Unusual Shrimp

[Baccus]

I caught this shrimp today and think it's rather odd considering all the other shrimp are either clear or mottled dark colours.

Even its tail has white patches which you can just make out from this underside shot.

In the pictures the lines on it look black but in the flesh they appear blue.

I also caught this bruiser of a shrimp.

This guy makes all of the others look like midgets .

 

[Caprichoso]

Very nice

 

[Baccus]

Unfortunately it appears that these two shrimp maybe suffering from a disease that goes by many names such as White tail disease, White muscle disease, Cotton disease, white body disease and even milky body disese . I have been trying to research as much as I can on the condition and most of the information is sketcky and doesn't really say if all the shrimp that where collected from that area will also come down with the illness (?) So far I have had these two shrimp (plus the other normal shrimp I collected from the same creek) in a seperate tank with a few fish also collected on the day for a week. So far all the shrimp and fish seem happy and healthy and the two suspect ones are active, mobile and feeding well. So my questions are
1. If they are infected how long before they usually die?

2. If they die and I remove the bodies prior to anything else in the tank getting to munch on them will the other shrimp still come down with the illness?

3.How long should I leave the remainder of the shrimp in quarrentine?

I hope somebody can help spread some light on the situation.

 

[Caprichoso]

From what I've read, white tail disease has a 100% mortality rate in those infected with the progression to death taking approx. 3 days after the body turns opaque. When the virus is present, 50% will become infected. The virus is spread in many ways but environmental changes and stress seem to promote it more. I would suggest euthanizing any sick shrimp. I would leave the tank in q't for a couple of months just to be on the safe side.

 

[Baccus]

These two shrimp have now been kicking around in the quarrentine tank for over 2 weeks and if anything are looking healthier than ever. None of the other shrimp that where caught on the same day from the same place have shown any signs of turning white either. I will continue to leave the two white ones in the tank away from all of my other fish and shrimp, but I would like to take out the other normal coloured shrimp and the few fish that are still in the tank. I don't have another tank to use as another quarrentine tank (or filters etc), do you think the other shrimp and fish will be "safe" to add in with my general population?

 

[nurglespuss]

If all the shrimp were caught from the same place, it may be a case that some shrimp have more resistance or even an immunity to the disease (if it is indeed the disease - which it looks like)... I wouldn't risk it, by all means keep the white shrimp seperate, but I would not do any further mixing, you'll also need seperate kit/nets etc. for each tank and a good heigeine routine for them (plus responsible disposal of the water)....

All in all, its possibly a good example of one of the downsides of keeping wild-caught creatures...

 

[Baccus]

Sadly in Australia its wild shrimp or next to nothing, shrimp are not allowed to be imported to Australia and we have hundreds of unclassified shrimp that have great potential to being kept in tanks. So catching shrimp from various places all over Australia and getting them identified and then stablised in Australian tanks is an exciting prospect.

 

[Baccus]

Update

I have now had these shrimp in their own tank since catching them on the 29th of October. Since then these two shrimp have not died and none of the other shrimp caught on the same day at the same place and kept in the same tank have shown any signs of turning white. I am treating the tank with a broad spectrum medication on the off chance it will cure any unknown illnesses, I have used this medication previously with Cherry shrimp with no ill effects to the cherry shrimp and apparently no issues for these native shrimp.

The two shrimp in question if anything are now even odder.

The small white one is now a glowing white

If trying to photograph it with a flash all I end up with is an intense glowing white and the faint blue markings on the shrimp are washed out.

The huge one is still white but it's outer colour is much greener now and the white is very hard to see without good light.

The above photo is a few days old and the shrimp is even darker green now.

So the question remains, are these shrimp carriers of a nasty illness or is there something else going on with them. They are both active and feeding well and no other shrimp in the same tank are showing anything similar.

 

[cokers]

lol, Austrailia- like Madagascar except bigger (talking about wildlife)
Is there still that thingamajig with them rabbits and whatnot? or did that never happen at all?
And perhaps its a phase the shrimps go though?

 

[Baccus]

lol, Austrailia- like Madagascar except bigger (talking about wildlife)
Is there still that thingamajig with them rabbits and whatnot? or did that never happen at all?
And perhaps its a phase the shrimps go though?

I guess you are talking about calisie (spelling ?) virus that was released into the feral rabbit populations to try and wipe them out. Yes the virus was released and it did initially kill a lot of rabbits but like all things with good genetics a few survived and where able to pass on immunity, so now we still have heaps of rabbits, hares, foxes and any number of other undesirable feral animals roaming not only our countryside but also in places our towns and cities.