Ok, so my cleaner shrimp, Jaque, has been acting really weird! So today when I went to check on him I found his skin! He was shedding. But I didn't realize that at the time because I didn't see him so I thought he was dead. Then I freaked and hyperventilated (ya, I'm a spazz), but then I noticed he was ok. After that, I started to worry again. I heard that when shrimps shed their skin that's either beacuse they're pregnant, or they just need to shed. Then I was like no biggie. Then I thought back to Jaque's (or Jaqeuina) store days.... he was in a community tank with a bunch of other cleaner shrimp! Could he (or she) be pregnant? How can I tell? If it </em>is, what do I do? Also, should I remove the skin, or will it decompose? Help!
Extremely Confused with Cleaner Shrimp!
- Thread starter radha
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It's called molting. I would remove the skin. Stuff decomposing in the tank results in nitrates!
Oh, and it's no big deal. Mine does it every other month or so.
Oh, and it's no big deal. Mine does it every other month or so.
It's a normal part of the growth process. You can remove the old skeleton if you want. It's also possible the shrimp may have eggs but you would probably notice a mass of greenish colored eggs under the body. They spawn frequently in aquariums but raising the larva is very difficult. If they do spawn, your clowns and jawfish get a treat!
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its molting, its fine, just throw away the old skin, mines done that about 4 times in a year
