MIA bamboo shrimp...molting or worse?

[Whitney]

hi...

My Bamboo shrimp has been missing for about two days....I just spotted what appears to be the front half of his exoskelton (shaped just like his head, but clear). Does this sound like he's just molted and he'll turn up soon, or do you think that he's dead and this is all that's left of him?

How long should I give him to come out of hiding before tearing my tank apart to find his body?

What do you all think?

 

[Mahamotorworks]

It sounds like he molted. What fish are in the tank with him?

MAHA

 

[nobody]

Let me ask you this, where there little black dots where the eyes should be? Because if there where those would be the eyes of your shrimp and he's probably dead. If not it's most likely his shell. I had bamboo shrimp for awhile and that's the way I would tell if it was their shell or not (same goes for any other crustation) and they really liked to hide, too. Just what and sooner or later you'll know for sure.

 

[Whitney]

thanks for the responses

I didn't see black dots in the shell...though I didn't fish the shell out of the tank..since I read that it's good to leave it there and let it get eaten...now I don't see it....

my tank houses 6 harlequin rasboras, two female german blue rams, 3 diamond tetras, 1 albino bristlenose pleco, and one juvenile yoyo loach (whom I suspect if he DID get eaten is the most likely suspect). I also house cherry shimp and I'll be adding a betta today.

There are lots of caves and hiding spots in the tank- though up until the recent disappearance, the bamboo shrimp usually stayed in view.

 

[Lotus]

It's normal for them to hide after a molt. Their shells are soft, making them more vulnerable just after a molt. Hopefully, you have at least a couple of caves and lots of hiding spaces in the tank where he has hidden while his shell hardens.

 

[Whitney]

He's ALIVE!!!

Thanks for your help everyone....he showed up yesterday looking a lovely, healthy red and was very busy eating as much as he could get his little filter fingers on. What a relief!

 

[Big Vine]

Yay!
I'm glad you found him and that he's doing well.

Any chance we could see pics of him?

Big Vine

 

[Whitney]

here's a picture that I took before the molt....I just have a camera phone, so it's not exactly high quality.

 

[jnchin]

I recently bought a bamboo shrimp. He seems to be hiding though in a little cave.. Should I be concerned he's ill or some such thing?