shrimp-attack.com

An important medicament for the cure of bacterial diseases of shrimp was relaunched by JBL:  JBL Furanol 2 is now avalible in stores. The new active ingredient is named sodium-nifurstyrenat. It has replaced former nifurpirinol.

JBL Furanol 2

The bacteria responsible for most bacterial infections are often coccoid bacteria and bacilli (like Aeromonas, Plesiomonas, Campylobacter Pseudomonas, Legionella). If you can identify the type, the cure for your shrimp will be easier because you know what antibioticum to buy.

I have had good results with JBL Furanol. The package insert says not to use with invertebrates, but an employee of JBL explained in a German forum, that this hint is only relevant for marine inverts. Other medicaments for use are Chloramphenicol and Ampicillin, but I have never tried.

Like with other drugs, you should filter with carbon after the treatment if you use an external filter.

The shrimp on the left is infected, the shrimps on the right are okay

Shrimp diseases are yet unexplored in their variety and no one likes to confess that his/her shrimp are or have been ill. But livestock breeding isn’t easy at all and that’s why I want t o talk about bacterial infections of shrimp now. I have had problems with my Blue Tiger Shrimp lately: Some of them where turning kind of white in the body inside and the usual colouration fades. The legs where apparently white like Golden Bee legs and some of them even lost antenna and other extremeties. In a later phase, shrimp are inactive and may ’stagger’ through the water. This shrimp mostly die later on.

Growing populations of harmful bacteria called Aeromonas sobria was probably the cause (see O. Breitenstein for aquanet.tv). Due to higher water temperatures this bacteria can spread disproportionately high. Overcrowded tank with lots of organic waste pander the disease.  If the immune system is weakened other parasites or fungus can penetrate more easiliy.

But how to get rid of this prob? Advices:

1. daily water changes with 80% minimum (not less!) for at least 2 weeks. This lowers the quantity of bacteria.
2. lower the temperature of the water if possible
3. clean the tank and gravel
4. add O2 and garantuee a good water filtration
5. feed less
6. remove ill or dead shrimp asap

Be careful with pharmaceuticals because this particuliar harmful bacteria might be resistent to antibiotica. In my special case, I supported the recovery with JBL Furanol: 1 tablet for a 20L tank, added for 4 days. I did a 80% water cange then and added 1 tablett again for 3 days. I than filtered with carbon for one week to get rid of the pharmaceutical.