Getting to Know Molting in Shrimp and How to Care for it

Hello Mr/Ms Shooters! Are you worried about the shrimp molting season? Although shrimp are very susceptible to disease in this phase, molting is an important and always occurs stage in shrimp culture. Let's review the stages of molting in shrimp and how to protect shrimp from disease when molting!

What is Molting?

Molting in shrimp is the process of changing the skin or shell/exoskeleton of shrimp. Like other shellfish, shrimp have a hard, stiff shell. This plastic-like skin will peel off and be replaced with another layer of skin underneath. However, at certain molting stages, shrimp are very susceptible to disease. Therefore, Farmers must pay special attention when the shrimp is in the molting stage.

Molting also occurs due to hormones in shrimp, usually when shrimp are in spawning or laying eggs. In addition, shrimp that are exposed to severe stress will also often experience molting as a way of defending themselves. 

Stages in the Molting Process

Usually, the molting process in shrimp occurs every 3-8 weeks. There are several stages that occur when shrimp experience molting, namely:

• Post-Molt

The stage after shedding of the old skin. By this time, the shrimp will absorb a lot of water to strengthen the new shell. This new skin will adjust the shape and size of the shrimp's body. Usually this new skin is formed in a matter of hours or days.

• Molting

Shrimp sheds its shell/exoskeleton. In this process, the muscles of the shrimp's body relax, then the shrimp will come out and shed their old skin. 

• Inter-Molt

Shrimp shells get hardened by the presence of protein and minerals in the shrimp's body. In addition, the weight of the shrimp is in the process of increasing, so that their appetite increases.

• Pre-Molt

The shrimp prepare themselves for the next molt. The shrimp's appetite decreases and a new layer of skin begins to grow.

How to Take Care of Shrimp During the Molting Process

The way you take care of the shrimp during the molting process will determine the success of shrimp farming, because shrimp that fail to molt will die. 

One way to keep the molting process smooth is to maintain pond water quality. Make sure the level of calcium in the water remains stable, because this substance is needed and absorbed by many shrimp to form new skin. In addition, check the levels of phosphorus and other minerals regularly because minerals are also needed by shrimp during the process of forming a new skin. You can maintain the stability of pond water by adding the required mineral content on a regular basis. In addition, you don't have to clean the loose shrimp shells because the minerals they contain will dissolve in the water.

In addition to maintaining pond water conditions, you also need to adjust the amount of feed according to the shrimp molting phase. When finished molting, shrimp tend to have a high appetite because they need food to grow. Therefore, the feed rate needs to be increased. However, when the shrimp are in the pre-molt phase, the shrimp don't eat much so the amount of feed needs to be reduced so that it doesn't get wasted and pollutes the pond water.

How to Speed Up Shrimp Molting

The process of molting shrimp can be accelerated so that the shrimp can avoid diseases that threaten them when they molt. Here's how:

• Regularly check the molting phase of the shrimp when sampling.
• Recording the molting phase that occurs in shrimp in order to estimate the next molting phase.
• Ensuring shrimp get enough calcium and phosphorus to support and strengthen the new skin.