My CBS shedded...
 

My coral banded shrimp shedded for the first time what should I do with the old shell/skin? Is it benificial to leave it in the tank? Will he eat it? Or should I remove it?

Thanks

I usually leave the molt in the tank. It seems to disappear after a day or so. I doubt the shrimp eats it.

Thanks Beverly. I had a blue crayfish in my freshwater tank at one time and the guy at the LFS said it was good to leave the molt in for him to eat.

Correct me if I'm extremely wrong, but I assume that crayfish and other invertebrates eat their own molt to replenish the calcium that is lost during the shedding.

I think it's the same case with shrimp, no?

I figured so. Thats why I posted the question though I'm a newbie and wasn't 100% sure if it was the same as freshwater inverts. I've had a few freshwater crayfish and I always left the molt in the tank for them.

Cheers:smile:

I've never seen a marine shrimp turn around and eat its molt.

I agree, I think it gets devoured by worms, pods, etc. I also on occasion feed mine to my bubble coral.

So he doesn't eat it, but it is good for the tank to leave it in right?

I suppose. It doesn't seem to have any adverse effect.

I take them out cause they're ugly and eventually contribute to detritus accumulation.

I keep em for soup..

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I feed mine to my anemone.

I leave em in there cause I'm too lazy to fish em out. :)

And they don't shed, they molt. :mrgreen: