# Dead shrimp or molt?



## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

How do I tell if my ghost shrimp was eaten or if it molted?


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## guppies (Jan 16, 2010)

did you see a molt or a dead body? any pics


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

a dead shrimp will usually be torn to pieces. if it's a molt, you'll see the thorax/head and a abdomen/tail portion and it'll be semi-transparent.


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## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

Not only that but a dead ghostie will be pink.


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## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

lol I think it may be dead, all I usuallly see is a head/thorax, no pics tho sry. No pink tho? so maybe it is a molt? Do they hide after molting? because I only see 4 now.

edit: also, I dont feed my fish very much so they do get hungry. I've tried to settle down on feeding them because it clouded up my water a bunch before.


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## bulrush (May 7, 2007)

Show us a good pic, and that means NOT from a cellphone.


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

after molting, their shells are going to be soft for the next few hours. That's how crustaceans grow. After that you should see them come out. Ghost shrimp are usually nightly scavengers if there is not a lot of shade or covering.
You may also only be seeing a portion of the shell it molted because it will also eat part of the molt to re-ingest Ca for it's new shell.
Just be patient, if it really is dead and got eaten...then it's already done.


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## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

bulrush said:


> Show us a good pic, and that means NOT from a cellphone.


My Droid is the best camera I have lol so a pic wouldn't be of use.
Would there be a problem with having mostly females?? Do ghost shrimp fight? I've never seen them fight, but I'm not up past 2 am or so. Only once did I see a full exoskeleton before that I thought was a dead one, but it wasn't pink.

Sent from my Droid


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Pick it up. If its hollow, its a molt. If its solid, its a dead shrimp.


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## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

chad320 said:


> Pick it up. If its hollow, its a molt. If its solid, its a dead shrimp.


Nice! Will do next time I see one. I usually leave them in there and they get eaten (I think).

Sent from my Droid


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

If you want to know. You can still toss the dead shrimp back in to be eaten (not recommended)


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## SgtPeppersLHC (Dec 9, 2010)

chad320 said:


> If you want to know. You can still toss the dead shrimp back in to be eaten (not recommended)


So I should always be removing their little corpses?

Sent from my Droid


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Molts are fine to leave and alot of people leave corpses as well. I dont leave dead shrimp just in case it died of a disease that could potentially be spread by another shrimp eating it.


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