Water changes with baby Neo shrimp?

[NanoNano]

Does anyone have suggestions/tricks on how to perform water changes in a tank full of teeny tiny baby Neo shrimp without siphoning up or scooping out the teeny tiny baby Neo shrimp?  I just very carefully hand bailed a 5 gallon tank,  carefully examining each scoop for shrimp, to discover that I missed 7 of them when I went to "dump the bucket" (I caught them pre dumping, so no shrimp were harmed).

[Sombat]

I saw a YouTube video by Flip Aquatics stating that he does not do any water changes in his breeder tank. I am following his lead. I have a 9 gallon Fluval Flex for my neo shrimp. About three weeks ago I noticed the first baby shrimp. To this day I have about a dozen shrimp babies. I do check the water parameters daily. So far the results are favorable and haven’t needed a water change at this time. 

[NanoNano]

Thanks- Unfortunately this is a small tank where my misfit critters that wouldn't breed elsewhere or struggled in other tanks have collected and started their own literal and figurative "Big Bang Theory".  In addition to the shrimp, it also houses a Betta that poops *prolifically* as well as a breeding colony of some quasi rare snails,  so things get out of balance if water changes aren't performed every 7-10 days.

[aquachris]

Use an airline and put it a bucket that will contrast the shrimp. For example white bucket with red shrimp. Then before dumping bucket like for any little shrimps. 

[NanoNano]

Thanks- currently doing exactly this with the addition of a "State Trooper flashlight" to try to cast tiny shadows to highlight the little buggers.  Would like to avoid getting them in the bucket in the first place if possible.

[aquachris]

On 6/23/2021 at 7:54 PM, NanoNano said:

Thanks- currently doing exactly this with the addition of a "State Trooper flashlight" to try to cast tiny shadows to highlight the little buggers.  Would like to avoid getting them in the bucket in the first place if possible.

Yeah good idea. Plus use that state trooper flashlight to find any escapees. 

[Patrick_G]

I also used airline when I had shrimp fry in a three gallon. So far I haven’t sucked any up and I think this method could be made even safer by wrapping some filter floss around the inlet end of the line. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by Patrick_G

[Sandyjo]

I have a one gallon cube on my desk with cherry shrimp and either do a reverse drip set up to do change but when in a hurry, I use a turkey baster (only used in aquarium)and put water in a container and check for babies before discarding water with a bright flashlight.

[Guppysnail]

My tank is always polluted with baby neo’s  I switched to using a SMALL not extra small python to vac.  It’s clear and does not suction to harsh so if it happens i see them in the hard plastic I pinch the hose and let them out. I also scoot the vacuum along the gravel then push down then scoot keeping the vac touching the gravel.  Once I’m done vacuuming not enough water has been removed so I put a prefilter sponge on my regular vac hose and suck the rest out.  By this time if I did catch any babies the bucket is clear enough to see and rescue. I slowly dump the top portion from the bucket leaving the bottom gunk and some water I pour into a cheap plastic clear container let it settle and save any other babies. I usually only have to rescue 2 or 3 each time now that I use the small python vs large or other. 

[tonyjuliano]

A piece of cheesecloth rubber banded around the end of the siphon hose.

[Streetwise]

I only top off for my pico tanks. If they only have shrimp, the bioload is tiny.

[ChefConfit]

I just top of my shrimp tank, but I had to do several water changes in my guppy tube with tons of tiny fry recently to get rid of green water. I threw a pre filter sponge on my gravel vac and siphoned that way. 

[Andy's Fish Den]

On 6/23/2021 at 7:23 PM, NanoNano said:

Thanks- Unfortunately this is a small tank where my misfit critters that wouldn't breed elsewhere or struggled in other tanks have collected and started their own literal and figurative "Big Bang Theory".  In addition to the shrimp, it also houses a Betta that poops *prolifically* as well as a breeding colony of some quasi rare snails,  so things get out of balance if water changes aren't performed every 7-10 days.

The betta probably picks off more babies than what you might accidentally siphon out. When I had a betta in a tank with shrimp, I never saw any babies and my shrimp population did not grow much at all.

[Shenandoah Aquatics]

I likewise have found much success in not changing my water. I only top off when the levels get low. 

[eatyourpeas]

If I have to, I put a piece of hose at the end of the airline tubing, but I prefer to postpone WC until after they are at least visible to my bad eyes.

[The Goatee]

I don’t really do intensive vacuuming. I also have only shrimp and snails with Fluval Stratum, so it would be messy to pointless to vacuum. I just keep my siphon toward to the top middle of tank. Do very small water change every week just to cycle in some fresh water since I don’t get much evaporation.

[BriannesFishFam]

Attach an airstone to airline tubing. Put airstone at the level you want to drop the water level to. You can let it sit there or use a suction cup for airline tubing to keep it in place. Then start the siphon with your mouth. There ya go, no baby shrimp get sucked up

[NanoNano]

On 6/24/2021 at 3:46 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

The betta probably picks off more babies than what you might accidentally siphon out. When I had a betta in a tank with shrimp, I never saw any babies and my shrimp population did not grow much at all.

Thanks- I'd agree with this for 95%+ of male Bettas, but this particular guy has some atypical physical and behavior characteristics and seems to have refined his diet down to things that he doesn't have to chase too hard like ostracods, rhabdo worms, and Fluval Bug Bites.   One of my family members does a "shrimp count" every night and the population has been steadily increasing for 4 or 5 months even accounting for shrimp that have been moved to other tanks and deaths.  

[NanoNano]

On 6/24/2021 at 9:49 AM, BriannesFishFam said:

Then start the siphon with your mouth

You had me until here :).    I've gotten water from this tank splashed in my mouth accidentally when doing a water change...so many flavors...none good.

[BriannesFishFam]

On 6/24/2021 at 1:47 PM, NanoNano said:

You had me until here :).    I've gotten water from this tank splashed in my mouth accidentally when doing a water change...so many flavors...none good.

Watch the water come down the tube then put it in the bucket

[Steve A]

When I do it I put one end in the tank and stand up with the other end, you should have a half loop in the hose.  Now suck on it and as soon as water gets to the bottom of the loop stick it in the bucket.

[KaitieG]

I also just cover the end of my siphon with a piece of chiffon (I sew so this was in my scrap stash).  Any fine mesh would work.