Is this shrimp diseased or stressed? White head.

[daz88]

Hi. 

 

Yesterday i found a dead shrimp in this tank (milky all over) and today i see this guy in the same tank. His head is white on the inside. It doesn't look right. I don't if I'm paranoid but i can see more white head shrimp in this tank, both adult and small. My other cherry tanks (reds, blue red rilis like this affected tank) don't seem to have this white milky flesh thing. Only this tank. 

I have done things to the tank that could have caused a problem - stopped the eden 501 canister for three days (whilst leaving the sponge filter on) and did a 40% rain water change on the weekend. I can't seem to find anything on the web but see milky flesh in general is a bad sign. Could it be disease? stress from water parameters? Ammonia spike? Any ideas appreciated, i can give more info or take more pics of other shrimp if needed. 

Terrible pic i know. 

 

[2OFUS]

I think that might be its brains

[daz88]

So I'm being paranoid? Not stressed brains?

[2OFUS]

I think so

Images borrowed from Google

[2OFUS]

Also you should never switch of your cannister for long periods of time

The water that was left in it probably started to foul !

Also 40% water chNge is massive for shrimps

I'd recommend 10% weekly if you have to

I don't do water changes

Just top ups only

[daz88]

Tah. The canister was a definite mistake. WC of 40% because it had been awhile. I do 50% weekly changes in my planted display which has this variant of cherry and i don't experience any known deaths. But because this tank is for breeding cherries ill only be doing 10% from now on. I'll report if further deaths. 

[kizshrimp]

If you absolutely have to turn off a canister filter (or have a power outage) for more than a couple of hours you need to drain the water out so the damp media is sitting in air inside the canister. Otherwise your filter bacteria will "drown" and toxic hydrogen sulphide is produced from the anaerobic respiration that occurs. Might help you or others in the future. 

[jayc]

Might need a better picture of the shrimp.

Close up, and side on.

 

The yellow area on the head, is it's internal organs.

That's normal.

 

But I think Daz is talking about the milky white tissue along it's abdomen.

This muscle along the abdomen should be clear, almost see through.

It's hard to see in that photo. 

But don't panic yet, it might not be a bacterial infection, but a symptom of poor water conditions.

 

So check all water parameters.

If you had the filter turned off, I would be checking Ammonia, nitrite and nitrates as a priority.