What is Wrong with my Pistol?

[Smirkish]

When they molt, it looks like a whitish almost transparent skin floating around, right?

If that's the case, very, very shortly after I brought the shrimp home, one of them must have molted because I saw something like that floating around in the tank. It was only a few days after I brought them home.

Molting after being put into a new tank is common. You probably did see a molt.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Put it into a clean, aerated tank, and hopefully that would help it molt.

 

[Smirkish]

From my understanding, the osmotic shock would result in a poor molt, which could certainly inhibit the shrimps ability to right itself or swim.

 

[Apollo7235]

Put it into a clean, aerated tank, and hopefully that would help it molt.

That's what I did. He's in a QT tank I have set up with a sponge filter. I fed him the slurry I use for my NPS and he ate it. He kept flipping over and struggling to get back upright, but I've been helping him back each time. He's currently resting under the edge of the sponge filter. Hopefully he can molt and all will be well again. I feel so bad for the little guy.

 

[Apollo7235]

From my understanding, the osmotic shock would result in a poor molt, which could certainly inhibit the shrimps ability to right itself or swim.

It's crazy because when I was trying to catch him to move him into my QT, he literally shot out of the water. Then it was bing, bing, bing! Off the glass like a little torpedo. I certainly was not expecting that.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I hope the little guy pulls through!

I've had both a cleaner shrimp and crayfish die because of failed molts, and it's so sad to watch. First they just can't stand upright, then they start to slowly deteriorate.

 

[Smirkish]

Some shrimp recover from this though it isn’t common from what I have read. I would say if it is still eating you still have hope. Fingers crossed for you and your pretty pistol.

 

[Apollo7235]

I hope the little guy pulls through!

I've had both a cleaner shrimp and crayfish die because of failed molts, and it's so sad to watch. First they just can't stand upright, then they start to slowly deteriorate.

Some shrimp recover from this though it isn’t common from what I have read. I would say if it is still eating you still have hope. Fingers crossed for you and your pretty pistol.

Thank you both so much for your help and insight. I am going to do what I can for the little dude. We have a Randall's Goby coming in hopefully next week, so I'm really hoping that once we add it after it goes through quarantine it will take in the Tiger and care for it properly since my brat of a Watchman doesn't seem to know what the word 'partner' means. Crazy considering I bought them as a pair and she literally abandons the poor thing every other day. Deeper burrows and wider horizons, apparently.

 

[Uncle99]

Looks like he’s having difficulty in the molt process.
Ensure iodide is running 0.03-0.06ppm consistently.
The maintenance of iodide, (iodine) helps shrimps molt, leathers molt and Gorgonians.

 

[Apollo7235]

Looks like he’s having difficulty in the molt process.
Ensure iodide is running 0.03-0.06ppm consistently.
The maintenance of iodide, (iodine) helps shrimps molt, leathers molt and Gorgonians.

Oh man, this is one of the tests I don't have.

Which test do you recommend? And, what do you recommend I do if the iodine level is too low?

 

[Uncle99]

Salifert has an iodide test that I use.
I use Seachem iodide, which is safer to dose IMM than iodine.
Use the manufactures suggested beginner dose amount for the initial dose and then test to see where it got you.
Then wait a few days to see where you are now, it will deplete.
Then it’s just a matter of tweaking the dose to a daily or every other day dosing schedule.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Looks like he’s having difficulty in the molt process.
Ensure iodide is running 0.03-0.06ppm consistently.
The maintenance of iodide, (iodine) helps shrimps molt, leathers molt and Gorgonians.

Since you seem to have confirmed my original thought... Any idea if you can force a molt on a pistol or is it a bad idea?

 

[Uncle99]

Don’t rush this.

 

[Apollo7235]

Salifert has an iodide test that I use.
I use Seachem iodide, which is safer to dose IMM than iodine.
Use the manufactures suggested beginner dose amount for the initial dose and then test to see where it got you.
Then wait a few days to see where you are now, it will deplete.
Then it’s just a matter of tweaking the dose to a daily or every other day dosing schedule.

Okay, I'll order them both now.

Thank you very much!

 

[Sharkbait19]

Since you seem to have confirmed my original thought... Any idea if you can force a molt on a pistol or is it a bad idea?

Depends. If by force you mean put it in conditions that would encourage it to molt, then I'd say that would work. But helping it remove the shell manually could only lead to further problems.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Depends. If by force you mean put it in conditions that would encourage it to molt, then I'd say that would work. But helping it remove the shell manually could only lead to further problems.

I was referring to adding additional iodide.

Okay, I'll order them both now.

Thank you very much!

I would like to add this.. If you find that you are low then you may want to verify the calibration on salinity. Most salt mixes should have sufficient iodine and if you just did a water change I would hope you are not deficient. If you find that you are then you may have a salinity issue.

 

[Apollo7235]

I was referring to adding additional iodide.


I would like to add this.. If you find that you are low then you may want to verify the calibration on salinity. Most salt mixes should have sufficient iodine and if you just did a water change I would hope you are not deficient. If you find that you are then you may have a salinity issue.

I recently installed an ATO on my display, so I have been crazy about checking my salinity. I actually just checked the calibration on my refractometer the day before yesterday.

Hopefully I'm not deficient! I know that my alkalinity is typically between 7 and 8, so maybe that could be part of the issue, but I was under the impression that 7-11dKH is fine.

 

[Uncle99]

Since you seem to have confirmed my original thought... Any idea if you can force a molt on a pistol or is it a bad idea?

Excellent question.
We “think” we see a correlation between “molts” and water changes as if the water change somehow triggers a molt, but, sheer speculation IMM, and this we have not used on pistols, rather skunks and fires.

I could also be 100% wrong on the diagnos, as the OP is talking pistol and my experience, is with skunk and furies, but, the videos looks the same. Mine also do this when they are trying to free themselves of eggs.

At the same time, it could be Neurological in some way.

So I’d say once the molt starts, Mother Nature in charge, however, it may be possible to replicate the trigger.

 

[Uncle99]

I was referring to adding additional iodide.


I would like to add this.. If you find that you are low then you may want to verify the calibration on salinity. Most salt mixes should have sufficient iodine and if you just did a water change I would hope you are not deficient. If you find that you are then you may have a salinity issue.

No, I think that might be dangerous, nothing more than 0.06ppm....or at least....I’ve never gone beyond that.....

And your right, a water change would add back and might be the best and safest method.

For me, my system is zeroing out iodine every 2 days with a 10% water change, so, no choice for me.

 

[Apollo7235]

No, I think that might be dangerous, nothing more than 0.06ppm....or at least....I’ve never gone beyond that.....

And your right, a water change would add back and might be the best and safest method.

For me, my system is zeroing out iodine every 2 days with a 10% water change, so, no choice for me.

I honestly can't imagine that my tank would be deficient considering I have nothing in it aside from the two gobies and the two pistols, but who knows. I suppose we'll see once the test kit gets here. I sincerely hope he survives until then. He is currently torpedoing around the tank. Hopefully he doesn't shoot out of it... I really didn't think that would be an issue with a shrimp.