Common Ghost Shrimp Diseases and Problems

Vorticella

A white, fuzzy growth on the rostrum, legs or shell that looks like mold. It is a colonial protozoan, usually a symptom of poor water quality or an overloaded tank. Improve water changes and filtration first. A short salt bath, one tablespoon of aquarium salt per cup of tank water, 30 seconds, is the common hobbyist treatment. Never dose the display tank with copper.

Muscular necrosis

The abdomen turns opaque white, starting at the tail and progressing forward, in a shrimp that is not molting. It is usually the end result of severe stress, ammonia exposure, an oxygen crash, a sudden temperature or parameter shift. It is generally irreversible in the affected animal. Test water immediately and correct the underlying cause before it spreads through the colony.

Bacterial infection

A pink or orange tint through the body on a living shrimp is a bad sign, often bacterial. Isolation rarely helps. Focus on water quality, reduce stocking, and remove any dead animals immediately, a dead shrimp left in a small tank fouls water fast.

Scutariella japonica

Small white worm-like parasites near the rostrum or head. Cosmetic more than fatal, and mostly seen on imported shrimp. A series of short salt baths clears it. Keep new arrivals separate for observation when possible.

Copper poisoning

Sudden death of every shrimp in a tank while fish appear fine is almost always copper. Sources include ich medication, some plant fertilizers, certain snail treatments, and old copper plumbing. Recovery requires water changes and carbon filtration, and some tanks retain enough copper in the substrate to remain unsuitable for shrimp for a long time.

Quick diagnostic table