Cleaning tank with Amano shrimp

[DebSills]

So I did a small water change last night with my small Python (just the siphon, not connected to faucet)...I needed a little extra water to help with rinsing out my filter media/sponges...well, after I put the filter back together, I saw one of my small Amanos swimming around in the bucket of gross water...I scooped him out and put him back in the tank, so no harm...but...had I been using my bigger Python that I use for full water changes and tank maintenance, he would have been sucked through and I would have murdered my amano 😞

I don't necessarily need to do a thorough gravel cleaning, but I try to do at least some where I have some algae growing on it, so I could add a sponge, but I'd still like to get some of the "gunk" out so...? any thoughts?

What do you do when cleaning a tank with amano shrimp? (I rarely even see them at all, so figures I would suck one up with the siphon 😐 )

[Guppysnail]

Place a prefilter or pantyhose over the siphon works like a charm if you are not vacuuming  if you are vacuuming use a python small not sink attached keep your fingers on the hose to pinch the flow. Watch your intake close pinch the hose to stop the flow when you see one. That is what I do it’s a pain to use 2 methods but it works and allows for shrimp bucket rescue

Edited August 19, 2021 by Guppysnail

[lefty o]

On 8/19/2021 at 12:26 PM, DebSills said:

So I did a small water change last night with my small Python (just the siphon, not connected to faucet)...I needed a little extra water to help with rinsing out my filter media/sponges...well, after I put the filter back together, I saw one of my small Amanos swimming around in the bucket of gross water...I scooped him out and put him back in the tank, so no harm...but...had I been using my bigger Python that I use for full water changes and tank maintenance, he would have been sucked through and I would have murdered my amano 😞

I don't necessarily need to do a thorough gravel cleaning, but I try to do at least some where I have some algae growing on it, so I could add a sponge, but I'd still like to get some of the "gunk" out so...? any thoughts?

What do you do when cleaning a tank with amano shrimp? (I rarely even see them at all, so figures I would suck one up with the siphon 😐 )

amano's ive never had an issue with. they get out of the way of my sink powered python on their own.  cherry shrimp on the other hand even with just a simple siphon i find them in the bucket.

[Aqua junky]

I very rarely do a gravel vacuuming, too me that's getting rid of precious nutrients for the plants and all my amanos and Taiwan Bee shrimp But when I change water I do like @lefty o says and pinch my hose and watch carefully cause the baby shrimp especially are curious when the siphon tube is installed on tank.  I pinch the hose than inspect the bucket afterwards. 

[DebSills]

Yeah, I was trying to do the pinch hose/watch thing last night, but still ended up with one in my bucket...maybe I'll stick with the bucket at least until they get a little bigger - only a little bigger than a cherry shrimp right now (all but one big boy)...after finding the one in the bucket, I had my son come outside with my big net when I poured the water out (on my planting bed 🙂 ) nobody else had stowed away, but made me feel better just in case (water was super gross)...

hopefully once they get bigger it won't be as much of an issue...most of the other fish at least get out of the way (except the Otos...they just feel like I should clean around them apparently...they don't like to leave the glass if I'm trying to clean it)...

thanks!!