A Cautionary Tale

[VioletKeepsFish]

About 2 weeks ago I got 4 Amano shrimp for my 32g because it had a massive BBA problem. Over the next few days they slowly started disappearing. I wasn't too worried because the shrimp could easily be hiding among plants and rocks, but I got worried when I lifted the driftwood to rescape and I only saw one shrimp. I decided to shine my flashlight into the pump chamber of my tank, and lo and behold, three shrimp happily swimming around eating algae off the sides. They had clearly managed to jump through the slits in the tank and gotten into the pump chamber, but had plenty of algae to feast on. I then had to play "try to pick up the shrimp" for about 30 minutes with my net, and I only got them in when I put an algae wafer in the net to lure them in.
Lesson learned here is to use prefilter sponges if you don't want filter-dwelling shrimp

 

[Frank the Fish guy]

Aquarium co-cop has a nice selection of prefilter foam pieces. I am thinking about adding those to all of my tanks.

Looks like it solves your shrimp problem, but it also increases the surface area for the bio filter. All good!

 

[Deku-Cory]

I've never kept shrimp myself (partially because of this reason) but from what I've heard, the general consensus is that if a shrimp can fit somewhere, they can and will get there. Gap in your lid? They'll climb out. Holes in your filter intake big enough? They'll squeeze in there. Opening for your hang on back filter output? They'll get in. They have no sense of self preservation or common sense, just an overwhelming desire for food and adventure.

 

[VioletKeepsFish]

I've never kept shrimp myself (partially because of this reason) but from what I've heard, the general consensus is that if a shrimp can fit somewhere, they can and will get there. Gap in your lid? They'll climb out. Holes in your filter intake big enough? They'll squeeze in there. Opening for your hang on back filter output? They'll get in. They have no sense of self preservation or common sense, just an overwhelming desire for food and adventure.

That's what I've heard as well. Shrimp are kind of like algae roombas, they'll just walk around and eat algae wherever they go with no sense of self-preservation

 

[2fishinabowl]

About 2 weeks ago I got 4 Amano shrimp for my 32g because it had a massive BBA problem. Over the next few days they slowly started disappearing. I wasn't too worried because the shrimp could easily be hiding among plants and rocks, but I got worried when I lifted the driftwood to rescape and I only saw one shrimp. I decided to shine my flashlight into the pump chamber of my tank, and lo and behold, three shrimp happily swimming around eating algae off the sides. They had clearly managed to jump through the slits in the tank and gotten into the pump chamber, but had plenty of algae to feast on. I then had to play "try to pick up the shrimp" for about 30 minutes with my net, and I only got them in when I put an algae wafer in the net to lure them in.
Lesson learned here is to use prefilter sponges if you don't want filter-dwelling shrimp

Our prefilter is working great. It's this 2-sponge set :



Here's a link to everything we did to our HOB filter. Filter mods we did