# Filtering shrimp



## AverageWhiteBloke (23 Dec 2012)

Anybody come up with any good ways of catching shrimp that have been in the filter? My RCS colony I'm trying to build up had a filter failure 2 week ago but I had a little hydor internal kicking about. Problem is it's partial to sucking in my baby shrimp. Cleaned it out today into a clear bucket and there was about 15 young shrimp in there!

Managed to get them all I think but not without putting a load of debris in back in the tank which defeats the object of the filter change. It's only a 5gall tank so I maybe just get a sponge and air pump but the noised could get annoying. I was thinking maybe some kind of container with food in but that might take for ever getting them all to go in.


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## LancsRick (23 Dec 2012)

Prevention is the best way. There are two main options - either get a stainless steel mesh guard for your filter, or use some "tight" material.


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## Manrock (23 Dec 2012)

I have the same issue. Covering the outflow with a mesh is not an option for me as it reduces the flow rate quite significantly. I clean the filter about 3 times a year and usually have 30 + shrimp in there. When in a container (bucket) they will usually 'dive' to the bottom and so I drain off most of the water from the top. Then I transfer the 'mulch' and shrimp mix to a glass container and leave it to stand for a few hours, allowing the sediment to settle. Now you will be able to see all the shrimps. I then use a variety of methods to separate the shrimps from the mulch - but usually I net them or suck them up into a tube.
Hope that helps!


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## jojouk (23 Dec 2012)

I just cover the filter inlets with some tights, stretch it tightly and it wont reduce the flow too much at all. Only downside is that larger bits of detritus stick to the outside of the inlets, but my shrimp just munch on that all day!


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## Nat N (23 Dec 2012)

Oh, yes – shrimps in the filter! I have this with the RCS and a small external on a regular basis. My method is quite time consuming, I admit, but I cannot think of anything better... The shrimps together with the gunk are put into a plastic container (tank water of course). Another plastic container with some tank water is ready next to it. Good lighting. Then I go about with a ladle, catching shrimplets with some water from the “mucky” container and putting them into the one with the clearer water. Process repeated a couple of times – you have shrimps with not much gunk left. This is better than putting the whole lot back into the tank... Not perfect, I know, but I have not lost any tiny shrimplet yet.


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## dw1305 (24 Dec 2012)

Hi all,
Have a sponge on the inlet, I have them on all the tanks, but it is a win-win situation with shrimps as it provides "easy clean" additional filtration, a grazing surface for the shrimps and stops all the shrimplets ending up in the canister.

You can DIY them from a black PPI10 sponge, they will cost pennies and you can make them any size or shape you want.They also won't clog very easily and have little effect on flow. PPI20 or PPI30 sponge takes out more fines, and will need cleaning more frequently.

If you want an "off the shelf option" TA aquaculture sell "Huey Hung" and "Algarde" type sponges, and I think the "Fluval Edge" sponge fits? (I think Logi-cat was using these).

cheers Darrel


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## AverageWhiteBloke (24 Dec 2012)

Thanks guys, sorry for the confusion but the filter is an internal one like this.

ipf by AWB70, on Flickr
I noticed on this filter change that the spong had swollen up a bit. It had been standing dry so shrunk a touch. Hopefully now it's filling the canister out more there's less room for shrimplet to creep in. It's pretty much see through the canister and can't see any in there yet.

Looks like the best method is going to be the two containers. Looks like I'll have to open the filter pour out the shrimplets and spend a bit of time catching them. This is similar to what I did this time and it's difficult to syphon any out without any debris. The shrimp and debris all accumulate on the bottom of the container.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (24 Dec 2012)

Put a stocking around the whole filter?


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## jojouk (30 Dec 2012)

Yup, mine is an internal too on my shrimp tank, I just covered it in a 'pop sock' kind of a sock made out of tight material, works fine and everybody is happy


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## Matt Warner (30 Dec 2012)

I have found that a very thin pair of tights and an elastic band around the filter intake works quite well.


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## jojouk (1 Jan 2013)

Only problem is the elastic degrades in the elastic band, so keep an eye on that


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