# How to prune a shrimp tank?



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I'm always afraid that when I'm pruning my stem plants toward the back of the tank that I'm going to cut a shrimp in half, that would just make me puke. 

I'm as careful as can be... I take my scissors put them where I'm getting ready to cut my mass of plants and shake the scissors to scare away shrimp that might be hiding in the plants, then I start pruning. 

Second fear, throwing away shrimp in the garbage... Once the stems are cut I shake the stems in the water before throwing the clippings away, just to make sure that there is no shrimp that may have remained on the plant. 

Just curious, how do you all trim your shrimp tanks to keep from having injured shrimp


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Have no fear, shrimps are very fast, they dart away at last minute. How do you thing I pruned my Riccia only tank filled with shrimps? I chopped aways as fast as I could, no half shrimps.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I only use my fingers to prune my shrimp tank - usually pinch with my finger nail, and break the plants off. I also do the shake very well in the tank method. However, one time I put some plants in my 55 gallon from my shrimp tank and after awhile looked at the tank. I saw a red thing move! It was a shrimp! I had a very heavy light fixture on the tank at the time, but I removed it quick and was able to fish out the shrimp. Believe it or not, just when I got the light back up -- I saw another shrimp! I had to go through the same process again. They had hitch-hiked on the plants! I really started to shake plants harder after that!


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

A neat trick to getting hitch hikers off your pruned plants is to pull out the pruned plant slowly, the shrimp will slow desend down the stem until there is no more and simply swim away. But if you shake it sometimes they won't let go and might be stressful.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I'll try that Turtlehead! Most of my shrimp are not scared of anything though and they actually will hop onto my arms even and see if I have anything yummy on me...


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## shalu (Oct 1, 2004)

Like turtlehead, I always used the pull the stem slowly trick. With no CO2 addition, I don't have to prune often, except lagarasiphon madagascariensis, which grows amazingly fast.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

All shrimps will take a bite of your hand!  It tickles hhehe.


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## richy (Nov 8, 2004)

The only time I worry about stowaways is when I remove Java Moss from the tank. I slowly lift the moss out of the water and then use an up and down motion to get any shrimp caught in the moss a chance to get to a lower position and eventually in the water. I have no problems with other plants when cutting or removing.


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