# What all do Shrimp need to Molt sucessfully?



## FuzzyMuffin (Jan 26, 2015)

Unfortunately I can't help you with the shrimp questions (but I'm quite curious too, as I'm about to try my hand at keeping some neos!), but I can offer my input on snails.

I have two Horned nerite snails (along with countless pond, ramshorn and malaysian trumpet snails), and I think they've about doubled in size since I first got them. My tap water is extremely hard (pH 8.2, kH and gH in the 20s), so I mix it with half of our softened, drinking water (not RO). It brings the gH into the teens and my snails have had no problems. Before I realized my water was so hard I'd had a piece of cuttlebone in there for them to graze on if they wanted, but they never did touch it. I do believe most pH 7+ water will be fine for snails without modify the chemistry, but if you're worried you can do like I did and add some cuttlebone. What makes my water so naturally hard is limestone, so I suppose adding that for snails would also work.


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

I'm one who uses iodine. I'm not sure what the scientific basis is, but it works.

Use Kent Marine Iodine or Iodide. It can be found in just about any pet store; it's a supplement for saltwater tanks. 

It's safe to use at the full strength recommended on the bottle, but many people use a half-dose or less. I use just a drop or two with water changes.


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## Yukiharu (May 3, 2014)

Depends on the shrimp. You can look up water parameters and in loose terms, gH is minerals including calcium required for shrimp to molt. They also need iodine and magnesium for the process to go smoothly, but different shrimp have different requirements. Too much, and they will get crushed inside of their shells. Too little, and they will have essentially no shell upon molting. Of course, tap water has random quantities of all of these minerals, but I think in general that if the gH is at the right level then the minerals are in sufficient quantities. When in doubt, add cuttlebone or limestone in small quantities (both of which are basically invertebrate shell)
I would personally stick with products made specifically for shrimp, as commercial products for cleaning and other purposes may be either too strong or have other things in them that could prove extremely toxic.
Active substrates as in substrates that actively lower pH are important for caridina such as taiwan bees and crystal shrimp. They need lower pH and gH than cherries.


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## greenteam (Feb 8, 2012)

Honestly the biggest mistake people make when keeping shrimp is going overboard with keeping this and that in check. Playing with water parameters like its some yoyo effect by adding one chemical or product to do random things.

If you want to be successful I will give you my experience based of the years keeping this guys from cheap cherries all the way up to expensive pinto's.


For Neos & Cardinias I highly recommend using RO water that is remineralized with salty shrimp + because tap water can be the unknown killer.

Neos wont need active substrate they're more flexible with parameters, but Cardianias will require some kind of buffering substrate. ADA is one example with this substrate you make life a whole lot simpler then trying to find alternate ways to keep PH down.

A balance diet will take care of healthy molts. Personally I use 2-3 foods just to help keep a variety in their diet and avoid lacking particular vitamin/mineral. 

Things like mineral stones/mineral balls are the snake oil of the shrimp world because you DON'T need them and no one can prove they work. I would highly recommend going with alternatives that do work like Cholla wood,Indian Almond leaves, or Alder cones because the tannin's have been proven to help boost immune system and provide a place for good bacteria to grow that baby shrimp eat. 

Last thing is make sure you give the tank time to cycle an mature this will help avoid pitfalls in the future. 


Items I always have in new tanks:

-Sponge filter
-Moss/plants
-Heater if weather gets cold in your area.
-Air stone


Here's some of my tanks so you can see how going simple can work just fine.


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