Messy Shrimps! How do you clean yours?

[fuzzyferret]

I've got a small tank with shrimp in, and plan to move them into a 24 in x 15 x 15 tank shortly.
I plan to use sand as a substrate, and have a lot of plants and bogwood as well.

At the moment, they're in a small quarantine tank, and the bottom of the tank is filthy! I had no idea they were such dirty little beasts! At the moment, they're very busy hoovering up the algae on bogwood.

It's difficult vacuuming the bottom (not because it's sand, but because the shrimp seem rather suicidal and think there's something interesting near the vacuum nozzle!

I have a small internal filter, which I clean at least twice a week because of the mess, but there is still the mess on the bottom which I have to vacuum carefully.

What pumps/filters do you use to keep the 'bits' moving on the bottom of the sand towards your filters?
Do you have an extra powerhead (set on low) to blow the bits around until they get sucked into filters?

Any clues would be fabulous, and I'll probably copy your examples.

I want the tank to be cleaner (not just for looks, but for the shrimp) so any hints would be great......

 

[guppler]

I haven't had lots of shrimp, but a turky baster might be helpful for specific clumps of gook. I use turky basters to clean very small tanks. It works quite well on bits of food that a betta didn't eat, but probably wouln't be convenient for your whole big floor.
Sometimes my mom sugests covering the in end of my vacuum with some kind of netting, but I haven't tried it because I think it would keep some larger bits of debris out and maybe get clogged. I don't know if your shrimp would get stuck to the netting. I have some bits of tule i could use if I decide to try it because snails keep clogging my tube and sometimes the graxel and small ornaments get in the way.

 

[fuzzyferret]

Thanks for this - I've thought about putting net over my vacuum, but as you say this would prevent a lot of stuff that needs it getting sucked up!

I think what I may need is more water flow around the bottom of the tank, to encourage the 'bits' to circulate more and drift into the filter.

I just wondered if anyone else out there had any specific ideas for doing this, as I didn't want to use a powerful pump otherwise the shrimp may be unhappy with the stronger current.

I must admit, I had no idea they were so messy!!!

 

[nomaddan]

I take the hose off of my vacuum. the smaller area makes for a stronger suction. you have to be careful though. Put the tube an inch or two above the sand and kind of swirl it around that will kick the gunk off of the bottom. I sucked up one of my ghost shrimp doing this so it is a little risky.

 

[SarahBravo]

When I do water changes in fry tanks I put a cut-out fine mesh fish net over the end and elastic band it in place, leaving a couple of inches or so to get sucked up inside the vacuum hose. Dirt gets sucked into it and some does get through. How about using a coarse mesh fish net? I also use pop socks when I lose the bits of net - you could use a bit of coarse stocking material as well I guess.

Sarah

 

[fuzzyferret]

Thanks for this. I have been trying the 'net' method over the vacuum, but it obviously doesn't work as well as normal.

I'm still wondering what I can do to ensure that the 'goo' doesn't just veg around on the bottom...

However, the other day when I cleaned them out, I decided to angle my internal filter to blow towards the bottom of the tank. Worked a treat.
But - a couple of hours later I popped in to look at them and all the shrimps were getting ready to gasp their last at the water line. Because the filter was causing such a nice gentle turbulence around the bottom, there was no water movement on the top of the tank and they weren't getting enough oxygen!

I stuffed an airstone in quickly and righted the filter again. Took them around 10 minutes to recover!
Shrimps now OK - but bottom still dirty! )

 

[CathyG]

Maybe they are at the surface because they can now get there (since the current has been diverted) rather than oxygen loss? I have a fair current in my tank, and my Amano shrimps don't mind it at all. Quite often I find them perched on leaves near the surface (or even underneath the sliding glass doors), as well as scurrying around the sand or free swimming. I found one high on the heater today, with nearly a whole algae tablet in his hands. LMAO! None of the bottom feeders thought to look up there for the algae tablet!!

Why not angle the filter back down and leave the airstone running, see how that works?

 

[fuzzyferret]

Thanks for the thought - I'll try that out.
At the moment, my shrimps are in a small tank (which is actually my quarantine tank) and will very shortly be moving to a Rio 180 with the rest of my tropical assortment.

My Malawi cichlids will be vacating the 180 and are being put in a larger tank as soon as the stand has been modified.

My tiny crabs (in with the shrimp at the moment) are going into a 2 ft tank on their own.
This should give them a chance to eat properly, as the shrimp literally grab the food from their claws!
One of these days......

I will try angling the flow downwards again towards the sand, as I still find it hard to believe how much c**p they leave around!
As you say, they do like the water flow, and bask in it with their little legs off like anything.... but I think it may have been the lack of surface water movement earlier that sent them all to the top!