Fish & shrimp health guide
Shrimp Bacterial Infection
Also called shrimp bacterial disease, internal infection, shell disease
A pink or orange tint deep inside the body (as if partly cooked), or sores and dark spots on the shell.
TL;DR, Shrimp Bacterial Infection
Bacterial infections in shrimp are hard to treat and easier to prevent. Internal ones show as an unusual pink or orange colour deep inside a clear-bodied shrimp, almost like it has been lightly cooked, and are usually fatal by the time you see them. Shell infections show as dark eroded spots or sores on the exoskeleton. Both trace back to poor water, overcrowding, or a spike in waste. There is no reliable shrimp-safe cure, so the answer is clean, stable water, removing dead shrimp fast, and not overstocking.
What you see
A pink, orange or milky discolouration inside the normally translucent body for internal infection. For shell disease, dark brown or black eroded patches, pitting, or open sores on the exoskeleton. Affected shrimp go still, stop grazing, and hide.
What causes it
- Poor water quality or a waste spike from overfeeding
- Overcrowding raising stress and spreading bacteria
- A dead shrimp left to rot and foul the water
- Injury to the shell letting infection in
How to treat it
- Remove affected and dead shrimp promptly to protect the colony.
- Do careful, small water changes to improve quality without swinging parameters.
- Cut feeding right back to reduce the waste feeding the bacteria.
- There is no dependable shrimp-safe medication for internal infection, so focus on the survivors and the water.
- For shell sores, clean water and a good molt often let the shrimp shed the damaged shell.
Treatment safety in a planted tank
The antibiotics that might help are largely untested and risky in a shrimp tank, and copper-based products are lethal. Prioritise water quality and colony management over dosing the display.
Prevent it
Don't overstock or overfeed, keep water pristine and stable, and remove dead shrimp the moment you spot them. Prevention is the only reliable tool with shrimp bacteria.
Easy to confuse with
A shrimp's natural colour or a recent meal can tint the body, and a normal shell has patterns. Look for colour deep inside the flesh (not the shell) for internal infection, and eroded, open patches rather than pigment for shell disease.
Species most at risk
Species that catch this most often, or that need a gentler treatment:
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions search engines and AI assistants surface most often about this species.
My shrimp looks pink or cooked inside, can I save it?
Usually not. An internal bacterial infection is generally fatal by the time the colour shows. Remove it and focus on keeping the rest of the colony's water clean.
Can I use fish antibiotics on shrimp?
It is risky and largely untested, and copper-based products will kill the colony. Water quality and removing sick shrimp are far safer and more reliable.
Is it contagious to the colony?
It can spread, especially from a rotting dead shrimp. Remove casualties fast and address the water conditions that let it start.