Simultaneous crustacean molt?

RCFA · #1 04-23-2009, 04:41 AM

Anyone ever notice their crustaceans all molting at the same time? Both my peppermints molted today and I noticed at least 5 more copepod molts around my tank. I'm trying to figure out what would cause a large number of crustaceans to molt at the same time? Could it have something to do with calcium levels in the tank? I have been dosing to raise my calcium levels slightly over the past two weeks, which may help in the generation of new exoskeletons, but what would cause many molts at one time?

m109r · #2 04-23-2009, 03:45 PM

Does your calcium supplement have iodine in it? I've heard the iodine make them molt...

Or maybe just a coincidence.

globaldesigns · #3 04-23-2009, 07:19 PM

maybe they are all female, like people sync'ing there cycles. HEHE

RCFA · #4 04-23-2009, 07:36 PM

No my calcium does not have any iodine in it, but that got me digging a bit and found some interesting articles from the aquaculture industry on inducing molts using iodine. I've never tested for Iodine (or would it be iodide?) maybe there is a source from somewhere else?

Quote:

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

maybe they are all female, like people sync'ing there cycles. HEHE

Haha. Never thought of that one! How do you sex peppermints and copepods?

mike31154 · #5 04-23-2009, 08:27 PM

Many or maybe even all shrimp species are hermaphrodites, i.e. they are both, so as long as you have at least two, free food for the other critters when they produce eggs.