1st time shedder...

Mating Slinkys

My Blue lobster (Thermi) gave me a shock this morning, i looked in the tank and he was all curled up under the filter not moving... then he came out from under his log on the other side of the tank. Yep, another newbie scared by the shed skin. I never realised that the shed skin kept it's colour and shape so realistically!

So what do i do with it? I've heard that some inverts eat their old shell, but i don't know it that's the case with this dude or what. Should i take it out or leave it in - i am a complete newbie with inverts and don't even know if the shell will rot and pollute the tank or what. Advice please!

Also, he doesn't seem to want to eat today, which i assumed he would after shedding to get his strength bach. I usually give him a dillifish every couple of days to keep him happy, and it normally gets snatched almost out of my fingers and devoured rapidly, but today he just keeps pushing it away fom him and going and hiding. I've taken it out of the tank so that it doesn't rot, but i'm a bit worried that he won't feed - is this normal?

Thanks for your help folks!

leifthebunny

I just leave the exoskeletons in the tank. It will deteriorate at any case.

fish_4_all

He may not eat for a day or two because the claws and legs are not strong enough to hold and cut through the flesh. Things should be bad to normal in a day or two, if he doesn't eat in 3 days I would start to worry. It takes about that long for the shell to harden almost completely.

Mating Slinkys

Thanks for your help folks, i think the poor dear is hungry, cos when i put the fish in there for him he came out and played with it for a bit, then pushed it away in a sulk.

oh well, i'll give him a treat in a day or so. Would it be worth putting some bloodworms in there for him, they are a bit softer than dead fish?

How often do they shed, or does that all depend on how much they eat, water quality, temperature etc?

thanks again, i'll stop worrying for a bit then!

Mating Slinkys

Probably should have waited a while before asking this, he's gobbled most of it down now. Tank looks like a war zone though, with remenants of the claws and tail all over the floor! Thanks again for you help folks!

R-DUB

I usually remove the leftover exoskeleton. Making sure to feed a couple of days after a shed. They are usually starving by this time. I would imagine this takes alot out of them. I did not want the remainder to pollute the water. I also knew that I would provide him with food so he would not be void of the nutrition from the shedded skeleton. I had a crayfish shed 4 times before the poor old guy finally passed away. He was about 2 yrs old at that time. But I also do not know how old when I had purchased him from the pet store.

R-DUB

Here is my crayfish