Keeping shrimp frys in canister filter

**xuan87** · 30th Oct 2013, 14:29

The other day, I chanced across someone here saying that he doesn't put a shrimp guard on his filter inlet and any shrimp frys that happen to be sucked in will just live in the bottom of the canister filter. I then went on google and search around and found many others with similar positive experiences. In fact, I couldn't find one person who has shrimp death because they were stuck in the filter. Many said that due to the isolation and the abundance of bacteria as food, the frys grew up very well.

I have an eheim 2213 canister filter and am thinking of doing the same. Just want to ask more experienced shrimpsters here to share their experiences before going ahead with it.

**David** · 30th Oct 2013, 15:18

I know pond snails can happily stay in the filter and reproduce like rabbits. Not so sure about shrimps but as they always say life finds a way.

**bennyc** · 30th Oct 2013, 15:46

Hi xuan, may i ask why you want to purposely keep it in the canister?

**xuan87** · 30th Oct 2013, 16:16

Hmm it's not that I purposely want to keep them in the canister, but my shrimp guard (metal mesh) frequently gets clogged up with barley straw, and the reduced flow makes the filter becomes very noisy. Before, the filter is dead silent. I was thinking that if there is no ill effect, I may remove the shrimp guard and put the default eheim guard instead. If not, I may have to get one of those cheap prefilters that lfs use in their tanks.

**Urban Aquaria** · 30th Oct 2013, 17:26

I think you probably read my post on it... i was also tired of seeing the fine mesh filter guards clogging up with debris (quite unsightly) and having to clean them almost daily.

From my experience, basically as long as there is some free swimming space in the canister filter and the layers of bio-media and dense sponges prevent shrimplets from wandering into the impeller section, they will be safe living in there until you retrieve them during the next filter maintainence.

**bluebubbles** · 30th Oct 2013, 23:25

Originally Posted by xuan87

I have an eheim 2213 canister filter and am thinking of doing the same. Just want to ask more experienced shrimpsters here to share their experiences before going ahead with it.

I am using ehem 2213 too and with hundreds of Fire Red in my tank, shrimplets will definteily get sucked in.

I cleaned my eheim 2213 only once or at most twice a year. The shrimplets would have grown quite large by the time the canister is opened up for a good wash. The only challenge you will find is not whether the shrimplets survived, rather you will find it hard to see them (even adult size one) clearly in extreme dirty water. I gave up even though I saw plenty of them moving swiftly among heavy dirts. Very difficult to pick them up unless you have very good patient. However, if it is Eden501, no sweat picking up the shrimplets and put them back into the tank. As such, I have to believe shrimplets have their cozy days swimming inside the canister and they are not afraid of the heavy current because there are gravels and cotton for them to take comfort in there.

**xuan87** · 31st Oct 2013, 10:42

Originally Posted by Urban Aquaria

I think you probably read my post on it... i was also tired of seeing the fine mesh filter guards clogging up with debris (quite unsightly) and having to clean them almost daily.

From my experience, basically as long as there is some free swimming space in the canister filter and the layers of bio-media and dense sponges prevent shrimplets from wandering into the impeller section, they will be safe living in there until you retrieve them during the next filter maintainence.

Yea I got sick of cleaning them daily. I'm pretty sure they can't reach the impeller but hopefully I won't want them going past even the first layer. Mine is the normal setup so I have the large mechanical filter pieces, then the coarse blue filter pad, biological filer, then fine filter pads.

Originally Posted by bluebubbles

I am using ehem 2213 too and with hundreds of Fire Red in my tank, shrimplets will definteily get sucked in.

I cleaned my eheim 2213 only once or at most twice a year. The shrimplets would have grown quite large by the time the canister is opened up for a good wash. The only challenge you will find is not whether the shrimplets survived, rather you will find it hard to see them (even adult size one) clearly in extreme dirty water. I gave up even though I saw plenty of them moving swiftly among heavy dirts. Very difficult to pick them up unless you have very good patient. However, if it is Eden501, no sweat picking up the shrimplets and put them back into the tank. As such, I have to believe shrimplets have their cozy days swimming inside the canister and they are not afraid of the heavy current because there are gravels and cotton for them to take comfort in there.

I'll try to wash my filter once every two months, don't want too many shrimps in the canister filter lol. I'll probably try it out on my fire red tank first as they are more hardy and stick with a prefilter for my prl tank. plus the messy tank with the barley straw debris is the fire red tank anyway, so I predict less clogging with my prl tank.

**bluebubbles** · 31st Oct 2013, 11:54

Originally Posted by xuan87

I'll try to wash my filter once every two months, don't want too many shrimps in the canister filter lol. I'll probably try it out on my fire red tank first as they are more hardy and stick with a prefilter for my prl tank. plus the messy tank with the barley straw debris is the fire red tank anyway, so I predict less clogging with my prl tank.

Eheim is quite fragile, If you wash regularly the risk of breaking the pin clips is foreseeable and BB will not form very fast. I use sponge (not wire mesh) for the inlet. Eheim is strong enough to suck debris through the sponge. The shrimplets love to clinge on the sponge and feed on the debris. Thus I don't encourage to leave the inlet bare and let everything get sucked into the filter resulted in you having to regularly maintain the canister due to high debris (including dirt fish, soil, dead leaves...etc). Instead of washing canister regularly, I took out the sponge from the inlet (if I see sign of overcoating) and squeeze it clean before putting them back, the strong waterflow will resume as if you have just washed your canister.

**xuan87** · 31st Oct 2013, 13:16

Originally Posted by bluebubbles

Eheim is quite fragile, If you wash regularly the risk of breaking the pin clips is foreseeable and BB will not form very fast. I use sponge (not wire mesh) for the inlet. Eheim is strong enough to suck debris through the sponge. The shrimplets love to clinge on the sponge and feed on the debris. Thus I don't encourage to leave the inlet bare and let everything get sucked into the filter resulted in you having to regularly maintain the canister due to high debris (including dirt fish, soil, dead leaves...etc). Instead of washing canister regularly, I took out the sponge from the inlet (if I see sign of overcoating) and squeeze it clean before putting them back, the strong waterflow will resume as if you have just washed your canister.

I used to use a sponge, then like you, I realize that it wasn't a good filter for keeping out shrimplets so I switched to using panty hose (my gf thought I was secretly crossdressing when I bought it

) which filters too much and get clogs even more easily. The metal mesh was the best compromise but if not for my barley straw....

Anyway, do you still get shrimps in your canister filter even with the sponge?

**bluebubbles** · 31st Oct 2013, 17:51

Originally Posted by xuan87

I used to use a sponge, then like you, I realize that it wasn't a good filter for keeping out shrimplets so I switched to using panty hose (my gf thought I was secretly crossdressing when I bought it

) which filters too much and get clogs even more easily. The metal mesh was the best compromise but if not for my barley straw....

Anyway, do you still get shrimps in your canister filter even with the sponge?

I caught shrimps and shrimplets in my canister all the time. I take that they enjoy swimming inside the canister than the tank. Thus you won't feel so aching for them.

Please note that the smaller the holes of your sponge, the inlet suction power will be compromised resulted in slower outflow rate and more coating on your sponge. I know in the market, there are many type of sponge (some very compact like those commonly used for dishwashing, some pretty much larger holes for dirts to flow thru easily). Use the larger holes sponge for your inlet, you don't have to wash them regularly and they are equally better than the wire mesh. However, do accept the fact that there will be "inquisitive" shrimplets drawing towards the inlet but not all will want to play with force.

Panty hose are too compact. Imagine someone were to cover your nose with panty hose, you will find yourself breathing very hard for air. Similar logic for canister inlet, don't put them on stress.

**David** · 31st Oct 2013, 18:41

Panty hoses is best used as intended...on women's legs .....

Remind me not to use panty hose as mask if ever I need to rob a bank. Can't see or breath...hahahaha

**bluebubbles** · 31st Oct 2013, 23:55

Originally Posted by David

Panty hoses is best used as intended...on women's legs .....

Remind me not to use panty hose as mask if ever I need to rob a bank. Can't see or breath...hahahaha

You can still see and breath if you cut holes for eyes and nose area. Anyway, I think woman with hairy legs will wear panty, otherwise I heard it is very warm..hahaha

Having said that, I will never want anything fabric in my tank. They won't last and wear out easily. Mesh wire filter too small, it draws many things that block the passage into the inlet. I still prefer the traditional sponge (especially the big holes type), it absorbed debris pretty well and easy to wash without disturbing the canister.