Peppermint shrimp molting frequency

[atlee]

Oh, two other points of interest: my big hermit crab molted today as well. That's the first time he's done so in the three months I've had him. He's been very quiet for a week or so -- I actually thought he was ailing, and when I first saw the molt, I assumed he had kicked the bucket. Since he molted, he's been moving around again and eating algae off the rocks.

The other thing is that I've started to see a lot of coralline algae growth on the glass and equipment in the last two weeks. I had taken that as a sign that all is well in the tank. Does that support the healthy-happy-growing shrimp hypothesis?

(Sorry about many questions! This is my first tank, and I'm really enjoying it.)

[fox2589]

as my system progressed and become more stable i also noticed more coralline algae..my shrimps also molt much more then they used to(my blood red shrimp about once every 2 weeks!)..-drew

[fox2589]

by the way with that small of a tank you are probably evaporating a half gallon to a gallon of water a week..in 7 to 8 gallons that would change the salinity a LOT..i would top off more frequently to avoid stress on the inhabitants..-drew

[chrisd]

Originally Posted by atlee

It's a 10g tank (no sump), and total water volume is roughly 7g -- started with 8g plus 15 lbs LS, and later added 7 lbs LR. It only takes a few cups to bring it back up to the waterline I originally marked, about 1" from the top.

Why do you say to lose the glass canopy, Chris? I have a neon goby in there whom I'm afraid might jump, plus twin toddlers who love the fishtank, so I'm not sure how practical it would be to get rid of it.

the reason for lossing the canopy with proper water agitation at the surface is to help with gas exchange to help keep your tank parameters more stable. but with two toddlers running around i would probly leave it on . anything they mite drop or pour in could be more harmful.