removing shrimp - tricks/tips?

lampeye · Post by **lampeye** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:24 am

In a week or so, I'm moving. I'm going to have to remove 20 small (less than 1 cm) cherry shrimp from a 10-gallon tank. The tank has two large pieces of driftwood covered with a thick growth of java fern. Everytime I think about fishing them out, I need a drink

Any suggestions (on removing the shrimp, not your favorite drink)?

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:41 am

The best time to do this is when you are feeding them! They will be all over the food and then you can either suction or net them out. If you go with suctioning you could use tubing but I prefer a turkey baster. When using a net be gentle when you take them off the net as the shrimp might get tangled in the fine neting.

Another trick I have heard about is the use of a breeding net with food inside it. Just tip one of the top edges just enough to allow the shrimp to sneak into the net and they will stay in

Best wishes and let us know how it goes

lampeye · Post by **lampeye** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:03 am

Neonshrimp wrote: Another trick I have heard about is the use of a breeding net with food inside it. Just tip one of the top edges just enough to allow the shrimp to sneak into the net and they will stay in

That's good. I like that one.

Post by **Mustafa** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:29 am

The easiest way in this case is probably just the old fashioned way. Take the pieces of driftwood with the java ferns out, grab a net and go shrimp hunting.

lampeye · Post by **lampeye** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:42 am

The shrimp won't stay in the plant tangles? I was worried that would be an issue.

Post by **Mustafa** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:55 am

Of course they might. So you have to keep shaking the plant tangles around (in the water) as you are taking them out. Use your fingers to go through the plant tangles to shoo the shrimp away. Then use some aquarium water to fill a bucket, and shake out the plant tangles in the bucket again and again and again..... Possible shrimp that got stuck in the tangles should be easily visible in a bucket. Then proceed to catching the shrimp in the tank.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:59 am

I use my trusty polund spring water bottle trap. Put a little food in it, and it fills up with shrimp, snails, fish, what ever is in the tank.

Forgive the lousy picture, but you'll figure it out.

lampeye · Post by **lampeye** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:19 am

Mustafa wrote:Of course they might. So you have to keep shaking the plant tangles around (in the water) as you are taking them out. Use your fingers to go through the plant tangles to shoo the shrimp away. Then use some aquarium water to fill a bucket, and shake out the plant tangles in the bucket again and again and again..... Possible shrimp that got stuck in the tangles should be easily visible in a bucket. Then proceed to catching the shrimp in the tank.

WHERE'D I PUT THAT DRINK?!

I'll try trapping 'em for a few days, then mop up the stragglers with a net (or, more likely, a jar). Thanks for the tips, guys!

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:58 pm

I would go with the bate and trap, either the breeding net or the bottle myself. Less disruption and more shrimp

badflash, does the bottle usually ge most of them?

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:51 pm

Not most, but it gets plenty at a shot. If you want to get them all it can take a few days where this is the only sourch of food. I use this with fish too.

Be sure to poke a bunch of small holes in one side about 2" off the bottom so thereis some water circulation. 2" off the bottom lets you stand it up without all the water comming out.

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:00 pm

8 of my cherries hung on to a peice of Java fern attached to a rock after it had been shaken A LOT in there tank... I all so had 2 apear in my planted tank.... no idea how they got there unless they got a ride from when I cought my cajuns, that seem unlikely though.

TKD

crazie.eddie · Post by **crazie.eddie** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 11:32 pm

I just moved 12 RCS, 5 amanos, & 3 bamboo shrimp from my 20 gallon high tank into a 20 gallon long all with just a net or 2. The RCS and amanos were not a problem, even for their small size. The bamboo was, becuase they kept hiding behind the wood, which made it difficult for me to net them. So I just picked up the wood and moved it to the other tank, while placing a tub underneath the wood incase any shrimp jumped.

lampeye · Post by **lampeye** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:22 am

Huh. Amanos are a major headache for me in a net. They seem to go on a massive march for the edge of the net as soon as they are captured.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 6:17 am

Not only do amanos do that but they sometimes jump out of the net during transfer and then you need to pick them up. It is easier and safer to move them onto a piece of paper and then drop them into the tank if the jump out

crazie.eddie · Post by **crazie.eddie** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 6:38 am

If the nets big enough, just fold it over so they get trapped or just cover the opening of the top with your hand. I just used another net, becuase I had to use 2 nets to coax the shrimp to go to either net.