Airflow

[Divinityinlove]

I'm figuring out how to fix the detritus worm bloom in my new shrimp tank.

I don't gravel vac as I don't want to disturb the shrimp, they're pretty small like 1.5cm max and 1cm shrimp also in there.

I'm always concerned about hurting them so I just do a gentlee and sloooow 50% water change weekly with a sponge fitted inside the intake of my siphon.

I've heard that good airflow can help improve conditions, at the moment I have a quite weak flow from the sponge filter but thought it was good as I heard previously that shrimp don't like heavy flow.

Do you think I should put a stronger air pump in?

Any other thing I can do to have less detritus worms on the glass and in the water column and back in the gravel?

The gravel in there is a thin layer to be honest and it was pebble sized stones which came with the tank...

Any changes such as adding or removing gravel would require catching all shrimp and removing from tank first which seems like it can cause damage to them as I'm always concerned of disturbing them.

Here's a video of the airflow level:

 

[Colin_T]

if you don't gravel clean, you won't remove the gunk in the gravel and you won't get rid of the worms.

 

[GaryE]

Generally, detritus worms are a sign of overfeeding.

 

[Lynnzer]

I'd say to stop feeding the shrimp flakes and things. Most shrimp are fine snaffling about for algae or even detritus themselves but to use actual food for them at too high a level will mean some gets overlooked and becomes food for the detritus worms.

 

[Divinityinlove]

if you don't gravel clean, you won't remove the gunk in the gravel and you won't get rid of the worms.

I never used to gravel vac my main tank before I knew I should, and never saw detritus on the glass. Maybe cause the fish ate them?