Shrimp Poop

[guns286]

Hopfully the title was an attention getter.
My Amano shrimp are great at keeping the tank clean, but now, there poop is all over the place. I can reach most areas of the tank with the vacume, but other areas (piles of rock, etc.) will be next to impossible to get to, without disturbing the tank and stressing out the fish/shrimp. I assume that shrimp crap effects the tank chemistry as much as fish crap does, but I dont know for a fact. Does anyone know if the environmental impact is the same?

 

[dskidmore]

Environmental impact is similar for the same mass. Poop is poop. If this is a sudden increase, then check your ammonia/nitrite levels. If you have some plants absorbing the excess nitrogen it's no big deal. In most tanks we don't get to siphon up all the fish poop before it starts to break down. Allowing some poop to break down in the substrate even in an unplanted tank is not the end of the world. Bacteria will break it down into Nitrate, which you remove during your water changes.

 

[fisch]

Shrimp poop and fish poop are basically the same. As long as your tank is properly cycled you should be fine.
Bacteria should break down any poop that you can't siphon out.

 

[mgamer20o0]

have you thought about using power heads to help with the places you cant reach? power head should keep those areas clean pushing it out to other places.

 

[bs6749]

have you thought about using power heads to help with the places you cant reach? power head should keep those areas clean pushing it out to other places.

But some fish don't like much of a current and shrimp seem to prefer "calmer" waters, save for the filter feeders.

 

[mgamer20o0]

true but a small power head to push it out of a spot they cant gravel vac shouldnt really hurt.

 

[musicman]

How many shrimp are we talking about here? What's in the tank?