shrimp living in filter - a problem?

[fatboy]

My shrimp tank is a Juwel Rekord 70. The filter is fixed to the side of the tank and the heater is kept in the same container.

As you can see the unit is quite big. A powerhead draws water into the unit, through the sponges and eventually spits it out a pipe. The filter sponges are huge, about 4 inches square and 6 inches high.

Some shrimp keep getting into the filter housing and live on the sponges or in the corner where I've drawn a red box. The water doesn't drag them in, they choose to go in there. They easily have the strenght to crawl or swim out if they wanted to. However, it might be difficult to find the way out once they're in.

Do you think this is a problem? At first I thought the filter was too powerful. I'm sure this isn't true, though, and the shrimp choose to climb in. Any idea why they would like the filter so much? They did this when it was only cherry reds in there and still do it now I have a few small fish (4 badis badis).

http://www.fishystuff.co.uk/filter.gif

[retardo]

I'm guessing the gathering place on the filter is the filter intake, where it will catch any debris in your tank. Debris=food source. That may explain why they are there.

You raise a valid concern about the shrimp getting into the filter. A quick remedy to that is to add some kind of mesh over the filter, so there's no possible way of getting in. But I'm sure if they manage to find a way in, they can find a way out.

[Walter]

Yup, retardo is right, there is lotsa food there for them there. :D But if you don't like it, you can put a mesh or sponge over the inlet.

[Momotaro]

This is my first post here! What a wonderful site! While I don't have an aquarium solely dedicated to shrimp at this time, I do keep shrimp in each of my planted aquariums.

Seems I was having a very similar discussion this afternoon on another forum.

I have found my canister filters to be a haven for young and adult shrimp alike. I am not sure if the shrimp themselves are pulled into the canister while they are in an immature stage, of if the shrimp eggs are what are carried into the canister filter. Regardless, I have found upward of 35 Cherry Red shrimp in my Ehiem 2126 while cleaning the filter. The "filter" shrimp always appear healthy and seem to do just fine when introduced to the aquarium.

I wouldn't worry about shrimp in the filter.

Mike

[fatboy]

Thanks for the advice. I let them visit the filter unless I discover a problem. I saw one climbing out yesterday and feel better about it now.

[simcb]

This is my first post here! What a wonderful site! While I don't have an aquarium solely dedicated to shrimp at this time, I do keep shrimp in each of my planted aquariums.

Seems I was having a very similar discussion this afternoon on another forum.

I have found my canister filters to be a haven for young and adult shrimp alike. I am not sure if the shrimp themselves are pulled into the canister while they are in an immature stage, of if the shrimp eggs are what are carried into the canister filter. Regardless, I have found upward of 35 Cherry Red shrimp in my Ehiem 2126 while cleaning the filter. The "filter" shrimp always appear healthy and seem to do just fine when introduced to the aquarium.

I wouldn't worry about shrimp in the filter.

Mike

Hi Momotaro,
Nice to meet you. Cherry shrimps give birth to miniature adult form(shrimplets). The eggs when drop usually dont hatch and get eaten up later. I guess most probably the shrimplet made their way into your filter and grew up there as there is plenty of food(debris) in there. lol I should check my canister too .....its been 4mths since i do any maintance. :p