Reef nutrition

Reef lobster has a bad molt

bondolo

bondolo

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My reef lobster, Mr. Pinchey, molted for the second time since I acquired him from Boun. I was surprised he molted again so soon. Unfortunately he had a bad molt and lost his right claw. From the reading I've done my iodine levels are probably too low. I also suspect that my calcium levels are too high. I had let calcium drift up to 550 and am starting to have problems with condensate. He had been looking a little too white.

The good news is that he should grow back the claw with a couple of molts. I really hope he doesn't lose the other one. His discard shell was also significantly larger than the previous one so apparently I have been feeding him enough (or too much).
 
Thank you for the offer. From my reading of Dana Riddles Iodine kit evaluations the test is mostly useful for monitoring level changes and trends rather than measuring absolute iodine levels. So I will probably just increase my water changes and dose a little iodine when I dose magnesium.
 
He seems completely normal other than the loss of a claw. Eating fine, quite active, grooming and exploring per usual. Still trying to catch the peppermint shrimp.

I know that iodine must have been very low. As soon as I added first supplement to the tank several of the shrimp molted within 24 hours. I had been hoping that my water changes were providing enough iodine and other trace minerals but apparently not.

I had been doing a 32 gallon water change (~40%) every three weeks. I am going to step up the changes to every two weeks for a couple of months. That and adding a conservative iodine dose when I add magnesium. The target range for iodide is 0.06-0.08 mg/L. If I assume that my tank is 0.03 mg/L (low) and my water changes are 0.06 mg/L (according to salt spec) I am adding weekly iodide dose which will increase the iodide by 0.02 mg/L. There seems to be minimal risk of overdosing the tank.
 
Mr. Pinchey has two claws again. He's molted twice now since the loss of a claw in a bad molt. After the first molt he had a stump rather than a claw. With a second molt he now has a miniature replacement claw!

The new claw is about a quarter the size of the other claw but definitely functional. The missing claw was originally the narrower of the two claws. I am now expecting that by the next molt he will have a nearly normal claw.

I will try to capture a picture but he wasn't cooperating today. (not hungry apparently)
 
SAM_0002_0.JPG
 
That was his "get that f*!#@!ing camera out of my face and out of my tank" shot. He attacked the camera about a second later. Fry's special underwater camera. I wish it had better macro capability and handled low light better.
 
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