# Escaping Shrimps



## James D (16 Sep 2014)

I added a couple of Amano shrimps yesterday as I haven't had any in my tank for a while. After drip acclimatizing them for a while they seemed happy enough in there.... until this morning when I found them dead on the carpet. Any idea why, I don't have much luck with shrimps.


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## Trevor Pleco (16 Sep 2014)

Sorry to hear James, I've noticed that they are less prone to climbing out in bigger tanks which I guess kind of makes sense. When I move them into a smaller tank I seal the lid carefully for the first week or two and that usually does the trick, as in my experience they climb less once stabilised and familiar with their new boundaries, surroundings and water parameters. As you will have gathered they are damn skilful climbers if they want to be, scaling up tubing and even the vertical  sides of a plastic bucket and have a good eye for the smallest of gaps, such as between the cover glass and the HOB filter pipes.

Also watch out for your eheim skimmer, it's got a hunger for shrimp, especially at night


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## James D (16 Sep 2014)

Cheers Trevor. I think I might make a temporary acrylic cover next time I get some..

It's the most expensive breakfast my cat's ever had!


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## Tim Harrison (16 Sep 2014)

Amanos are great escape artists. I've found them crawling through my house of a morning some 10 or so meters from the tank and still going strong. So I'm guessing if there is something they're not happy with in your tank they'll make a break for it in the hope of finding pastures new.
It's something that happens in my injected tank and hardly ever in my low-energy, which leads me to conclude it's a CO2 related issue. I've turned my CO2 down and so far absconders are fewer...
However, my cat is also partial to shrimp breakfast so I wouldn't be surprised if the furry little bar-steward went fishing for them as well...


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## Trevor Pleco (16 Sep 2014)

I have used them in CO2 tanks with no probs, but have not tried to push them into the yellow zone, although mind you I don't have a cat to spoil.. apart from the lynx that launches night sorties in the garden to eat the neighbouring cats ...


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## EdwinK (17 Sep 2014)

I am with Troi and Trevor about the high CO2 levels or low O2 levels in your tank. Even CRS or cherry try to escape if they do not like the water condition.


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## James D (18 Sep 2014)

I can believe it about the CO2 - but mine is lo tech. I think that shrimps just don't like me which is ok because the feelings mutual!


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## EdwinK (18 Sep 2014)

Anyway something is wrong with the water.


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## Edvet (18 Sep 2014)

James D said:


> temporary acrylic cover


 Clingfoil?


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## Tim Harrison (18 Sep 2014)

Great idea Ed...wrap them all up in clingfilm then the little so-and-so's can't go anywhere


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## James D (18 Sep 2014)




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## Andy Thurston (18 Sep 2014)

James D said:


> I can believe it about the CO2 - but mine is lo tech. I think that shrimps just don't like me which is ok because the feelings mutual!


Let the cat have them, then


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## Trevor Pleco (19 Sep 2014)

yes a glass cover and some clingwrap for the back section would be good, try this for a couple of weeks and then see if they acclimatise...


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## James D (19 Sep 2014)

> Let the cat have them, then



Tin hat on.... I realize that I'm probably alone in this but I really don't like shrimps, to me they're like ugly little aquatic spiders or something, I only bought them to work as a clean up crew.  

There, I said it, it's nice to finally come out of the closet.


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## Tim Harrison (19 Sep 2014)

...You can't say that here!!!
Actually, I know what you mean James...I wasn't that over enamored myself to start with but they've kinda grown on me...I'm even contemplating spending a few quid on some nice specimens


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## sciencefiction (19 Sep 2014)

It feels very creepy when they crawl on your hands.  Mine are very inquisitive and start climbing my hands at water change.


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## Alexander Belchenko (19 Sep 2014)

James D said:


> ...but I really don't like shrimps, to me they're like ugly little aquatic spiders or something, ...



I'd say - they're like cockroaches.


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## Richard Dowling (12 Oct 2014)

I had this problem...it turned out that my co2 was too high. Not had a problem since lowering my gas.


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