# Open Top Shrimp Tank?



## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

I've ready many stories on here about shrimp crawling out of the tank, yet I still see people who keep shrimp in open top tanks. How feasible is this? Are some types of shrimp more prone to go exploring than others? I do want shrimp, but most of my tanks are open top or have large openings that I don't feel like covering up. Help me out please. Thanks!!


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

the only shrimp i have had go exploring were amano's.


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## Lance Uppercut (Aug 22, 2009)

I've found several crispy crs around my open top nano. I keep the water at least 3/4" from the top now.


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## Nue (Dec 27, 2009)

Just make sure there is no way to climb out. IME only Amano escape.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

I hear Bamboo Shrimp can go out, that is why when I first got mine I kept waking up to look for it in my tank XD


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

The only shrimp I had come out, on a rim tank, was a red claw macro. Otherwise, none of my shrimp have tried to make an escape.


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

I usually keep the water level pretty high in my open top tanks. Do all of you who have open tops keep your water level significantly lower than the rim to avoid wandering shrimp?


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

I keep my 90g filled just below the center brace. Maybe 20 amano shrimp and countless RCS. Only time the amanos were trouble was when first acclimating. I still find an occasional crispy RCS behind the tank. If they go out the sides or front I'd guess my rat dogs are eating them. lol
Really not a problem as far as keeping a good population in the tank.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

I keep my rimless tanks filled to about 1/2" to the top, no escapes.


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## dodohead (Jan 11, 2010)

yeah i filled mine too high and lost a red tiger.. my water line is like 1" from the rim now


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## james0816 (Jun 26, 2008)

All my tanks are open and have yet to have an escapee.


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

OK, thanks for the info! That's one less thing I have to worry about before getting any shrimp.


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

I keep my water level up almost all the way to the top, maybe 1/4 inch below the top line, or less. No escapees, but also I'd say it depends on your tank, if you have a tiny, 30cm or whatever those are tanks I sure there would be more escapees since they have less water to have to trudge up to, if you have a bigger tank 30 or so, I'm sure they'd be less.


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## tukmol (Nov 22, 2008)

amano's are escape artists, as long as they have something to climb on like filter hoses or plants growing out of of the surface near the tank edge. i almost bug sprayed one before, it was one of my amanos creeping on my floor.

i lost 4 red bee shrimps when i went on a business trip. i forgot to trim some plants that got too tall and grew out of the tank. i saw my bee shrimps on the floor all dried up when i came back.


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## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

So Shrimpo gave me 6 RCS. I put them in my 2.5 gallon and the water is only about a 1/4" below the rim. They have been in there for a week and so far no losses.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Sooo, I jinxed myself on this one.

I let my waterline get WAY too high, and instead of siphoning some of the water off, I let it be...

My favorite SSS Mosura Flowerhead decided to crawl out sometime last night and I found her dried up next to my tank.


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## DevonCloud (May 9, 2010)

I'm beginning to believe this is what has happened to my shrimp population. I keep my 29g open-top and I tend to fill it up to help alleviate the evaporation, but I noticed over time that my shrimp population was slowly disappering, but I never found corpses or shells inside the tank. In all likelihood, if they were to get out, the cats would have had a field-day with them.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Doh!


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## DevonCloud (May 9, 2010)

Live and learn. I actually have a glass top for the tank, but I seriously dislike how much of the light it seems to filter out. The visible light from the front of the tank seems to be cut by half with it on there.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I don't have tops on any of my tanks, but my shrimp seem to prefer the confines of their wonderlands to the desolate dryness of their plywood racks


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

The only time I've ever noticed my shrimp staying towards the top of the tank is when there's a water quality issues. I don't have floating plants, but many of the stem plants are at the water line, so they could probably hop out if they really wanted to.


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## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

From what I've noticed, my shrimp-only tanks are happy to just stay put in their tanks *knocks on wood*. They are relaxed, and their water is very clean and stable, and I fill those suckers all the way to the top (both have hoods, but I cut the whole backs off of them).

My mother's tank on the other hand, has RCS housed with cardinal tetras and a pair of killies. Their demeanor is very different. They are cautious, and often "jump" around if a fish gets too close. I've seen them clear the water line more than once.

I'm going to see first hand what my RCS do when I move all 150+ of them from their cozy 10g they share with CRS, to the 29g which has habrosus corys, gertrudae rainbows, and otos, and is an open-top. I'd be very sad if they all decided to commit suicide, but I'll take that risk. I think they'll be just peachy. Those fish are quite small, I don't think they'd be too much of a threat...


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

My tanks are rimmed and they still get into the HOBs.


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

Since all of you guys have had experience with jumpers...
Do the shrimps walk on land like they do on water?


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## karel.brits (Jul 20, 2017)

tuffgong said:


> I've ready many stories on here about shrimp crawling out of the tank, yet I still see people who keep shrimp in open top tanks. How feasible is this? Are some types of shrimp more prone to go exploring than others? I do want shrimp, but most of my tanks are open top or have large openings that I don't feel like covering up. Help me out please. Thanks!!


Thanks for this topic. I have an open top tank and want to keep some shrimps. A part of the planted driftwood pops out just above the water line, it could give them an opportunity to escape if I read the topic well enough. 

Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONEPLUS A3003 met Tapatalk


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## JusticeBeaver (Oct 28, 2017)

I don't think my neos have the leg strength to crawl out. They need the water to support themselves, but I'd imagine the bigger shrimp can more easily climb out.


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

It's highly unlikely for Neos to crawl out of a tank... they might crawl up a HOB outlet and live in the filter media (been there, done that myself!) but actually leaving the water? Not likely, no. Not saying impossible, just highly unlikely.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

Zoidburg said:


> It's highly unlikely for Neos to crawl out of a tank... they might crawl up a HOB outlet and live in the filter media (been there, done that myself!) but actually leaving the water? Not likely, no. Not saying impossible, just highly unlikely.


Zoidburg, do you actually expect us to believe that you climbed up a HOB outlet and lived inside the filter??? Now, THAT I find just a little more than "highly unlikely"!!!

Olskule


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

LOL!

I've had 6 shrimp in a HOB before!  Thought I only had one, until I went to fish it out and found 6!


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