I have babies!! Now, how do I avoid siphoning them up?

Seisage · Friday at 7:56 PM

My crystal red shrimp finally had shrimplets!! I had no idea one of my females was even berried, but I just noticed some teeny tiny little red-striped young'uns yesterday.
What tips and tricks do people have for siphoning tanks with shrimplets? I know some people cover the end of the hose with sponge or mesh, but I'd like to be able to still siphon up shrimp poop. Unfortunately, the shrimplets are about the same size as the little poop pellets.... so there's not a great way to select for one and against the other with mesh or sponge sizing.
I suppose I might be able to hold a thumb over the hose to reduce or stop the flow, but the shrimplets are so tiny and hard to see that I worry I'll end up sucking them up regardless.

TwoTankAmin · Friday at 8:34 PM

Alwways siphon into a bucket when you vac. Yes, the shrimplets may go up even the 1 inch diameter tube I use in my small tanks. But they handle the ride into the bucket OK. Then with the help of my eyeglasses and a bright enough light I can spot the live shrimp in the bottom ot the bucket when they move. Mine are the Blue Dream color variety of Neocaridina davidi. It helps that I have a light beige bucket and the shrimp are blue. I had never seen the very tiny babies the ovely planted tank in which they live. A few months back spotting some tiny blue movement in the bucket got my attention.

My group is so prolific that I cannot avoid siphoning some up every week and then I use a brine shimp net to cat them frothe bucket and return them to the tank. I often have small fish get sucked up when siphoning. I refer to the trip from the tank to the bucket as riding the "Wild Siphon, as it it were an amusement park ride."

My group of shrimp reproduces so prolifically that every month 20-25 go into my fish club's monthly meeting auction.

Seisage · Friday at 9:01 PM

TwoTankAmin said:
Alwways siphon into a bucket when you vac. Yes, the shrimplets may go up even the 1 inch diameter tube I use in my small tanks. But they handle the ride into the bucket OK. Then with the help of my eyeglasses and a bright enough light I can spot the live shrimp in the bottom ot the bucket when they move. Mine are the Blue Dream color variety of Neocaridina davidi. It helps that I have a light beige bucket and the shrimp are blue. I had never seen the very tiny babies the ovely planted tank in which they live. A few months back spotting some tiny blue movement in the bucket got my attention.

My group is so prolific that I cannot avoid siphoning some up every week and then I use a brine shimp net to cat them frothe bucket and return them to the tank. I often have small fish get sucked up when siphoning. I refer to the trip from the tank to the bucket as riding the "Wild Siphon, as it it were an amusement park ride."

My group of shrimp reproduces so prolifically that every month 20-25 go into my fish club's monthly meeting auction.

I always siphon into a bucket, for multiple reasons, but I've had one of my shrimp take that joyride before and it was definitely a good thing the bucket was there to receive it. I do worry about not being able to see the babies in the bucket since they're a touch translucent at the moment, but a flashlight is a good idea. At the very least, they do have their red striping, albeit fainter than the adults.

Magnum Man · Friday at 9:34 PM

If you aren’t sucking up huge chunks, syphon into a net over or in the bucket… easiest way I’ve found

TwoTankAmin · Saturday at 1:26 AM

Also, you can lower the water in the bucket some before searching. I use one of my specimen boxes for this. I find the shrimp tend to go to and want tostay in the bottom of the bucket so I will even pour out some of the water to lower it. The leas wtaer you are looking though to spot the little guys the easier it is. Also, when you can use something to kind od poke around the bottom gently. you will cause even the tiny ones to move. Motion is easier to spot than a motionless small colorless shrimplet.

I have the small flashlight and can hold ont in my mouth for hands free, but I also got this: Energizer Universal Plus LED Headlamp.

The light tilts. So I make it shine where I look.

AJ356 · Saturday at 4:05 AM

Simple. Don't siphon. It is not a requirement for a healthy tank.

Fishmanic · Saturday at 8:51 PM

TwoTankAmin said:
Also, you can lower the water in the bucket some before searching. I use one of my specimen boxes for this. I find the shrimp tend to go to and want tostay in the bottom of the bucket so I will even pour out some of the water to lower it. The leas wtaer you are looking though to spot the little guys the easier it is. Also, when you can use something to kind od poke around the bottom gently. you will cause even the tiny ones to move. Motion is easier to spot than a motionless small colorless shrimplet.

I have the small flashlight and can hold ont in my mouth for hands free, but I also got this: Energizer Universal Plus LED Headlamp.

The light tilts. So I make it shine where I look.

And when you wear that weird looking headlamp, the shrimp/fry are thinking...."Oh no...we're being invaded by Martians!"

Bamf Comics · 2024-10-29T10:09:35-0500

I'm leaning towards not siphoning my baby tanks. Just dipping pictures of water out the top one at a time so I can watch what goes into the pitcher. In theory, the waste should break down into the water so if you're doing large % water changes you should be able to handle the load. If it becomes an aesthetic issue, use a vacuum while keeping your hand on the tube for instant stoppage any time something gets sucked in. Fish in particular you can see suddenly swimming against the flow long enough to stop the flow and let them back out. I save snails that way as well. Quick suck, stop for a second to let the snails fall back out which seem to fall faster than the waterborne funk, resume, dip another scoop and stop if too many snails get in. I keep a fish net and rubber band around for general changes when I can't babysit and don't care to vacuum.

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I have babies!! Now, how do I avoid siphoning them up?

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