Hoping shrimp is molting

[intdes]

I bought some snails and a peppermint shrimp yesterday. The shrimp ate last night and staked his claim in a corner. Today he was fine earlier but after dinner he was resting on the rock in what seemed to be the equivalent of the fetal position. His leg was twitching, but I was able to reach in and catch him when a snail tried to latch onto him. I put him on a cup that is floating in the tank and turned on the moon lights. He isn't twitching now, but on close inspection he looks like an overstuffed sausage. Though hard to explain, his skin looks really tight. I am hoping he's molting due to the large wall he had yesterday. I checked ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and they are 0 with the nitrate being under 10. Salinity is 1.021 and pH is 8.2. I hope to wake up to a fresh shrimp in the morning!

 

[flower]

LOL...Friend, I have never stressed over a shrimp like that. Once they are acclimated, live goes on. Interfering with them does more harm then good...Just leave him be, if he is molting he will leave his shell out in the open, and then he will need to hide until his body hardens again. In a cup that's a bit hard to do.
As a kid I caught a cicada, and it emerged from his shell in the jar...his wings couldn't stretch as it should and when he hardened he couldn't fly. Critters need to be left alone to do what nature intended. If the shrimp dies, the eaters of the tank will take care of the little body, but to be honest, they are pretty hardy...IF you leave them alone.

 

[intdes]

Thank you for the response flower. There was no change over night. The cup was a very large measuring cup, but I understand your reasoning. The rest of the tank is lively and I will try not to intervene next time.