be sure of params as well.

 

[octanejunkie]

Can you tell me anything about water parameters and feeding? I have had these guys twice and they seem to last a month or so then die.... I think it may be that Im not feeding them enough. I dont feed my tanks often. I wanna try again with more feeding but want to be sure of params as well.

He is in our 6G Planted Cyl Tank

I was obsessing over our water parameters in the beginning but now I barely pay attention to it.

Ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrates around 10ppm last I checked. pH is unknown as we are "coming down" from 100% tap with 8.0+pH transitioning to 50/50 RO and tap; eventually 100% RO or close to it.

Lots of plants including hornwort and anacharis that mop up excess nutrients in the water column. I dose 1-2 times a week with Flourish.

3W LED Lighting is on 15 hours a day, no algae so far.

I feed him a half a hikari mini sinking algae tablet every other day or so. I also have Zoo Med Shrimp and Crab food sticks, which I snap off about 1/16 of an inch and drop down for him... he really likes those. I also see him foraging through the leaves and plant debris on the tank floor; I've even seen him dig in the substrate.

We've only had him since last Saturday and we drip acclimated him overnight

 

[GodFan]

Ok thanks! Anything on the water hardness?

 

[octanejunkie]

Ok thanks! Anything on the water hardness?

We have hard water and I have a hard time understanding how to perform and interpret the API test kit for GH and KH...

 

[GodFan]

Thanks! I will add something to hardeb the water up!

 

[octanejunkie]

Our shrimp have no problem moulting either... FWIW

 

[GodFan]

Our shrimp have no problem moulting either... FWIW

Ok thanks

 

[octanejunkie]

Well the molted exo is mostly gone so either it eroded or something in our tank has been eating it... I saw our CPO in the vicinity of the molt after lights out yesterday so he is the likely culprit

 

[Fishfur]

That hard water test is not too difficult. You just have to be careful to drip same size drops one by one 'til you get the colour change, and count the number of drops you used. The chart tells you the level based on the number of drops you used.
If you have trouble getting even size drops, try using a clean eye dropper instead of pouring from the bottle nozzle.. you can remove the plastic nozzle from the bottle to suck some up in an eye dropper. Just don't contaminate the solution in the bottle. Clean eye dropper, and replace any unused drops and replace the nozzle and cap right away.

 

[octanejunkie]

Molted again!

Well 10 days after our CPO molted, he did it again!

Is that normal?

Seems quick to me...

 

[Autumnsky]

Well 10 days after our CPO molted, he did it again!

Is that normal?

Seems quick to me...

He is probably growing! My baby blue cray has been molting about every week, week and a half!

Don't remember but are you feeding him Crab Cuisine or similar? They need to have plenty of minerals for growing new shells.

 

[octanejunkie]

3rd Molt

Well he did it again!

Good little guy