I've noticed that several of my shrimp have a white colored spine. I was always under the assumption that, if there is enough food and they are full and happy their spines would be dark (full of poop). Am I to take it that there isn't enough food in the tank and I should feed them?
However, counter-intuitive to that is the fact that I have a berried female, which usually means tank conditions are optimal, right?
My tank is sending me mixed messages. I'd hate to throw food in there now though and cause a frenzy with the berried shrimp. But I don't want them to be going hungry either. Anyone have any opinions on this?
Some of mine are the same way, so I think it must be normal variation. The ones that don't show the silvery/white gut line have a solid dark line, and it doesn't make sense to me that some would be totally full and others would be totally empty, so I'm going with the "everyone is fine" thinking
Now that I've sat and stared at their tanks a little closer, it looks like there may be some small amount of construction dust along the surface. Maybe when they are grazing, they are getting some of that dust and that's what's turning their intestines white?
That said, is this a problem? I've got them as sequestered as I can get them - in a cabinet with the door closed and their lids barely cocked to allow for some oxygen exchange. I don't know what else to do. Im looking into getting an air purifier for the bedroom where they are, but until the construction is finished, I don't think I can keep it out 100%.
Try to insulate them from the construction dust as much as you can. Don't worry about air exchange..if you can somehow seal your container shut, do it. Otherwise, put a see-through plastic bag or something similar around it and seal it until construction is over.
I did get an air purifier and have left the AC fan on constantly since our bedroom (where they are right now) is on an isolated hvac zone from the rest of the house to also help mitigate dust.
Can you see inside the shrimp's digestive tract normally?
I've seen ghost shrimp's insides, but I've never thought that Opae Ula, being red and not transparent, were see-through.
I'll have to see when mine arrive
It's harder to see through the really red ones, but sometimes if the tract looks silvery I can see it. It is easy to view in the paler shrimp, and ranges from a dark line to a white or silver color in mine.
Super Jess wrote: ↑Mon May 07, 2018 10:30 am
It's harder to see through the really red ones, but sometimes if the tract looks silvery I can see it. It is easy to view in the paler shrimp, and ranges from a dark line to a white or silver color in mine.
That's so cool! I'm so excited for the arrival of my shrimp
