Quarantine new shrimp: prepare, observe and decide

Prepare a separate functioning holding system before buying new shrimp. Keep the new group apart from your existing colony and use dedicated equipment. Quarantine provides time to observe and limits contact, but an apparently healthy interval does not establish the absence of every pathogen.

Plan before arrival

• Ask about species or line, origin, water preparation, recent losses and previous treatments. Keep those records for each purchased group.
• Check temperature, water preparation, filtration, refuge and suitable food beforehand. A freshly filled bucket is not a prepared quarantine system.
• Give the group its own net and hose. Do not share a water circuit with the existing colony.
• Prepare acclimation and transfer, keeping transport water out of the established colony. Do not mix another new purchase into the group during observation.

Use a consistent observation log

Record arrival date, numbers, behaviour, food uptake, visible growth, molts, losses and water measurements. Take clear comparable photographs of abnormalities. Follow changes over time; colour alone is insufficient. Also assess whether the holding system itself could explain a problem, such as poor filtration or unsuitable water.

Do not start a routine course of medication simply because animals are new. If something is abnormal, keep the group separate while water, observations and any diagnosis are assessed. For severe or continuing problems, contact a veterinarian familiar with aquatic animals and inform the supplier of your observations.

When is introduction reasonable?

The sources used here provide no fixed interval covering every species and risk. Discuss an observation period and any targeted examination based on origin and the actual concern. Do not finish quarantine automatically because a calendar date has arrived.

• Have unexplained abnormalities and losses been investigated, with a stable subsequent course?
• Have any investigations or treatments and their agreed follow-up been completed?
• Does the receiving colony’s water actually suit these animals?
• Have you identified who will assess remaining uncertainty rather than disguising it as “looks healthy”?

Record the decision and final observations. Stop further transfers if new problems appear afterwards. For the daily routine across several aquaria, see hygiene between shrimp tanks.

Sources and scope

• UF/IFAS: Fish Health Management Considerations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
• LICG: Zoetwatergarnaal
• UF/IFAS: Ammonia in Aquatic Systems
• UF/IFAS: Preparation of Ornamental Fish for Shipping

The quarantine source concerns fish aquaculture and supports the separation principle. Fish durations and treatments are not applied to dwarf shrimp. Our decision questions expose uncertainty; they do not guarantee disease-free animals.