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Cramp Tail Syndrome Diagnosis: Cramp Tail Syndrome or CTS (sometimes also known as Cramped Muscle Syndrome) is a disease recognised in the shrimp farming aquaculture industry (Couch and Fournie, 1993) where affected shrimp have a constantly humped abdomen even while swimming. However, this condition is not immune to the fancy bee shrimp hobby unfortunately. Severely affected shrimp would lie on its side at the bottom of the tank and is unable to move. Mortality follows shortly if untreated. Cramp Tail Syndrome shrimp look like this: Picture courtesy of Ronskitz. The cause of CTS has been suggested to be either a lack of nutrient deficiencies or environmental stressors. Evidence has suggested that a lack of potassium in dietary and/or environmental, relative to the cations Ca, Na and M, may be the principal factor in the cause of CTS in shrimp. CTS appears to be caused by one or more of the following conditions: · High water temperature, · Vibriosis, · Potassium mineral imbalances, and/or · Toxins in the water Vibriosis is caused by gram-negative bacteria in the family Vibrionaceae. Outbreaks may occur when environmental factors trigger the rapid multiplication of bacteria already tolerated at low levels within shrimp blood (Sizemore & Davis, 1985), or by bacterial penetration of the host exoskeleton. The exoskeleton provides an effective physical barrier to pathogens trying to penetrate the external surface of crustaceans, as well as the foregut and hindgut. However, Vibrio spp. are among the chitinoclastic bacteria associated with shell disease (Cook & Lofton 1973) and may enter through wounds in the exoskeleton or pores (Jiravanichpaisal & Miyazaki, 1994; Alday-Sanz et al,. 2002). The gills may also appear susceptible to bacterial penetration because they are covered by a thin exoskeleton (Taylor & Taylor, 1992). Mortalities due to vibriosis occur when shrimps are stressed by factors such as: poor water quality, overcrowding, high water temperature, low Dissolved Oxygen and low water change frequency. Known cures: · High water temperature – Check temperatures of the tank and reduce to optimum levels for your specific shrimp. · Vibriosis – Oxytetracycline or Tetracycline can be used to eradicate vibrio and any gram negative bacteria. Oxytetracycline can be purchased at most fish shop and aquariums. Oxytetracycline is available in 2 forms. Powder and injectable. The injectable form was used as it is a stronger form. This meant that we could use less to obtain the required dosage. Dosed straight into the water column at 1000mg per 40ltr of water. Follow the dosage instructions for the FULL duration of the treatment, even if your shrimps are looking better. Do NOT stop treatment short, as this will develop strains of bacteria with resistance to future treatment. Some options for purchasing Oxytetracycline: http://www.thetechden.com.au/Blue_Planet_Aquari_Cycline_25_Tablets_p/el080.htm http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/OXYMB?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=myshopping&utm_campaign=Pet+Supplies&gdftrk=gdfV25674_a_7c2113_a_7c7878_a_7c2417&utm_term=Oxymav+B+100g · Potassium mineral imbalances - dose Potassium sulphate (K2SO4 ) or Potassium chloride (KCl) as soon as possible into the water as a drip (slowly). This can be found in most gardening stores as it’s a fertiliser for plants. How much is still undetermined. I would start with 1gm per 40L of water. Check that it does not impact your water parameters too much. Even more effective than dosing Potassium into the water column is to introduce it as a feed. Soak some of your shrimp food in the potassium prepared above, and feed it to the shrimp. Drip the rest of the potassium into the tank. · Toxins in the water – Perform a large water change of approximately 90%. If the tank was subjected to bacterial infection, a complete teardown of the tank is advised. Re-build using new filter media and reseed beneficial bacteria from a friend.

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Hello everyone, just wanted to say hi and say i'm interested in shrimp genetics, and hybrids and getting ready to start a new project.

Very nice. I still think you have more space on the rack to add more tanks! Haha. Moss are so confusing and some are so difficult to ID. I received some christmas moss a few months ago and it is growing very differently to the christmas moss I already own. Now I don't know which is the real christmas moss. :( I recently got some anchor, pearl, rose and willow moss compliments from a good bloke. If I grow them successfully, would you like to trade for some cameroon moss? What is quill willow btw?

Hi SKF Community, As a teen I fell in love with fish and tanks, didn't last long till the nomad life began having no aquarium for the past 20 years. 20 years later and settling, or so it seems, has unleashed the almighty shrimp bug, from one tank to five (including fish tanks) another four waiting to be put to good use, all in the space of year, to now very unexpectedly breeding and selling these little critters. Very early days shrimping around so there's much needed knowledge to be gained. I'm sure I've come to the right place. Thanks in advance. I do want the best for these little guys. Happy shrimping regards hamish

Mini fern? Is that like mini bolbitis? Looking really good, the suction cup hangers look really cool!

24 hours late and it has cleared up pretty well! External filters are my new best frient. Cannot wait to get vals to the right of the driftwood. Looking for something else to add between the driftwood in the middle, or to the left of the HM in the front left corner. Maybe I will try s.repens again. Two things I want to happen: 1) I want the blyxa to pick up now that the sunset hygro isnt shadowing it. 2) The HM carpets a little bit more extensively. I guess I need to learn to stop playing around and give it a solid amount of time to grow into itself. I also need to upgrade my light. Might solve a heap of my issues. I didn't realise I had lost 4 big healthy blyxa's on top of about 10 stems of S.repens I was gifted.