haha, the first time my peppermint molted, i was all freaked out! i had to search every hole before i found him and made sure he wasn't just eaten from the inside out!!
and about the little white bugs, i'm pretty sure they're just copeopods. i have the same thing, they're really tiny and kind of spring when they move. from what i've heard they're not only harmless but are really beneficial for a tank.