Why Do Shrimps Feel Awful? Learn the Best Practices
Keeping shrimp can be tricky, especially for beginners. Fortunately, there are some telltale signs that your shrimp aren’t feeling great.
Shrimp are very sensitive to sudden changes in water conditions, much more than fish. So before you reach out for help online, make sure to have a full case report including all your water parameters.
1. They’re not eating
Red fancy tiger shrimp are scavengers by nature, they spend their time scouting around for biofilm and algae to eat. If you see them swimming around but they aren’t eating, that’s a pretty bad sign. The only way to determine what’s causing this is by testing the water parameters: Ammonia and nitrite levels shouldn’t be too high, PH should be close to neutral, GH should be at least 4, and KH should be below 10.
If they aren’t eating, try increasing their food or doing a big water change to get them back to normal. If they’re still not eating, then they may have a fungal or bacterial infection (like vorticella) that is preventing them from eating and could kill them if left untreated.
Another thing that can cause your shrimp to stop eating is if they’re too old. They need to be at least a year old before they’re ready to breed and start raising baby shrimp. Older adults often die of natural causes, however, like molting or getting sick.
If your shrimp aren’t eating, Isolate one of them and take a closer look. Look for signs of disease, a fungus or bacterial infection, molting problems, and any other indicators. You can also ask for help on online forums like r/ShrimpTank and the Shrimp Keepers Facebook Group to find out what’s causing the issue. Be sure to include as much detail as possible in your case report. It makes it much easier for other shrimp keepers to figure out what’s going on.
2. They’re hiding
Shrimp are prey animals and they often feel unsafe in open spaces. To protect themselves, they will hide under logs, driftwood, cholla logs and other hardscape. They will also hide in moss, fine-leaved plants and shrimp tubes. It’s good to provide all of these hiding places to make your shrimp feel safer and more comfortable in your tank.
Another reason your rare shrimp might be hiding is that it’s molting. This is a natural part of their life cycle but it can be stressful. This is especially true if the water parameters are off (too high GH or KH or too low PH). If they don’t have all the nutrients they need they will struggle to shed their old shells. This can lead to a white ring around the head where the old shell met. If you see this ring it’s time to re-adjust your water parameters.
Getting your shrimp from a reputable online seller, or a local breeder that raises their own, is always best. This way you can ask the breeder about the water parameters and get a better idea of the health of your new shrimp. This will allow for less stress, and a more successful molt and acclimation.
It’s also a good idea to pour the water your shrimp came in into a separate container before adding it to their tank. This will help them acclimate to the new temperature and water parameters more quickly and reduces the risk of shock. This will also reduce the amount of ammonia that builds up in the tank over a few days as the water and shrimp are adjusting. This method is especially useful if you are bringing in freshwater from the outside as it’s usually cooler and will make it easier for the shrimp to molt.
3. They’re swimming around
Shrimp have a rather simple nervous system, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get stressed just like any other animal. Erratic swimming behavior is one of the classic signs that shrimp are feeling uneasy. Luckily, dwarf shrimp are pretty easy to keep, and this problem can be avoided by doing small water changes frequently, keeping the tank in a stable temperature range, and only feeding them food that they can easily digest.
It’s also possible that the erratic swimming behavior is just the shrimp trying to find a hiding spot or a place to graze. They may be looking for a specific plant in the aquarium or perhaps they are looking for some other food that’s been dropped into the tank accidentally.
In some cases, the erratic swimming is actually mating behavior. Adult females will molt at least once a month and during this process they will release a certain pheromone that signals to the males that she’s ready to mate. Once the pheromone is released, the males will start to swim around in an attempt to find the female.
However, if you’ve recently moved your shrimp into a new tank, it could be that the erratic swimming is because they aren’t acclimated to the new water yet. Shrimp are more delicate than fish, and they prefer to be slowly introduced into a new water so that they can adapt quickly. Adding too much new water into the tank at once can cause them to die. Instead, try dripping the new water in slowly to help them adjust to it more easily.
4. They’re freezing
Shrimp are a quick and easy addition to dinners like shrimp scampi, fried rice or gumbo. But if frozen shrimp have freezer burn or smell fishy, it’s likely that they’ve spoiled and should be discarded. Shrimp spoiling in the freezer happens when they are exposed to too much air while freezing, leading to dehydration and oxidation of the flesh. The best way to keep shrimp from spoiling is by proper storage and thawing methods.
When preparing to freeze cooked shrimp, it’s important to cool them down to room temperature and to properly package them for freezing. This prevents bacterial contamination and maintains the flavor of the seafood after it’s been thawed. To ensure this, pat the shrimp dry and pack them into freezer bags or rigid containers tightly, squeezing out all of the air before sealing. It’s also helpful to place the shrimp on a baking tray before freezing, as this helps them to freeze individually, which reduces clumping and exposure to air.
Frozen shrimp will keep for up to three months at a 0°F temperature, and up to a year at -10°F. It’s recommended that you label the shrimp with the date of purchase before putting them into the freezer, as this can help you keep track of how long they’ve been frozen. It’s also recommended that you cook raw shrimp before freezing to preserve both the taste and texture.
The ideal method for thawing frozen shrimp is to submerge the entire bag in cold water, changing the water frequently and allowing it to thaw slowly. This method prevents bacterial growth and keeps the shrimp in a frozen state, which is preferable to thawing them on the counter or in hot water.
5. They’re not breeding
Shrimp are social animals that do best in groups of at least ten. They love to graze together, and it’s very rare for them to reproduce without the company of other shrimp. If you notice that your shrimp are spending a lot of time on their own, it could be a sign that they’re sad. Shrimp tend to get stressed out in a small group, and if they’re not happy they’ll simply start hiding. They’ll still be foraging, but they will do it quietly in the corner of a tank instead of out in the open.
It’s also normal for shrimp to take a while to breed in a new environment. They may be looking for a berried female or trying to figure out how to lay their eggs properly. It’s also important that the water parameters are right – ammonia and nitrite levels should be at 0, nitrates should be below 40, and GH should be above 4.
Finally, the temperature of the tank is also important. If the water gets too hot, it can cause a shrimp to molt prematurely. When a shrimp is unable to complete a molt, it can result in the internal organs getting crushed and killed. This is why it’s so important to do regular water changes and keep the temperature stable.
As you can see, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with your rare shrimp. If you’re having trouble figuring out why your shrimp are dying, it’s always worth bringing in expert advice. This is why shrimp keeping groups like the r/ShrimpTank subreddit and the Shrimp Keeper Facebook page can be invaluable for advanced aquarists.
