8 signs your shrimp is under stress

Some of the most common signs of stress in shrimp include lethargy, loss of appetite, loss of color, reduced growth, and molting problems.

Signs of stress in farmed shrimp can be difficult to detect. It's not always easy to see.

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In this article, I will discuss the different signs that show shrimp are stressed and what could be causing that stress.

List of the most common signs of stress in shrimp
There are several signs of a stressed shrimp. It can:

Languid,
Swim riot,
color loss,
Anorexia,
growth declines,
The problem of makeover,
reduced fertility,
Drain eggs.

What is shrimp stress?

Stress in ornamental shrimp is a physiological response to any harmful stimulus.

They can be stunned when faced with any condition that causes physical discomfort and triggers a physiological response.

Even short-term stressors for your shrimp can have an adverse effect on their health. If it continues over time, it can weaken the shrimp's immune system, making the shrimp more susceptible to disease.

Too much stress on the shrimp can even cause deformities, higher mortality and other serious problems.

Shrimp swim wildly

The erratic swimming of shrimp is probably the easiest way to notice that something is wrong with the tank water or the health of the shrimp.

When shrimp experience significant stress, they often develop strange swimming and movement patterns. For example, if your shrimp swim frantically, bump, or even scratch their body parts, that is a sure sign that they are under a lot of stress.

Sluggish shrimp

Lethargy is another sign of stress in shrimp.

In general, shrimp are active animals. They are always busy and their walking/swimming style has a mesmerizing effect. In fact, it is one of the main reasons why we love to observe shrimp.

Therefore, when swimming and/or mobility are reduced, it usually indicates a serious problem. The lethargy usually comes soon after increasing exercise. In this case, it is a sign that the problem is acute and is getting worse.

Shrimp lose color

Discoloration (fading) is the third most obvious sign of shrimp stress.

See more: How to Remove Snails from Shrimp Pond – Aquarium

It is really important to understand why the shrimp is discolored as soon as possible as this could be a symptom of something much more serious.

There are many possible reasons why shrimps lose their color, the most common ones include:

Stress after shipping
Bad water parameters.

Shrimp eat less, anorexia

Shrimps are excellent scavengers. In aquariums, they help keep the tank clean, by eating biofilms, detritus, fish leftovers, dead animals or plants, etc.

They basically feed on any organic matter that falls on the bottom of the tank. It makes them an incredible cleaning crew.

Therefore, any loss of appetite is a common sign when the shrimp is feeling stressed as it is a symptom that the immune and nervous system of the shrimp may be compromised.

When shrimp are stressed, the mechanisms that control food intake and appetite signals in their brains don't work as they should.

Growth rate decreased

As well as lethargy and increased mobility, decreased growth is strongly associated with anorexia.

If the shrimp's immune and nervous systems are not working, it will affect the metabolism in the shrimp's intestines. Therefore, inappropriate feeding will weaken their growth rate and make the shrimp weaker.

Generally, it takes about 75-80 days for the juveniles to mature and mature.

Any deviation will be an indication that the shrimp is stressed.

The problem of makeover

Like all crustaceans, shrimp need to molt to grow. However, the molting process is also the most dangerous part of the shrimp's life as any interruption can lead to death.

Shrimps under stress may have been weakened by other factors (eg, nutritional problems and inappropriate immune system (molting hormones)). So it's more likely to have molting problems.

The main reasons for molting problems in shrimp include:

Unbalanced diet.
Sudden change in water parameters.
Change the water too much or too often.
Poor adaptation.

Reduced fertility

Refer: Explaining Shrimp Swim Behavior

In general, depending on size, each female can carry up to 50 eggs. Shrimps are prolific when they are healthy.

Shrimps under stress do not reproduce much.

Stress can interfere with fertility. Incomplete fertilization of the egg, in which the egg lacks the genetic material to develop into an embryo, also results in ovulation.

Shrimp discharge eggs, lose eggs

Loss of eggs as a sign of stress in ornamental shrimp is also associated with a reduced chance of successful fertilization.

Common causes of shrimp stress
The list of the most common causes of stress in shrimp include:

Poor water quality (primary stressor to shrimp – Lack of thoroughness or range of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, low CO2, temperature, PH, GH, and KH), improper adaptation, large water changes (“open-necked shrimps”) ), toxic substances (such as copper, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, pesticides, etc.)
Parasites, infections and diseases, incompatible tank mates.
Overfeeding.

As we can see, there are many signs of stress and some of them can also be difficult to spot right away. But what's worse, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact reason.

It is important to remember that stress can weaken the immune system of shrimp and make them more susceptible to disease. Chronic stress can inhibit shrimp's immune response and disease resistance.

So we need to know how to avoid, control or deal with all these things in the shrimp tank.

Conclude

The problem is that stress is often the result of many factors so it can be very difficult not only to identify the problem but also to fix it.

However, the easiest way to tell if your pet is stressed is to watch their activity, appetite, and appearance.

If the shrimp are zooming around the tank or barely moving, if they seem less hungry than usual or their colors are dim – then there is a good chance something is wrong.

Other changes that are not so obvious, especially for starters, include reduced growth rates, problems with molting, decreased chances of successful fertilization, decreased fertility, and shedding. egg.

As we have seen, stress can cause legitimate and very dangerous health problems for your shrimp. Thus, it is necessary to immediately refer to the causes of stress.

See more: How to Kill Instant Water in Shrimp & Aquatic Ponds