Black spots on cleaner shrimp...

grouperhead

grouperhead

Active Member
My skunk cleaner has developed some black spots on it's exoskeleton. Anyone know what these are from? It just molted a week ago, and to my knowledge, the spots weren't on it then. I add calcium, strontium, and iodine to my tank. Other inhabitants include emerald crab, 10 blueleg hermits, several snails, and a cinnamon clownfish. He eats anything - brine, silversides, formula 1, etc. Water has tested fine. Any idea what these are from? Bo
 
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thomas712

Guest
There are a good deal of posts on this just in the last two months. go to the search button and put the words BLACK SPOTS in and go from there.
And please keep me informed on your shrimp, as I would like to know more about this mysterious black spot.
Thomas
 
grouperhead

grouperhead

Active Member
Didn't find too much on it...he was in the tank with a condy anemone at the lfs, could it have stung it or something :confused: ? I love this little guy, and would hate to lost him :( . Anyone else? Bo
 
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thomas712

Guest
Ok here's my speal on the black spot on cleaner shrimp, not much is known or I just have not spoken to the right person yet.
Also try the search again using 5 words. "black spots on cleaner shrimp" that one worked better for me.
My cut and paste from previous threads - - - - - -
Please understand that I have not had this experience but will relate what I have heard about it.
I have heard of this before. From what I remember I have read posts where several people have had this happen to their cleaner shrimp and the shrimp all died. This is a boring/drilling parisite from what I was told. The shrimp my last through several more molts but with the black spots always remaining. One suggestion was to simply kill the shrimp in order to kill the parisite, the suggestion was to place the shrimp in water and freeze it. (I AM NOT SUGGESTING YOU DO THIS) It was at this point of the thread that I was asking how long this parisite might live in the system and what they knew about it and the poster was unable to tell me.
This interests me: I would keep notes on this if you would, keep me posted if you find any results of this..ie. if the spots go away or any molting, if the molts have the spots or not, behavior of the shrimp, anything. I would appriciate it.
Thomas
 
hondo

hondo

Member
Several months ago I lost a cleaner shrimp that struggled with similar black spots. The cleaner continued to molt a few more times after I first noticed the spots but eventually it died. I had had this cleaner for over two years. I have not replace it for fear that the parasite may still be in the tank. Anyone have any info on this parasite or it's lifespan without a host?
 
spsfreak100

spsfreak100

Active Member
This black spot seems to be normal, and usually starts to apear before/after a molt. All of my shrimp have had it at some point or another, and all are still living. The last time my cleaner got it was in April, and it soon disapeared within the next couple of molts. I would just leave it, nothing to be too worried about. Unless you see some serious signs of stress, just leave it. I have never heard of a parasite going after shrimp. Please note i'm not 100% sure that my post is accurate, but i'm only speaking FME.
Graham :)
 
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thomas712

Guest
I'm tending to agree with you but have heard of many shrimp dying that have had the black spots, which, could be just part of the normal thing when they died.
And yet some poster just had one die that had a hole in the black spot area.
Its is still an interesting phenominon that I would like to know more about.
Thomas.
 
grouperhead

grouperhead

Active Member
I'll keep y'all updated. I just shined my red light into the tank, and he is out and about as usual. He seems to be acting fine......I can only hope.....Bo
 
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