# Controlling shrimp populations



## nry (6 Feb 2008)

So, say my shrimp are soo randy they breed worse than tiny ramshorn snails.  A 15 gallon tank has at least 3 batches of young from age in days to weeks, with more eggs visible on the female adults.  I had 6 adults ~3 months ago and I probably have in excess of 50 shrimp in the tank now - a tad overkill.

I am debating catching as many as I can (difficult with fixed decor and delicate plants) then possibly culling the rest with a copper based med?  Providing I buy sensibly next time and choose shrimp that won't breed in freshwater I negate the chances of this happening again.  It is getting a wee bit silly now, my substrate is crawling with the darn things and it is not pleasant!


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## johnny70 (6 Feb 2008)

What type of shrimp are you talking about, surely there is a humane way to catch them? i find small cherry shrimps pretty easy to catch, then give them/sell them away here or your LFS?

JOHNNY


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## Garuf (6 Feb 2008)

If your that desperate to rid them I'll take some of your hands. 
If not, prawn cocktails pretty nice.


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## nry (6 Feb 2008)

I will likely try to use a large diameter tube to suck them up at next water change - should be sending some to someone on here but still going to end up with millions of these things forever...


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## moonunit (6 Feb 2008)

i started out with 5 and now have 3, so no breeding in my tank. i would gladly have some off you.


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## Themuleous (6 Feb 2008)

I've set up a whole new tank just to get my cherries to breed, nothing yet!!  Dam you!!  Haha only joking.  You should get some CRS, shrimp obviously like breeding in your tank then you could get a strain going to get some expensive s and ss grades 

Don't forget that if you cull them with a copper treatment it'll mean lots of dead bodies in the tank which will likely pollute the tank, and you know what that leads too!! -> Algae!!!

If I wasn't so far away Id have some, but I reckon postage is going to be too expensive.

Sam


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## Garuf (6 Feb 2008)

Postage would be Â£7, but considering you'd be getting no end of shrimp it works out at about Â£1 a shrimp if you only take 7, half it every time you add another 7.


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## Themuleous (6 Feb 2008)

Oh right, thought it would be more than that.  You able/winning to post?

If so I'll take a lot off your hands!

Sam


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## Garuf (6 Feb 2008)

Me too actually, are they cherries?


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## johnny70 (6 Feb 2008)

I'd be up for some cherries too love the little buggers

JOHNNY


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## nry (7 Feb 2008)

Cherries?  Nope, no true idea to be honest.  Sold as algae shrimp by my LFS.


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## TDI-line (8 Feb 2008)

How about setting up a net on a flat piece of gravel, put a couple of algae tablets in there, them come back in a hours time, then fish a few out, and repeat. I did this with mine, then took them to my local lfs.

Or buy a few large discus, they will soon get the taste.


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## nry (9 Feb 2008)

I wondered about some larger fish to eat them but it is only 15-gallon and I'm sticking with mini fish - catching larger ones in the future may be a pain given my decor is fixed beneath the substrate.

Net and tablet is a good idea, might try that if I can't suck them up with a tube, ta!


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## TDI-line (9 Feb 2008)

They are a problem as they reproduce like mad in mine, but they do keep the algae down. 

On a tangent, i just found a cherry shrimp crossed with a bamboo shrimp ( i think), bright red with a darker line across his back, or that maybe just a bamboo/wood shrimp. And she was pregnent!   

Good luck with the net.


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## LondonDragon (18 Mar 2008)

Some people have all the luck and there is me hunting for cherries in all my local shops and can't find any! Fed up of Amano shrimp now! I want something that can breed hehehe
Post some photos so we can see the little terrors


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## louis_last (2 Jan 2009)

jokes aside......... and I'm not saying i have *or* necessarily that you should........ but you _can_ eat cherry red shrimps and apparently they taste pretty good. The most authentic preparation is to steam them then serve with salad, thats how they do where they occur naturally.


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## Thomas McMillan (2 Jan 2009)

^ I just couldn't do that... I wouldn't mind cooking them so much but I couldn't eat them.


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## willson (2 Jan 2009)

Easy way to catch them put a bottle with food in with the hole so they can walk in Then just fish them out. Like a lobster pot


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## thebullit (2 Jan 2009)

i generally have and sell cherry's on a regular basis, but over the holiday season i have a back log of about 200 to ship out on Monday.
will take stock and get back if any one is interested in buying some.

either way i will let you all know. if am short after mondays deliveries i can set up a waiting list for those interested, like i do which my apple snails. it would only take about 2 weeks, if that to build stock back up as they breed for me like crazy


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## misscaretaker (2 Jan 2009)

I'd be interested if anyone wants to offload any shrimp!


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## mr. luke (5 Jan 2009)

TDI
could it be a palmata you found?
i would catch them by cutting a bottle in 2, turn the top around and sink it with a lot of shrimpy /algae food in.
take them to an lfs, Â£1 each i reckon you could get 
i get Â£1.50 for my cherries from a store so Â£1 shouldnt be asking too much


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## garlem (19 Jan 2009)

Would gladly take some off you .. just give me the costs for around 20 .. postage to Chester


Will send you the cash upfront .. I'm trusting like that !

Cheers


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