# Shrimps in my intake



## rolexbene (23 Apr 2012)

Bought a load of RCS a few weeks ago and they have been doing great, go about 3 so far with eggs and looks like more are on there way, so hoping this is a good sign of a healthy tank...
Today when cleaning the tank out I noticed that one of them had been sucked on to the inlet of the filter intake and had died, then later I came home to find another one gone in the same way. The culprit is a 13mm glass slotted intake pipe, obviously in terms of ascetics, I am not keen to put a stocking/tights over my beautiful glassware, is their anything else I can do to stop the shrimps getting massacred? Also what are the chances of 2-3 weeks of them being fine, then all of a sudden two in one day???


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## Alastair (23 Apr 2012)

It could be that they were dying and just ended up being swept around and stuck to the inlet. You can purchase the wire mesh filter covers off eBay which are pretty inconspicuous. 


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## Iain Sutherland (23 Apr 2012)

Certainly my glass intakes are prone to this too. Occassionally  I will find shrimp stuck on the slots, often still alive just stuck. I don't worry about it too much as they are breeding quicker than dying.


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## frothhelmet (23 Apr 2012)

turn down the flow rate?


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## Antipofish (23 Apr 2012)

frothhelmet said:
			
		

> turn down the flow rate?




HERESY  Be Gone !!!      Come on G, you know flow is the Holy Grail of planted aquaria hehehe. (apparently).


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## frothhelmet (23 Apr 2012)

wow, all i did was make a suggestion. i didnt expect the fan-fish inquisition


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## Antipofish (23 Apr 2012)

frothhelmet said:
			
		

> wow, all i did was make a suggestion. i didnt expect the fan-fish inquisition



Hahaha, you should be stoned for thinking that !     Next thing you will be suggesting foam around a nice expensive glass intake !!!


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## Alastair (23 Apr 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> frothhelmet said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Was just going to suggest such a thing myself 


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## dw1305 (23 Apr 2012)

Hi all,


> Next thing you will be suggesting foam around a nice expensive glass intake !!!





> Was just going to suggest such a thing myself


I am, you need a sponge on your filter intake.

cheers Darrel


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## ian_m (23 Apr 2012)

My local fish shop has cylinders of mesh around the filter intake pipes, made from rectangles of "gardening mesh" sown together in cylinders.

Whilst not the most beautiful item, does appear to allow the shrimps to move around the intake cleaning up debris sucked up by the filter.


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## LondonDragon (23 Apr 2012)

I have tried quite a few over the years, these are the ones I am using now, the best filter intake guards that you can buy imo.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crystal-Cherr ... 0788850520

They do various sizes.


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## Antipofish (23 Apr 2012)

ian_m said:
			
		

> My local fish shop has cylinders of mesh around the filter intake pipes, made from rectangles of "gardening mesh" sown together in cylinders.
> 
> Whilst not the most beautiful item, does appear to allow the shrimps to move around the intake cleaning up debris sucked up by the filter.



Good Idea.  You must be able to get some kind of clear mesh...... THINKS ALOUD.....  Hah !  I have got it !  The answer !  You need a plastic sieve.  Cut the mesh out from the frame and use that     

Man I amaze even myself at my ingenuity sometimes


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## ian_m (23 Apr 2012)

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> I have tried quite a few over the years, these are the ones I am using now, the best filter intake guards that you can buy imo.
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crystal-Cherr ... 0788850520


Fantastic, much better than DIY mesh. If ever I turn shrimp this looks the biz


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## rolexbene (23 Apr 2012)

Great thanks for all the advice, for the time being I have used a bit of netting from my partners fancy dress tutu, seems to be doing the trick, just a shame that you spend so much money on glassware and then have to modify it.


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## Radik (23 Apr 2012)

Yes I agree with Paulo on metal mesh intake as best option but careful with some powerful filters as they may have too harsh sucking force and shimplets can get glued to it.


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