Symptoms to Look For
Check if your shrimp are showing any of these symptoms. Symptoms are grouped by severity to help you assess the situation.
Early Warning
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Milky or opaque appearance in normally clear areas
Visual: Internal cloudiness, loss of transparency
Moderate
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Pink or reddish discoloration
Visual: Unusual pink/red areas especially on underside or legs
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White patches or spots on shell
Visual: Localized white areas not related to saddle or molt
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Lethargy and loss of appetite
Visual: Affected shrimp inactive, not eating
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Isolation from colony
Visual: Sick shrimp separate themselves from others
Severe
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Visible lesions or damaged tissue
Visual: Open wounds, necrotic (dead) tissue areas
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Multiple shrimp showing similar symptoms
Visual: Infection spreading through colony
Does this match what you see? If your shrimp are showing multiple severe symptoms, act immediately. Early symptoms give you more time to correct the issue.
Possible Causes
Causes are listed by likelihood. Start with the most common causes and work your way down.
Poor Water Quality
The #1 cause of bacterial infections. Elevated ammonia, nitrite, or high nitrates weaken shrimp immune systems and allow opportunistic bacteria to infect them.
Test all parameters immediately. Any ammonia or nitrite present? Nitrates over 20ppm? Poor water quality enables bacterial infections.
Injury or Wound
Physical damage from aggressive tank mates, sharp decorations, or rough handling creates entry points for bacteria. Even minor injuries can become infected.
Did you see the shrimp get injured? Any aggressive tank mates? Sharp decorations that could cause cuts?
Stress Weakening Immune System
Chronic stress from poor conditions, harassment, or unstable parameters weakens the shrimp's natural defenses against ever-present bacteria.
Any ongoing stressors? Aggressive tank mates, unstable parameters, overcrowding, frequent disturbances?
Introduction of Infected Shrimp
New shrimp may carry bacteria that spread to your colony. This is why quarantine is important.
Did you recently add new shrimp without quarantine? Did symptoms appear shortly after adding new stock?
Decomposing Organic Matter
Dead shrimp, rotting plants, or excessive waste create bacterial blooms that can infect weakened shrimp.
Any deaths recently? Rotting plants? Dirty substrate? Excess organic matter feeds harmful bacteria.
Failed or Difficult Molt
The soft period after molting leaves shrimp vulnerable. If a molt was difficult or incomplete, bacteria can infect the damaged areas.
Did the shrimp recently molt? Any sign of molt problems? Post-molt shrimp have reduced defenses.
Solutions
Option 1: Immediate Response to Infected Shrimp
Be realistic - visible bacterial infections often prove fatal despite intervention
- 1
Isolate affected shrimp
Move visibly infected shrimp to a quarantine container with tank water. This prevents potential spread to healthy shrimp.
Handle gently - stress worsens infections
- 2
Test all water parameters
Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, TDS, GH. Document results. Water quality issues must be addressed regardless of treatment approach.
- 3
Perform water change in main tank
Do 20-25% water change with properly matched parameters. Remove any debris or waste. Clean substrate if dirty.
- 4
Remove deceased shrimp immediately
Dead shrimp spread bacteria. Check tank thoroughly and remove any deaths. Decomposition accelerates bacterial growth.
- 5
Consider salt bath for isolated shrimp
For early infections, a salt bath may help: 1 tablespoon aquarium salt per gallon, 30-60 second dip, then return to clean water.
Salt baths are stressful - only use for shrimp that might survive
Recommended Products
These are informational recommendations only. Not affiliated with any brands.
Option 2: Prevent Further Spread in Colony
- 1
Identify and fix water quality issues
If parameters are off, address them immediately. Ammonia/nitrite require emergency water changes. High nitrates need reduction through water changes.
- 2
Reduce stressors
Remove aggressive tank mates, provide more hiding spots, ensure stable parameters. Stress weakens immunity.
- 3
Boost immune function through feeding
Feed immune-supporting foods: garlic-infused foods, foods with beta-glucan, high-quality varied diet.
- 4
Add Indian Almond Leaves
Indian Almond Leaves (IAL) have mild antibacterial properties and release beneficial tannins. Add 1-2 leaves per 10 gallons.
- 5
Monitor remaining colony closely
Watch for symptoms in other shrimp. Isolate any showing early signs. Early intervention improves outcomes.
Recommended Products
These are informational recommendations only. Not affiliated with any brands.
Prevention Tips
Follow these practices to help prevent this problem from occurring in the future.
- Maintain pristine water quality - this is the #1 prevention
- Keep ammonia and nitrite at absolute zero
- Keep nitrates under 20ppm through regular maintenance
- Quarantine new shrimp for 2-4 weeks before adding to main colony
- Remove dead shrimp immediately to prevent bacterial blooms
- Avoid sharp decorations that could injure shrimp
- Don't keep shrimp with aggressive or nippy fish
- Handle shrimp gently to avoid injuries
- Add Indian Almond Leaves for mild antibacterial benefits
- Feed varied, high-quality diet to maintain immune health
- Reduce stress through stable conditions and adequate hiding spots
Track These Parameters with ShrimpKeeper
Get alerts when your parameters drift out of range, see historical trends, and catch problems before they become emergencies.
Download FreeBacterial infections in shrimp are often a symptom of an underlying problem rather than a primary disease. Understanding this is crucial: bacteria are always present in aquariums, but healthy shrimp with functioning immune systems resist infection. When shrimp get bacterial infections, it's usually because something weakened their defenses. The most common underlying cause is poor water quality. Ammonia and nitrite are directly toxic and damage shrimp tissues, creating entry points for bacteria while simultaneously stressing the immune system. High nitrates, while less acutely toxic, cause chronic stress that weakens immunity over time. Common bacterial infections in shrimp include: **Muscular Necrosis**: Appears as milky/opaque areas in muscle tissue. The meat becomes white and cloudy instead of clear. Often fatal. **Shell Disease/Rust Disease**: Brown or black spots on the exoskeleton that spread. Can become open wounds. Linked to poor water quality. **Pink/Red Coloration**: Bacterial septicemia causes pink or red coloring, especially on the underside. Indicates systemic infection. Unfortunately, treatment options for shrimp bacterial infections are limited compared to fish. Shrimp don't tolerate most antibiotics well, and by the time symptoms are visible, the infection is often advanced. This is why prevention is emphasized over treatment. Salt baths can help with external bacterial infections caught early. The salt creates an osmotic stress that can kill surface bacteria. However, this is stressful for shrimp and should only be used when there's reasonable hope of recovery. When multiple shrimp show infections simultaneously, it indicates a tank-wide problem. Rather than treating individual shrimp, focus on fixing the underlying cause - usually water quality. Improving conditions helps healthy shrimp resist infection even if currently infected shrimp are lost. The best approach is prevention: maintain excellent water quality, minimize stress, quarantine new additions, and remove dead organisms promptly. Healthy shrimp in good conditions rarely develop bacterial infections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes, if caught early. Isolate affected shrimp, ensure pristine water quality, and try a salt bath (1 tbsp aquarium salt per gallon, 30-60 seconds). However, once infections are visibly advanced (milky throughout, lesions, severe discoloration), survival is unlikely. Focus on preventing spread to healthy shrimp.
Multiple infections indicate a tank-wide problem, usually water quality. Test parameters immediately - ammonia, nitrite, and high nitrates enable bacterial infections. The bacteria are always present; poor conditions weaken shrimp immunity. Fix the underlying cause or infections will continue.
Yes, potentially. While healthy shrimp resist infection, close contact with heavily infected individuals and sharing compromised water increases risk. Isolate visibly infected shrimp, remove dead ones immediately, and maintain excellent water quality to protect healthy colony members.
Most aquarium antibiotics are not shrimp-safe or have unknown effects. Shrimp are very sensitive to medications. Focus on prevention and supportive care (clean water, reduce stress, salt baths for external infections) rather than antibiotic treatment.
Symptoms include: milky/cloudy internal appearance, pink or red discoloration (especially underside), white patches or spots, visible lesions or necrotic tissue, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Healthy shrimp should be clear/transparent with normal coloring and active behavior.
Usually from underlying problems: poor water quality (most common), injuries from tank mates or sharp decor, stress weakening immunity, or infection entering through molt wounds. Bacteria are always present - infections happen when shrimp defenses are compromised.
Indian Almond Leaves have mild antibacterial and antifungal properties from tannins. They can help prevent infections and support recovery but aren't a cure for established infections. They're best used as ongoing preventive measure rather than treatment for sick shrimp.
Track Your Parameters with ShrimpKeeper
Most shrimp problems stem from parameter issues. Track your water quality, get alerts when things drift, and prevent problems before they happen.