Water mold

An infestation through mushroom spores of the internal organs (internal Mycoses) occurs mostly by the absorption of nutrients. If the immune system is intact these can not harm the shrimps. But if the struck organs are too strongly harmed by spores the shrimp dies. A successful diagnosis can hardly be done and is only possible under the microscope.

On the other hand an infection at shrimps by external Mycoses can be recognized with the bare eye. Symptoms of an external fungal attack caused by Achlya and Saprolegnia are very different and can be recognized as a cotton wool ball like white coating or as a light green thread-like proliferation on the tank and abdomen. At some animals of an imported group of nectarine shrimps 3 weeks before we could recognize light green to yellow proliferation that grow from the abdomen.

At another group (N. fernandio) we could see similar proliferation at the antennae pairs that looked like gray paintbrush algae, pulled themselves as white cotton wool similar bunches around the eyes and took the entire head area by the time. Examinations showed that this was an infestation with Saprolegnia and also Achlya.

Both types count to the order of the water moulds Saprolegnicee and they always occur secondarily, therefore as a result of an already followed weakening (see the causes of a fungal attack). Very often this also happens because of an injury through or shortly after a slough. Since the slough process requires a lot of strength and the immune system is strongly loaded the bacteria and mushroom spores have a light game and they have optimal conditions to penetrate there.

These settle at the hurted place and break exogenously (to the outside) with a cotton wool similar thread-like wickerwork and forms mushroom threads that penetrate not only exogenously but also endogenously.

If a fungal attack is not handled quickly the internal organs can be striked in the course little by little. Dead or already attacked tissue is striked first. Mushroom hypes arise from the spores and penetrate into the dead tissue and liquidate the cells with poisonous enzymes which are passed on to the organism of the shrimps.

Indeed the shrimps are able to live for some time with the mushrooms inside without problems but if no treatment occurs in the initial state before the spores keep on expanding and decomposing the organs, the shrimp is not to be saved anymore. To prevent a bending forward spreading of Saprolegnia and Achlya it is important, beside the medical treatment, to find the primary cause what is the main cause for the fungal attack.

In the above described cases the mushroom spores had an optimal contact surface due to transportation stress and therefore arisen injuries and weakening of the immune system. An infestation with Achlya and Saprolegnial can be handled with CILEX by Brustmann and with Fungol by JBL with the indicated dose of the manufacturer. Often it is reported that the animals with the above described symptoms have not showed visible infestation anymore at the next day. This is because of the slough of the shrimps where all visible spores are stripped of with the old skin. Thus many holders think that the problem has finished itself by itself but, however, this is a fatal error.

Nectarine shrimp with Achlya in the area of the swimming legs

Egg wearing female with Saprolegnia infection on the eggs

Young Neocaridina denticulat sinensis var. red with Saprolegnia infection in the head area and at the antennae.