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I started a little (2 gal) shrimp habitat 6 weeks ago. In it I put 2 Singapores, 4 Red Crystal Shrimp and 2 Zebra Shrimp. My goal was to get a little eco-system going, and see if I couldn’t get them to breed (just for the fun of it). I’ve been slowly working the water toward brackish, since most websites say that successful breedings need water approaching brackish.

So my 1st gallon of water changes had 1/2 tps sea salt. Now my second gallon has 3/4 tps sea salt. As I take a little out, I replace it with the salty water.

I must be doing most everything right, because I only lost one shrimp shortly after purchase, and I’ve got quite a few baby shrimp- both of Red Crystal and Zebra variety.

Now, here’s my concern. Both Singapores appear to be happy and thriving, getting plenty to eat (judging from the amount of feces). The dominant one has shed twice. But the other one has not shed, and this is my concern. S/he actually has an algae coat on his/her carapace from sitting in the light all the time. It’s the kind of algae that grows on the glass. I’m concern that s/he might need something different that’s preventing a shed.

Is there something about saline level, or water hardness, pH, or something that promotes/inhibits shedding? Do they need something rough to crack their shell on? I did just find a red crystal carapace yesterday- so there’s not a global issue.

Any info would be appreciated.

There are several atyopsis(wood shrimp) species and most live out their adult lifespan in 100% freshwater. There's not much info no what salt levels they might tolerate but for most species it seems only the young can be found in salt or brackish and as soon as they reach their adult form they do not stray from freshwater again. I have 2 shrimp of 2 different species that have been living in my 55g planted tank with absolutely no salt added for close to a year now. They do not rub on anything to molt. They just turn kinda fuzzy and a couple days later are smooth again. Usually I don't notice when they molt because it happens so quickly and they are right back to filtering water again. These shrimp might also be a little big for your 2g. I actually would suggest only 1 shrimp for every 5g of water because of not only their size but their feeding habits. They prefer to filter feed catching bits of food out of the water and generally live in fairly fast flowing streams. They need a good current with well oxygenated water(if your 2g has no equipment moving water around they probably won't last long) and the water needs to contain particles of food. Usually that's accomplished by adding bits of powdered food, food that breaks down quickly like shrimp pellets, or I use liquid invertebrate food for marine tanks. They won't eat algae like the other shrimp will and need some type of meaty food added to the tank. You also cannot breed these shrimp by normal means. While the other shrimp will have miniature versions of themselves the wood shrimp instead will release larvae which are carried downstream into the brackish water and go through several different life stages before they look like their parents and travel back upstream. I have a small powerhead setup right in front of a piece of driftwood and they like to sit in the strongest part of the current to feed. They are better suited to a river tank than a planted tank with low flow rates.