Baby Shrimplets In Bad Water

My husband got me cherry shrimp as a surprise while I was on holiday. He placed them in a 2G tank that I had running for a while. When I returned from my holiday I found the water looking and smelling awful (rotten eggs). I think he accidentally overfed. I rescued all the adult shrimp and placed them safely in a clean planted 4 gallon. They seem happy!! (See photos)

However, I noticed a lot of baby shrimp in the horrendous 2G tank. I don't have the heart to just dump them to die. I'd love to keep them. They are active and seemingly ok but the smell and the condition of the water are awful. Any suggestions how I can save the little ones without me dying of the stench? lol

 

Put them in the planted 4gal. Tanks under 2.5 gallons are very hard to maintain water quality. The tank is beautiful though, and could maybe house a couple of snails, or be a tank for shrimp fry. If your shrimp breed way to much, you could put the fry temporarily in the 2.5 gal and then sell them. Whoever aquascaped that tank did a very good job lol.

 

Put them in the planted 4gal. Tanks under 2.5 gallons are very hard to maintain water quality. The tank is beautiful though, and could maybe house a couple of snails, or be a tank for shrimp fry. If your shrimp breed way to much, you could put the fry temporarily in the 2.5 gal and then sell them. Whoever aquascaped that tank did a very good job lol.

How do I catch them? They're tiny..

The picture is of the 4G. I scaped it, thank you! the adult shrimp seem very happy in it since yesterday. Just not sure how to move such tiny creatures as the babies..

 

How do I catch them? They're tiny..

The picture is of the 4G. I scaped it, thank you! the adult shrimp seem very happy in it since yesterday. Just not sure how to move such tiny creatures as the babies..

Maybe use a small net, or try to gently scoop them out, you don’t want 150 cherry shrimp in your tank lol. Cherry shrimp actually sell quite well and you could probably get some pocket change for the fry lol. Or just give them away

 

If you have a filter on your 2 gallon tank maybe you could run some carbon to help remove the smell? I don't know how you would do that if you are running a sponge filter though. Maybe just put some in a fine meshed media bag and suspend it on top of the filter so the bubbles go up through the carbon.

 

If you have a filter on your 2 gallon tank maybe you could run some carbon to help remove the smell? I don't know how you would do that if you are running a sponge filter though. Maybe just put some in a fine meshed media bag and suspend it on top of the filter so the bubbles go up through the carbon.

I'm running a sponge filter but I have one of those minI Penn plax filters lying around somewhere! That ones holds carbon. Good thinking, Batman!!

 

I'm running a sponge filter but I have one of those minI Penn plax filters lying around somewhere! That ones holds carbon. Good thinking, Batman!!

Glad I could help. Just be sure to cover the intake tube to prevent the babies being sucked up. A pre-filter sponge would be good.

 

Glad I could help. Just be sure to cover the intake tube to prevent the babies being sucked up. A pre-filter sponge would be good.

Its actually a sort of sponge filter. It runs with an air pump. Just a little more "high tech" lol very save for fry and shrimp. Just awfully loud bubbling... I won't mind for a while to clean up

 

Do you have a brine shrimp net? Even when I'm doing water changes on a tank that contains fry, I bail out by cup and pour thru the net into my bucket. Every 5 or 6 cup fulls, I place the net over a clean container of water, turn it inside out, dip the net into the water so the frame is on the surface, and gently swish it back and forth a few times. You could change almost all of the water in the 2.5 by doing that.

 

I'd empty most of the water out the 2G (carefully with a jug so as not to remove the baby shrimp), and refill it with water out of your 4G, then refill your 4G with fresh treated water Hopefully it will fix the smell for now, and when they get bigger you can move them into the 4G with the others.

 

Its actually a sort of sponge filter. It runs with an air pump. Just a little more "high tech" lol very save for fry and shrimp. Just awfully loud bubbling... I won't mind for a while to clean up View attachment 461373

I have that filter in my shrimp tank! I actually hate it though because of the noise it makes and I don't know how to get the media out. I'm currently cycling a normal sponge filter to replace it. I never realised it had carbon in it though.

 

I have that filter in my shrimp tank! I actually hate it though because of the noise it makes and I don't know how to get the media out. I'm currently cycling a normal sponge filter to replace it. I never realised it had carbon in it though.

I'm pretty sure they only sell cartridges for that type (you can't get the media out as far as I know) I didn't know they still made those lol.

 

I'm pretty sure they only sell cartridges for that type (you can't get the media out as far as I know) I didn't know they still made those lol.

I bought a pack of three for a Betta tank absolutely hated it and you couldn't clean it just replace it

 

Like it's been said, just replace the old water little by little.
Eventually the smell will be gone and the water will be cleaner.

 

Use a pipette or a turkey baster to transfer them

 

You can "hack" the cartridges and replace the filter material. There's a YouTube video lol also found another sponge filter with a similar function.
I don't LOVE that filter but its great if you need to filter with carbon

I had decided to keep them in the tank and do some water changes with netting around my syphon. I also threw in some (a lot of) plants to help.
I'm sure some got syphoned out at the time but I still count 11 babies that are happily growing up in a now crystal clear 2G

 

Thank you for the update. I always love to hear about a successful happy ending.