Krewetki w akwarium słodkowodnym

MOLTING AND GROWTH

Shrimps bodies (like all other crustaceans bodies) are covered with shell, build from chitin and saturated calcium salts. Shell is quite heavy, used to protect placed beneath soft parts. In shell pigments responsible for color are placed.

Because shell doesn't grow, to allow shrimps to grow, they have to lose it's from time to time. Because of that shrimps doesn't grow constantly but jumping. They grow through all their lives, but the older shrimp is the less visible it is. Biggest changes you can see on young shrimps. Grown ones moult few times a year, older ones even 1 or 2 a year. Moultating can be stimulated by big water change, especially when parameters change. Moultation and prod

When time of moultation is coming, shrimp stops eating. Moultations itself lasts just for couple of seconds, shell brakes on neck and shrimp with aggressive moves gets out of "old skin". At this time it's completely defenseless and should have a shelter. Even if there are non potential aggressors, hideouts are necessary for good mood of shrimps.

New shell is soft and fills with water. Till the time that it will harden, shrimp can grow without any problems, as well as rebuilding lost parts of body. Usually it takes 2 - 3 days. Sclerosis of shell takes place thanks to Sclerosis of chitin placed in shell and thanks to saturated calcium salts. Most of calcium shrimps get from water using gills. So eating the old shell is just an addition - and not as some people thought - main way of getting calcium. Macrobrachium kind seems to be most interested in eating old shell, Caridina and filtrating shrimps less. Shrimps don't care if they eat their own old shell or somebody else. lf it's not eaten after 3 days it should be taken away from tank.

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