Please look at this Cardinal, input please!

[southerndesert]

One of my Cardinal Shrimp was looking odd today so I took a photo and this is what her problem is...





From what I have seen of Cardinal Shrimp eggs they are dark and look nothing like this... Anyone care to comment? I have never seen anything like this on a shrimp.

Bill

[Mustafa]

Looks like an external parasite. I've seen similar things on other shrimp.

[southerndesert]

Ok...That said I have already removed the shrimp. Should it be destroyed to prevent this parasite from spreading? Or? any advise will be gladly taken on this one.

[Mustafa]

Ok...That said I have already removed the shrimp. Should it be destroyed to prevent this parasite from spreading? Or? any advise will be gladly taken on this one.

It's hard to say if the parasite spreads easily from shrimp to shrimp. I'd wait until this guy molts and see if the parasite is still there. Usually such parasites stick to the shell and disappear after the molt. I'd say that if this parasite spread easily you'd have more than just one shrimp with it by now.

[southerndesert]

Found some info with the help of the good folks at Crustaforum....

http://www.shrimp-diseases-online.com/watermold.htm

Interesting and it is actually a fungal infection and it appears the first type shown in photo is my shrimps problem...



Cheers, Bill

[apistomaster]

I wonder if a week in water with a tbs of salt/gal would help cure this fungus?
I don't know of any safe drugs although I have treated fish for Ich with malachite green at the recommended dose and that did not kill Cherry or Ghost Glass Shrimp.
We really should be examining these things under a microscope to get some idea of exactly what kind of organisms are involved. This could be a fungus, a parasitical copepod or a parasitical worm like flukes.