Cleaning question

[earhtmother]

Tried loading a pic but no go
I have a 65/70g tank, well water with no additional additives, 2/3" gravel substrate, fairly heavily decorated (silk plants & ceramic roots) substantial amount floating hornwort (?).
Inmates are 1 pleco, tons of MTS, 4/6 Assassins, guppies, 6/7 Amano, lots of Cherries, a few Yellow, a few Blue.
It is time to try & clean the gravel a bit & I am at a loss as to how to proceed without sucking up shrimp. Netting them is NOT an option. I am thinking my only option is a second set of eyes and hands & a lot of luck. Any other suggestions are REALLY welcome as I can no longer avoid the chore

 

[Delapool]

Net over the gravel vac tube maybe?

 

[nirbhao]

Net over the gravel vac tube maybe?

Agreed.

 

[BBradbury]

ear...

You can still clean the bottom material. Buy a fish net with wider mesh and remove the net from the wire. Cover a larger syphon with the netting and secure it with a rubber band. You can vacuum the bottom material without sucking up anything but the small bits of dead plant and waste material.

B

 

[skrapeNKA]

The best method I've got outside of using something over the end of the vac is to hold it by the flexible tubing and to pinch it down/closed when I catch a shrimp. They never have much trouble swimming out as long I can reduce the suction a bit. My biggest problem is that a lot of them seem to enjoy 'riding' on the vac while I'm cleaning up

If you opt for the net route, I'll use a section of cheese cloth held over the end with a hair tie or rubber-band on the rare occasion I'm not sucking out plant trimmings. Cheesecloth is wicked cheap, too!