Little baby shrimp all over the glass!

[traco1]

So, sitting doing bill paying this a.m. and I look over at my 10 gallon and notice little black things on the glass. First thought is, gee, I better clean the glass and do a water change. Then look closer and they are actually little bitty baby shrimp all over the place!

Neat to see as I've never seen them before. I am sure I will be overrun with them soon enough and may be old school to some of you, but I just had to share.

So now, when I do a water change, I should just suck out the water, not vacuum the gravel?

:laugh:

[Katalyst]

Somethings in the air or should I say the water today huh? I'm a shrimp newbie so unfortunately I won't be any help. Just wanted to say congrats on the babies/hatchlings/whatever baby shrimp are called! :laugh:

[traco1]

Thanks Kathleen. I have no idea what they are called either? Shrimplets? That sounds like a good name.

You've got something running in your water there, too, don't you? Spixi eggs.

[Melody]

:thumbup:

[jordonsmum]

YEAH... WOW IT'S CERTAINLY SPRING!!! Congrats.... do I smell a trade coming on??? :wideeyed: LOL

[thegrandpoohbah]

I would recommend against vacuuming the gravel. I did that once but by the time I realized it, I had sucked up dozens of tiny little baby shrimp. Now the shrimp tank never gets vacuumed, just a 25% water change every week.

[Melody]

I can't swear that I don't suck any shrimp up, but what I usually do is avoid vacuuming but do it once/month or so. I find that with a big cloud of Java Moss, as soon as I start fooling around in there they head for that so I can move it aside. Then I vacuum one side. Next time I move the Moss gently to the other side and vacuum the opposite side.

No guarantees, I just feed too much to not vacuum, even when I try not to....lol....plus there's snails in there so I have to clean the slime up. If you can get away with Mr. GP's method, I'd go with that but feed very sparingly. If it has worked for him this long, I'm sure its doable.

[traco1]

Yes, that is what I envisioned if I vacuumed the gravel, sucking the little guys up. I always vacuum the gravel but seeing these little guys, prompted my question about water changes. I bet all you guys who have shrimps galore are giggling at my question. Sort of a "boy, in a couple of months, she's going to be sooo overloaded with them". Kind of like "oh what a beautiful flower, what's it called? A morning glory? How gorgeous."

And then the morning glory takes over the lawn, shrubs, fence.http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_11_21.gif

[CACAdmin]

Congrats on the wee shrimp! I'm sure I have vacuumed up little ones from time to time but I only do a gravel vac ever couple of weeks... trying not to think of the wee ones I might be vacuuming up too. :wideeyed: I try to stick to water change only most of the time but I too have snails in the tank so I figure I ought to vac periodically.

[hp10BII]

Shrimplets!! What kind are they?

I change 25% of the water every week, I do the occassional gravel vac into a white coloured bucket. I usually beat and stir the gravel a bit first to spook off any shrimplets that may be lurking around before going back to vac.

Before I dump the water out, I strain my eyes peering into that same white bucket, swirl the water a litlle bit and slap the sides a few times...anything that jumps/darts around is something I would chase after. Just imagine the poopy swirling one way and the 'lil ones jumping in a different direction.

[CACAdmin]

Shrimplets!! What kind are they?

I change 25% of the water every week, I do the occassional gravel vac into a white coloured bucket. I usually beat and stir the gravel a bit first to spook off any shrimplets that may be lurking around before going back to vac.

Before I dump the water out, I strain my eyes peering into that same white bucket, swirl the water a litlle bit and slap the sides a few times...anything that jumps/darts around is something I would chase after. Just imagine the poopy swirling one way and the 'lil ones jumping in a different direction.
:rofl: ... gotta love that description. I too siphon into a white bucket, have a look but never thought to swirl the water around to check... good idea.

[Melody]

Once again I stand in awe of the level of dedication in some hobbyists. :notworthy: And/or the extent of their insanity. :laugh:

[CACAdmin]

Once again I stand in awe of the level of dedication in some hobbyists. :notworthy: And/or the extent of their insanity. :laugh:
Hey, who are you calling insane?:mad: :laugh: Just kidding. The way you obsess over your creatures, you're can't pass judgment on our obsessiveness. :DevilGrin:

[Melody]

Nowhere did I say that I'm not just as insane as the rest of you!:Neener:

[hp10BII]

Once again I stand in awe of the level of dedication in some hobbyists. :notworthy: And/or the extent of their insanity. :laugh:

Hey...don't knock it until you've tried it!

[Melody]

Swirling fish poop huh? I truly haven't lived. :twitcy:

[hp10BII]

Swirling fish poop huh? I truly haven't lived. :twitcy:

My fish poop is nothing compared to shrimp poopies. You gotta see the forest through the trees, so to speak. :laugh:

[Melody]

I stand enlightened, as well as in awe then! And I call myself a aquarist.... I don't even know my poops!

I'm really not poop savvy at all, admittedly. I still haven't figured out how it is that humans can be full of bull poop, in spite of personal experience, but its certainly common.:yes: