shrimp for lunch

[rossb]

In my vastly populated aquarium I have 4 cleaner shrimp and 5 small damselfish and until this morning a SLF crab. It is now comfortably resting in my refugium. The shrimp have been doing very well and mostly will eat out of my hand. Today one of the shrimp looks like it escaped from ... well lunch. It is missing its long antennae, its legs look a bit broken... or bent and it is having trouble standing up. It will take food out of my hand but I can't figure out what happened. The leglets (or whatever they are) on its abdomen are fine.

Has this happened to anyone else ...and if so do you have any comments or suggestions?? Should I isolate it?

thanks
ross

[Delphinus]

If the shrimp is having difficulty on its own, then perhaps isolation into a breeder's box or something like that, or a refugium, could be beneficial.

The shrimp should be able to regrow legs and antennae after a molt.

On a point of interest, it seems they can regrow any appendages except eyes. And, if they somehow lose an eye, it affects their ability to molt. I had this explained to me once, but the explanation was over my head.

Apparently molting can be induced (encouraged? maybe a better word) by addition of iodine. Something maybe to look into. I never did figure out if tincture of iodide (whatever it's called) is adequate, or whether just to use the watered down LFS grade iodine.

Sorry can't be of much better assistance. The bottom line is, I think that as long as it is not at risk for predation, then it should be able to recover.

Good luck!

[Bob I]

Apparently molting can be induced (encouraged? maybe a better word) by addition of iodine. Something maybe to look into. I never did figure out if tincture of iodide (whatever it's called) is adequate, or whether just to use the watered down LFS grade iodine.

Straight Iodine is toxic. You are encouraged to use reef-safe Iodide. I use some made by Seachem

[Aquattro]

Tony, I read that cutting off an eye stalk is a common technique in aquaculturing prawns, shrimp, etc. It encourages growth and molting. I read that the eye stalk would regrow and then get cut again.

[Dresden]

but your cutting off its eye, creepy

[Delphinus]

Oh, you're right, Brad. I did a search on r.a.m.r. and found the post where I had been told about the implications with molting and eyes.

My peppermint in question in this thread, never regrew his eye, and died a few months subsequently.

It's only fun until someone loses an eye... (http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=ueIK6.21508%24Hk4.375578%40news1.rdc1.ab.h ome.com&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dgroup:rec.aquaria.marine.reefs%2Binsu bject:only%2Binsubject:fun%2Bauthor:slotboom%26hl% 3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3DueIK6.21508%2524Hk4.375578%2540news1.rd c1.ab.home.com%26rnum%3D1)

[EmilyB]

but your cutting off its eye, creepy

no s#&t...

http://www.crazypics.de/smilies_ekelig/ekel007.gif