Iodine supplement needed?
- Thread starter john suh
- Start date
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Do not add iodine unless you have a high quality test kit!!! It is very easy to overdose iodine, and shouldn't be attempted except by experienced hobbyists. Normally, all the iodine your system needs is provided with your saltwater mix. I have never supplemented iodine, and my shrimp and emerald crabs molt frequently. Hermit crabs don't molt as they don't have exoskeletons. Change water as needed, and your shrimp should molt just fine...
pegasus
Well-Known Member
Darn... I was hoping those were carcasses! I've reached the point where I despise hermits. I figured since they had to scavenge for an external shell, they didn't have an outer shell like crabs and crustaceans. Thanks for steering me straight, BG!
silverado61
Well-Known Member
That's funny, my hermits molt. When they search for a bigger shell, it means they've outgrown there current home.
bang guy
Moderator
It's thinner than what you would see for other crabs. It looks more like a spider's molt.
pegasus
Well-Known Member
It is. I've seen them, and it's usually just the head and claws, and no abdomen. After reading up on it, it says they usually bury in the sand to molt, and then eat the shell to enrich the new shell with calcium. I learned something new, which is a good thing. The day you stop learning is the day you die.
silverado61
Well-Known Member
If they have enough room they molt in their current home then hide in that home till the new shell hardens. Very seldom do they leave their home unless they outgrow it and then they try to line both shells up so all it has to do is flip around and back into the new one, trying never to expose themselves for too long. When they molt the abdomen just falls apart which is why you never see it. Its so soft its picked off right away by other critters including fish.
silverado61
Well-Known Member
I watched my largest hermit do it once. Took a couple of hrs but it was worth every minute. They usually hide pretty well when they molt. I got lucky on this one. I was so fasinated by it I never thought to take photos. :-(
john suh
Member
I noticed a few of my hermit crabs climbing all up one another. With no extra shells in the tank, maybe one is trying to steal the home (shell) of another? Have ordered a bag of extra shells on Amazon to help keep the peace 
My banded shrimp has become a lot more active so that's a good sign. The 1st day or 2, was just hiding in the corner. All are less then a week old in my 30gallon.
Have ordered this on Amazon for bottom feeders. What else do you guys feed your shrimps and hermit crabs?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UWPRUI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My banded shrimp has become a lot more active so that's a good sign. The 1st day or 2, was just hiding in the corner. All are less then a week old in my 30gallon.
Have ordered this on Amazon for bottom feeders. What else do you guys feed your shrimps and hermit crabs?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UWPRUI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
pegasus
Well-Known Member
It doesn't matter how many empty shells you have, they will still climb all over each other... although it's a good idea to keep plenty of "new homes" laying around.
I don't feed my shrimp and crabs. They are part of my "cleanup crew", so they only get leftover food that the fish miss. If they learn that you are going to feed them, they won't bother with scouring the tank looking for scraps. They 're scavengers... let them scavenge.
I don't feed my shrimp and crabs. They are part of my "cleanup crew", so they only get leftover food that the fish miss. If they learn that you are going to feed them, they won't bother with scouring the tank looking for scraps. They 're scavengers... let them scavenge.
Krisd
New Member
I'm new to the Saltwater tank world, but I will say I will never dose with Iodine again. I lost a coral banded shrimp and after much research and talking with my local fish store we have concluded that I had too much iodine in my tank due to me adding the supplement. Talking with other hobbyists I discovered like most people on this thread have said the new salt mix has plenty of iodine to supplement my 30 gallon tank.
bang guy
Moderator
That's a land crab. Not the same animal. The amount of Calcium in the exoskeleton can be loosely estimated by the rigidity of the exoskeleton. Something like a lobster that has almost no flexibility will be high in Calcium, something like a Cleaner Shrimp that has almost no rigidity will be low in Calcium.
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bang guy
Moderator
The do not require iodine to molt. That's a myth that has been disproven time and time again. The myth started because crustaceans will molt when excess iodine is present. It's their way to attempt to remove the toxin from their body. It will force a molt which is not healthy for the animal.
Krisd
New Member
That makes sense, just wish I would of researched it more before I decided to use the iodine. I'm not sure what level the iodine in my tank is at the moment. I do weekly water changes and haven't used the iodine supplement in almost a month, but I've been too nervous to add another shrimp because I don't want him in a toxic environment.