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Water change method?


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What is your method for doing a water change? I did my first one today and was so paranoid about sucking up a shrimp...

In a week I will be changing over to an HM filter (from Swiss Tropicals) it will be nice to puy the end of the siphon hose behind the filter wall.

Also, does anyone ever vacuum their gravel? I wouldn't think this would be necessary with a few live plants anf shrimp. However, I am finding that two decades of all fake plants and weekly gravel vacuuming is a hard to mentally overcome.

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I've recently developed a whole crazy technique to prevent removing shrimplets during water changes:

I use a drinking cup to scoop out water from the surface, and I pour each cupful through a fine net into a larger waste bucket. Every minute or so, I swish the net back into the tank inside out to return any possible tiny shrimplets I may have inadvertently scooped up. I continue this process until I've removed all the water I want to change.

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To make double sure, you can also put the waste water in a bucket and gently stir.  The shrimp will usually choose to swim against the current and it makes it easier to see them to net them out.

 

However, since I asked Han to make a SS filter for my water siphoning tube, I haven't had a problem. :)

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I ended up putting a pre filter sponge over my inlet. I also double checked the bucket for shrimps too.

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i know most experienced shrimpkeepers in oz do not vacuum the substrate. it will only disturb the shrimps. they are scavengers so the buildup isn't going to bother them. I've been using pantyhose tied onto syphon with rubberband method for a long time now. but i just syphon above the substrate being very careful not to disturb anything.

love n peace

will

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I pump the water from 2 cm above the water surface which is very effective as most shrimps don't walk around in those areas (they mostly walk around on the ground or fly middle occasionally). But again it's to best to check the pumped water in the bucked to make sure.

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