Removing Cherry Shrimp

[Tolley]

Ok so the time has come for me to dismantle my 7.5G long as a fish tank. All the inhabitants will be staying in a plastic tub for a short two or three day stay before the 20G is ready.

I can remove everything easily my only concern is the cherry shrimp. I cannot imagine trying to net out every tiny little shrimp. Would it be safe to syphon them out? Or would this be too dangerous?Has anyone else got any easy methods?

[Wild Turkey]

The way i did it was to start removing java moss very very slowly, float it in the new tank for a little while and then do whatever with it, repeat until no moss is left in the tank. (it was stuffed) I netted out all the ones i could really, then didnt feed them for 2 days or so. Dropped a pellet in my net in the corner and left it. Got all the stragglers that responded to it that day, then i siphoned out the water in the bucket, and checked it well.

Honestly i still feel like a may have missed one or two that hid in the gravel, but i tried to do it at a time when no new shrimp had been released for a week or two that i knew of to try and cut back on it.

[korith]

You could make one of those shrimp/fish traps. The ones with the plastic bottle cut in half, top half inverted into the bottom half. Put some food in there and keep checking back in, every half hour or so, and empty it that way. I've given a bunch of shrimp away to friends, what I use is just a turkey baster to suck them up. Think a siphon would do just the same thing. Hard to spot the ones that don't have color in them.

[Tolley]

Hmm yeah the problem I cansee is that would be quite time consuming and could possibly be more stressful than one syphon. Also whenever I feed them I drop the food in place all over the tank and hardly any will come compared to how many there are.

[Wild Turkey]

Hmm yeah the problem I cansee is that would be quite time consuming and could possibly be more stressful than one syphon. Also whenever I feed them I drop the food in place all over the tank and hardly any will come compared to how many there are.

I had the same problem when the tank was full of moss, thats why i ended up having to remove it..and yes all in all it was around a 5 day process.

[Tolley]

:0 So any more thoughts on syphoning? LOL

[terrapin24h]

:0 So any more thoughts on syphoning? LOL

I think it's feasible, but with some stipulations:
--you DO NOT use your gravel vac(most have flappers and hard plastic parts that most likely would hurt or otherwise dismember shrimpies
--you DO NOT use a python. I assume this would be the shrimp equivalent of a human being put through a washing machine

To do this, I would suggest using a piece of large tubing such that it is several times in diameter the girth of your shrimps(i'm thinking 3/4-1" ID), to give them plenty of room to slip through. You will have to create the siphon using one of the old fashioned methods. Also, keep it short as possible to minimize trauma, and make sure where they are going to land is safe and deep(they are going to come out at a pretty good clip, and you wouldn't want them smashed into anything or any other shrimp)

Sounds easier to bait them to me, to be honest

--chris

[Tolley]

Ok thanks for your input I have decided not to syphon them just to be sure none get hurt. I will go out and find a big net then when the tank is empty go crazy cathcing them. :19: