scarlet cleaner question

[david t.]

My first question is. Is it normal for a cleaner shrimp to molt once a week. He seems to be fine. I checked my levels the they are.
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate = 0
cal. = 400-450
alk = 4 or dkh = 11
ph = 8.2
salt = 1.023
water temp. = 80
Does anyone have any idea as to why it is molting so often. I just started adding cal. and iodide about 2 weeks ago. the iodide says one cap twice a week. I dont curently check the iodine level. I was told since it is not straight iodine i put in i dont have to check it as long as i use the iodide as directed. I was told the iodide would be used by my mushrooms, shrimp, and my long tentical annemonie.

 

[krishj39]

Chances are you have too much iodine in your tank. This will cause your shrimp to molt excessively. Get an iodine test kit and see if you have too much.

 

[bang guy]

Stop dosing Iodine now! You're going to kill your shrimp.
That might seem like a strong statement but they can't keep molting that fast for much longer. They do not need Iodine to molt... they molt to remove excess Iodine.

 

[david t.]

thanks for the info the guy at the lfs said that since the supplement was not straight iodine i did not have to worry about the iodine. i guess i will go get a test kit to see how much damage i have done.

 

[asbury030]

if u have shrimp do u really need to give them iodine

 

[jmesmcm]

Also a cap full of Iodide sounds like WAY too much. I does iodide once a week but a very small amount, less than a qtr teaspoon.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by Asbury030
if u have shrimp do u really need to give them iodine
NO!!!!!!!!!
Shrimp go through a complicated stressful process to REMOVE Iodine from their bodies even at NSW levels. If you increase Iodine to above NSW levels their body can't get rid of it fast enough and they will die prematurely.
Iodine is a required element but it's still a poison and will kill at surprisingly small amounts.

 

[slofish]

So if iodine is what causes shrimp to molt, should the shrimp molts be removed from your tank, since the iodine would remain in the tank if the molt is not removed.
From a previous thread, many said it was good to leave the molts in the tank cause they provide calcium?

 

[bang guy]

It really doesn't matter. The Iodine in the molt has been sequestered and adds about the same amount of Iodine as the typical fish food.
There is almost no Calcium in the exoskeleton of crustaceans. This is a myth. Most of the molt is chiton (long strand proteins).

 

[slofish]

hmm, makes me wanna find that thread and revive it, just to clarify things. is it OK if i quote you on this?

 

[bang guy]

Sure, you can quote me. I remember the post and there have been more. I kept quiet because it wasn't my thread and nobody really asked.