# DIY Shrimp Trap - Shrimpimp!



## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

It's good to know it works on shrimp too. 

I've used it before for fish, but I layed it on it's side. I would have guessed the shrimp could climb out. I suppose not.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

I tried it on it's side; the shrimp weren't getting friction on the plastic. With it vertical, they are attracted by smell of food and sort of fall down in, sort of like those donation accepter-things that you put coins in and watch them spiral down...they try and esape, put end up in the top corners. They aren't, after all, very smart creatures.


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## mrbman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Sweet man, i'll have to try that one out.


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## Sandman333 (Dec 8, 2007)

That's awesome, I think I'll be trying a smaller version of this to get shrimp out of my 10 gallon in a couple weeks.


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## frozenbarb (Dec 16, 2006)

Just be careful not to put to much shrimp food in there.


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## HOLLYWOOD (May 12, 2007)

Awesome! I now call you the " The KING SHRIMP PIMP!" Pimpin all the way! Thanks man!


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## eeng168 (Apr 22, 2005)

I was faced with this situation last week!

you could have saved me so much time instead using the net method!!! :icon_redf 

thanks for the tip, I'll remember it for next time.


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## dknydiep1 (May 21, 2006)

be careful not to leave it alone for too long. I left mine overnight and 95% of them died. (probably too much food, and no water circulation)


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## neilfishguy (Dec 16, 2007)

those are some really clear cherrys!


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

they aren't cherries! the clear ones are minami


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

so u can keep both together without crossing?


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

nope; I've got some pretty cool crosses in there, orange, red-lined, etc. mutts for sure. I've got some pure cherries in another tank.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

dang i was just about to get some. lol


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## Kayakbabe (Sep 4, 2005)

I will have to remember that... so much easier than the net and won't mess up the tank chasing them around! Way to be ingenious!


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## theinjected1 (Mar 8, 2007)

Keep the lid on, duh. Last week I laid a trap (sans lid), just to come downstairs 15 minutes later to find all of my crackhead rummynose (12) crammed into a 16 oz. water bottle. Smaller hole, less crackheads. got it. :thumbsup:


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

poke little holes in the bottle... I've killed a few fish by suffocation. I'd imagine that could happen to shrimps too.


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## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

it works just like every crab/lobster pot I've ever seen, just made out of plastic instead of wire mesh.

Good DIY!

Tommy


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## jake (Feb 20, 2004)

I'd always used Mt. Dew bottles, but then I don't drink gatorade, lol.

I would just poke small holes throughout the body of the bottle. I've also killed 20-30 shrimp by forgetting the thing overnight. Stagnant water inside the thing just doesn't carry enough oxygen I don't think. The holes seemed to alleviate that problem but you still wouldn't want to go shrimping with it for more than a couple hours.


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## HOLLYWOOD (May 12, 2007)

Yo Shrimp PIMP,

Will that contraption trap snails too???? If not do you have a trap for them???


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

I had my shrimp trap right in the current. I didn't have any problems. I left it in the tank w/>100 shrimp. No deaths (thank GOD).

Hollywood, I do have a trap for snails. It is the mouth of my dwarf puffer, "Chiquito." I just leave that trap in the tank all the time and don't have snail problems. Snails are guaranteed to die if left inside overnight.


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## HOLLYWOOD (May 12, 2007)

I have a feeling that the dwarf puffer will eat/annihilate my shrimp colony. Is that true? If not let me know... now im really interested.




macclellan said:


> I had my shrimp trap right in the current. I didn't have any problems. I left it in the tank w/>100 shrimp. No deaths (thank GOD).
> 
> Hollywood, I do have a trap for snails. It is the mouth of my dwarf puffer, "Chiquito." I just leave that trap in the tank all the time and don't have snail problems. Snails are guaranteed to die if left inside overnight.


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## chaznsc (May 1, 2006)

.............................


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## kasslloyd (May 28, 2007)

what about cutting out panels in the sides and hot glueing stainless steel screen over them, being sure to cover all the sharp ends iwth glue. It should allow great water flow, but the shrimps wouldn't be able to go through, or better yet plastic cheap screen, you could even get a mesh large enough to let the shrimplets go through but the older adults not... heh


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## HOLLYWOOD (May 12, 2007)

Thats what I was afraid of... that puffer would be the "*BUBBAGUMP Super Pimp SHRIMP EATER*!"



chaznsc said:


> I would think the DP would enjoy being with your colony...... if you get my meaning.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

chaznsc said:


> I would think the DP would enjoy being with your colony...... if you get my meaning.


Dwarf puffers are extremely small molluscivores and shrimp aren't mollusks... I've never seen my DP eat a shrimp, and he physically couldn't eat a medium to large adult. He/she may have gotten a juvie here and there for all I know, but it hasn't stopped my cherries and minamis from spreading like the plague...of course your mileage may vary.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

kasslloyd said:


> what about cutting out panels in the sides and hot glueing stainless steel screen over them, being sure to cover all the sharp ends iwth glue. It should allow great water flow, but the shrimps wouldn't be able to go through, or better yet plastic cheap screen, you could even get a mesh large enough to let the shrimplets go through but the older adults not... heh


I see no reason that wouldn't work. Sounds like a lot of work to me though.


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## kasslloyd (May 28, 2007)

shouldn't be that much work if you got some spare screen laying about and a hot glue gun..


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

frozenbarb said:


> Just be careful not to put to much shrimp food in there.


Amen to that, or you'll be like gassing your shrimp... I of course have no experience there...:icon_redf :icon_redf :icon_roll 

Looks like a shrimp trap for sure!

The one thing I'm interested in your opinion about is the bottle's grooves. I had shrimp get stuck in them when I did this and die. I'm thinking a bottle much smoother the whole way would eliminate the problem? Something like have you seen the "O" waters? or any of the waters that are very smooth all the way up with no grip? 

Either way they work but I've been wondering...:icon_lol: 

-Andrew


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## TAF CAF (Jan 12, 2006)

kasslloyd said:


> what about cutting out panels in the sides and hot glueing stainless steel screen over them, being sure to cover all the sharp ends iwth glue. It should allow great water flow, but the shrimps wouldn't be able to go through, or better yet plastic cheap screen, you could even get a mesh large enough to let the shrimplets go through but the older adults not... heh


I think the shrimp would then just be attracted to the sides instead of drawn into the bottle.


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## jake (Feb 20, 2004)

HOLLYWOOD said:


> Yo Shrimp PIMP,
> 
> Will that contraption trap snails too???? If not do you have a trap for them???


I always ended up with just as many ramshorn and MTS in the trap as shrimp. Many times I'd have more snails than shrimp. I'd just stand the bottle up and they'd find their way in there, although a bit more slower than the shrimp.

The key is really the bait. It has to be something your shrimp and snails regularly swarm to or it won't work.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

A Hill said:


> The one thing I'm interested in your opinion about is the bottle's grooves.
> -Andrew


The gatorade bottle is unique because the groove helps the top 'snap' into place sealing the trap. You'd have to do something to keep the top of a smooth bottle in place and sealed. I'm not smart enough to figure out how to do that temporarily. You could silicone it or something I guess, but that makes it more complicated, like the suggested screen and glue gun, etc.



jake said:


> I always ended up with just as many ramshorn and MTS in the trap as shrimp. Many times I'd have more snails than shrimp.


I don't have snails (per "chiquito" my puffer), so I'll take your word for it.


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

macclellan said:


> The gatorade bottle is unique because the groove helps the top 'snap' into place sealing the trap. You'd have to do something to keep the top of a smooth bottle in place and sealed. I'm not smart enough to figure out how to do that temporarily. You could silicone it or something I guess, but that makes it more complicated, like the suggested screen and glue gun, etc.


Thats what I liked orriginally with the cranberry juice bottle I used as well.. The problem is they get into the groove and kill themselves:angryfire The smooth groove missing bottle would work just by putting it back in, since its the same size it will stay and seal, no silicon or adhesive needed. I think the "Smart Water" brand bottles are perfect, and I think I'll try those next.

Either way lots of good ideas here, any other ideas from people reading the thread post away! I know you're out thereroud: 

-Andrew


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## chaznsc (May 1, 2006)

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

I'll try that out with smooth bottles to see how it works, Andrew. That sucks about some shrimp dying. I haven't had that problem, I might have just gotten lucky with where I made my cut, as no shrimp of mine get trapped.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Ryan asked me to write this up as an article for his site. Here it is: http://www.planetinverts.com/DIY_Shrimp_Trap.html

I guess that makes me the first published shrimpimp, no?


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

I tried with a poland spring bottle, no success at all. I was using the moss bridge too. Anyone else with the same problem?


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Care to elaborate? What was the problem? What food did you use?


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Well I was using the poland spring bottle inverted the top and took off the cap since the hole was smalle enough that i didn't need to cut a hole in the cap.

Then I place half a algae wafer in the bottle. Left it for an hour, no results.

Then tried 3 hours, then overnight. Still no shrimp trapped.


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## Ulli Bauer (Mar 12, 2008)

Try not feeding your shrimp for a few days.

Mine seem to know the trap by now, but hunger is always stronger.

Cheers
Ulli


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Did you see any enter the trap?

If not:
1). Incentive isn't working - their is enough food in the tank or they don't want or smell the algae wafer badly enough. Hakari crab bites got mine instantly flocking.

If so:
2). They are escaping. Check for leaks along the seam or consider adding the hole-poked bottle cap.


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## jwarper (Apr 4, 2005)

Also try a shorter, wider bottle. Water bottles tend to be very long and skinny. Something closer to the ground and a wider surface area would be more effective I would think.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Well I saw non entering. I think im going to make the bottle shorter. I was wondering how the shrimp smells it? Theres no water flow in and out of the bottle so under passive diffusion, that would take forever.


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