Mystery snail eggs & inverts journal

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Molt jackpot!

I inspected the shrimps and I keep getting tricked by the gap between their rostrum and antenna, seeing the light sand through it and thinking that’s a worm. And light reflecting off the shells trick me too! I did inspections from the top down and everyone seems heathy. Except maybe this guy, it looks like he has white stuff on his feet? No clue what that’s about or if I should worry.

Someone asked me if any of my blue shrimp have a green spot?  I found this guy. I wonder if that’s what they meant?

 

And here are just a few glamour shots. 

 

 

This is the gap that I always think is a worm!

I should mention I had a loss today. Inconclusive as to cause. It is only the second loss I’ve had since starting treatment. It may not have even been related to the treatment because everyone else is doing so well, even the newest shrimplets, but I’m told if a shrimp is old/weak already, the treatment is moot for them.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

1 hour ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I inspected the shrimps and I keep getting tricked by the gap between their rostrum and antenna, seeing the light sand through it and thinking that’s a worm. And light reflecting off the shells trick me too! I did inspections from the top down and everyone seems heathy. Except maybe this guy, it looks like he has white stuff on his feet? No clue what that’s about or if I should worry.

This is how I feel right now.  I've got some zoomed in shots on discord saved and I'm trying to just... seriously understand what I'm looking at with this shrimp.  The worms (SJ) can go and move all over the body of the shrimp, they are just *normally* found peeking through the head area.  They also hide internally in the shrimp gills.

This is definitely a place where the white sand is not our friend for identifying white parasites on a white shrimp leg on a white background.  LOL.  I have resorted to netting some of mine just for the sake of better visual to see what I can see.

 

 

2 hours ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

That's a beautiful shrimp though. 😍

 

2 hours ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Except maybe this guy, it looks like he has white stuff on his feet? No clue what that’s about or if I should worry.

Yeah.  It's very difficult to tell what is going on here unfortunately.  Shrimp are quick, getting them to sit still is not easy, especially under a lighted source so we can see (oh those pesky human eyes).

I often am fooled by "food" in their mitts and it's difficult to really tell what is going on.  I know that isn't help, but I don't want to say "it's fine" and have the room on fire so to speak.  When you record a video, try to have the phone sideways orientation.  For whatever reason, especially when views on youtubes it makes it easier to zoom in.  I can pause and zoom in on the vertical video, but you get a bit better resolution with it turned like a video camera orientation.

Off to go stare at shrimp and wonder what on earth I'm looking at.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

7 minutes ago, nabokovfan87 said:

That's a beautiful shrimp though. 😍

Aw! It’s nice to see the wild types getting some love!  I am a big fan of the wilds - they are all different and unique in their own ways! Looks like he’s about to molt too. Shell looking a little loose.

7 minutes ago, nabokovfan87 said:

Shrimp are quick

Yeah, this guy is hyper! And when he sits, it’s on light sand and then i can’t tell what, if anything, is going on with his little shrimp feets. 🤷🏻‍♀️

7 minutes ago, nabokovfan87 said:

When you record a video, try to have the phone sideways orientation

Will try to remember this.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

1 minute ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Yeah, this guy is hyper! And when he sits, it’s on light sand and then i can’t tell what, if anything, is going on with his little shrimp feets. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'll try to show my method, it's been done once and I still am confused, but maybe it helps.  Do you have a fine black net?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

1 minute ago, nabokovfan87 said:

I'll try to show my method, it's been done once and I still am confused, but maybe it helps.  Do you have a fine black net?

It’s not as fine as the brine shrimp net but it is suitable to catch an adult shrimp.

[nabokovfan87]

42 minutes ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

It’s not as fine as the brine shrimp net but it is suitable to catch an adult shrimp.

Posting on the red's journal.  I dropped the net on the floor accidentally, almost crushed the poor guy.  I think I got decent photos.  Tell me if you think it's SJ or not please!  I'll try to point on a chart or something where I'm seeing it.  it "wiggled" again. 😩

Oh. and we have MORE WORMS.  Pretty sure these are newer types (dif species) but who knows at this point honestly.

At first I was concerned it was one of the parasites scooting around on the glass.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

57 minutes ago, nabokovfan87 said:

and we have MORE WORMS

Sheesh. You can catch a break with that, can you?  Where are they? In the tank or in the HOB media?

Happy to report I have plenty of healthy hydra!  I was worried that they’d be wiped out! The micro MTS in the shrimp tank seem to be fine also! Can’t say the same for the limpets. Haven’t seen a single limpet in a while. Confirmed that copepods and ostracods are also doing quite well. I discovered this when inspecting removed molts.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

21 minutes ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Happy to report I have plenty of healthy hydra!  I was worried that they’d be wiped out! The micro MTS in the shrimp tank seem to be fine also! Can’t say the same for the limpets. Haven’t seen a single limpet in a while. Confirmed that copepods and ostracods are also doing quite well. I discovered this when inspecting removed molts.

For sure.... It's one of those things.  I am confused at how resistant and strong some of these smaller organisms can be to all of the salt, meds, and other things. 

The copepods are my favorite 🙂

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

here ya go @Lennie

Edited June 23, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

2nd course done on the blue tank! No shrimplet hunt for Chick today. I’ve got errands, chores and studying to accomplish. So I’m doing the water change @Fish Folk style, with the finest technological advancement-pantyhose!

I folded it so it’s 2 layers. Worked like a dream! No shrimplets in bucket! Look closely and you will see shrimplets on the glass.

Also, wearing my finest attire (because I can no longer wear the pantyhose).

I’ve been doing this for about one or two weeks. I cannot even tell you what a timesaver these are. I don’t have to worry about lotions and things under my fingernails, as we know shrimp are super sensitive to that. I still do the ol’ surgeon hand & arm scrub, but this is just an extra layer of protection, for me and for them. I have skin problems (eczema), specifically on my hands, which requires me to use topical prescriptions. Also I was previously doing like 5 handwashings during maintenance, and these save me and my skin from that hassle. Anyway..

This guy is sick & tired of holding my drip line.

 

And then of course, we had our post-treatment party. Wood and plants are added back and a shrimp lolly! 🎉🥳🎈

2 treatments down, 1 to go!

 

[nabokovfan87]

12 minutes ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

This guy is sick & tired of holding my drip line.

😂

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

We are not out of the woods yet. Because shrimp can eat the eggs in molts (say, while I was at work) and then here we go again. I will continue on and will pull molts, likely even beyond treatment. If I keep removing the eggs, the problem has to resolve at some point (?)

 

[nabokovfan87]

1 minute ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

We are not out of the woods yet. Because shrimp can eat the eggs in molts (say, while I was at work) and then here we go again. I will continue on and will pull molts, likely even beyond treatment. If I keep removing the eggs, the problem has to resolve at some point (?)

I'll likely end up doing minimum 4, up to 6 treatments if need be. Not sure how long you plan for. I definitely want to get rid of all of this before I do any culling or anything.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

6 hours ago, nabokovfan87 said:

I'll likely end up doing minimum 4, up to 6 treatments if need be. Not sure how long you plan for. I definitely want to get rid of all of this before I do any culling or anything.

After this 3rd treatment then I plan to wait 2-3 weeks and then repeat if needed, all the while pulling molts. The 2-3 weeks wait is for the eggs to hatch, but also to rest the shrimp. The Prazi really is mild; they are not stressed at all. A water change is more stressful to them than the meds.  (But I don’t want to push my luck. ) Some of them were all swimmy swimmy, doing the Daytona 500 around the tank, after the water change. Most were just eating the lolly though.

Edited June 24, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

1 hour ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

After this 3rd treatment then I plan to wait 2-3 weeks and then repeat if needed, all the while pulling molts. The 2-3 weeks wait is for the eggs to hatch, but also to rest the shrimp. The Prazi really is mild; they are not stressed at all. A water change is more stressful to them than the meds.  (But I don’t want to push my luck. ) Some of them were all swimmy swimmy, doing the Daytona 500 around the tank, after the water change. Most were just eating the lolly though.

That reminds me.... I have to figure out if I have some carbon left just for the sake of it.

The big difference between yours and mine is that mine could just change water constantly and be fine.  I don't know how to get yours to that point where you don't have to drip and stuff or where you could just constantly drip it in type of thing.  😞

I'm thankful we got the setup sorted out for you and things have been more consistent.

I'm excited to siphon the heck out of this tank when I'm able to. LOL

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

This shrimp is unwell. Seemed to have the white feet thing like the one yesterday, with similar behavior going up to the surface, but once she reached the surface she’d stop moving and just drop. And then repeat that. She’s in a specimen container but she is so weak she just let herself get carried with the current while being captured. She hasn’t moved in the 20 or so minutes since being in there. I thought about a treatment of some sort, like 1 drop of ick x, but I don’t think she’d endure it at this stage. I’m not sure what this is all about. 

(The issue can only really be seen when she glass surfs.)

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

3 clear wilds 🙂 

 

 

At first I thought it was just the 2: Clyde and Clarence. But then I discovered another! So it’s Clyde, Clarence, and Claptrap! 😀
 

Maybe @Lennie will get the reference 😉 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Lennie]

20 hours ago, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

here ya go @Lennie

I can smell the tank from here with the broccoli :DD 

Cutipies ♥♥

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/24/2023 at 6:44 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

This shrimp is unwell. Seemed to have the white feet thing like the one yesterday, with similar behavior going up to the surface, but once she reached the surface she’d stop moving and just drop. And then repeat that. She’s in a specimen container but she is so weak she just let herself get carried with the current while being captured. She hasn’t moved in the 20 or so minutes since being in there. I thought about a treatment of some sort, like 1 drop of ick x, but I don’t think she’d endure it at this stage. I’m not sure what this is all about. 

The white exposed shell could be a sign of molting, or trying to molt.  I learned about this when I was researching why the shrimp eyes can look a bit wonky and out of sorts.  If they are growing and the shell releases a little bit then you get that white ring in the midsection or parts of the shell that are just trying to molt. 

I hope she pulls through, but keep an eye out and maybe that's all you're dealing with.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 6/24/2023 at 6:00 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

The white exposed shell could be a sign of molting, or trying to molt.  I learned about this when I was researching why the shrimp eyes can look a bit wonky and out of sorts.  If they are growing and the shell releases a little bit then you get that white ring in the midsection or parts of the shell that are just trying to molt. 

I hope she pulls through, but keep an eye out and maybe that's all you're dealing with.

She is exploring around now, so that’s a good sign.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I have to remember to turn my phone sideways when filming (which I didn’t do. Heh)

[Lennie]

On 6/24/2023 at 5:08 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Maybe @Lennie will get the reference 😉 

Error: Lennie's brain not found.

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/24/2023 at 7:08 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

At first I thought it was just the 2: Clyde and Clarence. But then I discovered another! So it’s Clyde, Clarence, and Claptrap! 😀
 

Maybe @Lennie will get the reference 😉 

which one, the first or second? 😉

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

The shrimp in the specimen container has swum up toward the top and found herself a perch where she is happily picking away at some algae on the plants.  Yay!  Go shrimp!  Perhaps I can return her.

Also there are limpets in the blue shrimp tank again!  Or maybe there always were; I just hadn't been seeing them while using the Prazi.  But the Prazi is now 50% diluted as we are on a break between treatments. I wonder if the limpets go into the sand while treatment is at full strength?