Hey! Somebody forgot to tell me...

[HomeyFish]

That cleaner shrimp shed their skin!!!

I came home last night, and was surprised to see THREE shrimp when there were only two when I left in the morning!

Upon further examination, it was a shed skin from one of the cleaner shrimp. It was neatly resting on a rock as if it were the shrimp it's self, antennae gently waving in the current, looking alive as can be.

After having freshwater tanks forever, I'm finding that marine tanks are just TOO cool!!!

Being new to saltwater tanks, every day is a new experience, WOW!

[scooters reef]

We didn't forget .

We do that on purpose because everyone should get to discover that one

[keckles]

To Reef Central and Ecdysis (molting)

Shrimp, and all other Arthropods, will shed their exoskeleton as they grow. Exoskeletons do not grow, so as the creature grows, it must shed its outer layer as a new larger one forms beneath. The new one will not be fully developed, it will be softer than the first and the shrimp may hide for a few days while it is vulnerable.

[dark_stranger]

I agree, only having a sw tank for a couple of weeks, it seems that everyday there is some new creature or something to look at. As you say, everyday day is a new experiance, and lets hope they keep coming.

[98riv]

I just looked into my tank and my cleaner shrimp just shed its skin to!

[zoltetov]

Scooters..I agree! why ruin the surprise?! Couldn't figure out why I had two suddenly. Before i got up close, i was sitting there thinking, shrimp can't do the mushroom trick!! uhm...can they? LOL.. it was early in the morning!

J

[jun_celis]

Shrimp, Hermit crabs, molts once in a while. Mine does it atleast once a month, maybe? There, no more secrets!!!

[acemart]

When I first got some inverts, I thought something was killing my hermits until I saw the complete "molt remains" and realized what was happeining. My daughter, who is 30, comes over and uses terms like "awesome" and "so cool" and then says not to leave it to her in the will because I spend too much time tinkering and cleaning...i tell her it is truly theraputic

[HomeyFish]

If I would have taken a minute to think about it, I should have known. It was neat to see, anyway, to know that the shrimp are thriving and growing.... I must be doing something right.

Scooter, jun_celis, I'm sure there is something else you aren't telling me, but I'll discover that on my own! Thank you!

I did have this wierd wormy looking thing in one of my live rock that I can't identify.... I'll post some pictures tonight. I think it may be dead, however, because I've not found it again.

[scooters reef]

I doubt it's dead. You just haven't been lucky enough to see it yet again. Try using a flashlight with a red lens at night with the lights off (tank, and room). You'll likely see all kinds of stuff

In the past, I think I have spent more time looking for critters than I do watching the tank during the day!

[dinoman]

Congrats, my tank is about a year old and stuff is still popping out of the rock!

My cleaner shrimp must shed every couple weeks. You'll start finding molts to all kinds of things, usually there is a least one amphipod molt blowing around in my tank.

[WaterKeeper]

I thought I posted somewhere about peeling shrimp before you eat them.

Welcome to RC Homey.

[scooters reef]

So, if you catch them right after they molt, then you don't need to peel them?

[HomeyFish]

LOL!!! I did warn them on the way home from the LFS, that if they didn't work out, I'd make Scampi out of them! YUM!!!

Interesting how they hide when I come around the tank..... think they heard me??

[TimD]

In the vein of the OP, we had a big party at our house a couple weekends ago on a Saturday afternoon, and a few hours before people started showing up, my wife noticed the skunk cleaner had molted. She was so happy, running around the house saying "The cleaner shrimp put on his party clothes! Look how pretty he is!"

It's the little things...