# Comments on the best shrimp net ?



## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Ok, I have an idea to make some nice shrimp nets. I'd like some input, on the most desirable opening size, depth, handle length, colour and possibly shape also ? Is it best if the net does or does not fold around the shrimp ?

I have a couple I got, one is a shallow, triangle shape, very soft netting. Meant for getting into corners, but is a bit shallow, so shrimp often jump out too quickly. The other is a stiffer, small bucket shape with a long acrylic handle, and though I like it very much, the wire holding the net open is quite soft and bends very easily. I've seen ones like it with much less bendable wire holding the net open, and I have some ideas on what to use for this purpose. Long enough handles on both of them you can lay them across a tank back to front that's not more than 12 inches depth. But that's a big long for small tanks I think.

I can do black, white, or red, and other colours may be available. Handle materials might vary, I was thinking bamboo would be good though. Not sure of a good all purpose handle length.. a foot, less, more ? 

I can get net that's very soft, quite fine. It could be double layered. There's a coarser netting as well, a bit stiffer but the mesh holes are more than twice the size of the fine net. The one that is extremely fine, like brine shrimp net, is quite a bit stiffer than the other two, though all of them soften some with use. All synthetics, nylon or polyester, so they'll last.

Red is supposed to be invisible to fish, so I was thinking a red net might be a good thing. However, white is the only colour I can get in the very fine, brine shrimp type of netting.

I'm not sure what I'd want for them, but if can't beat the store price by a buck or two on the nice ones from Asia I might not bother. But, they'd be much better quality than the flimsy Fluval one, which, while it is adjustable in length, which is handy, I have already wrecked two because they're so poorly made and they were ten bucks a piece plus tax. They also tend to fold shut on shrimp, making it harder to get them out, so I've thought the type that tends to stay open by itself is probably safer for the shrimp.

Any input gratefully received.


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## randy (Jan 29, 2012)

Karen, here are my five cents (since pennies aren't used anymore),

1. I find square opening better than round, easier to work on the corner and down to the substrate. If triangle is easy to make, that's an option too.

2. Hanlde, don't overthink it. Whatever you can find is cheap. Acrylic or plastic doesn't matter, as long as it's sturdy enough. Give people option on the lengths thou, I think both long and short have their places. I have one long one, a few short ones as I find the short ones easier to use, especially when tanks are in racks where room above tanks can be a premium.. 

3. Colour doesn't matter much, red or just a bit pinkish is fine, white is okay too.

4. Size, check what's available, I say around 3"?

5. Maybe it's obvious enough, don't use anything that will rust.

6. Price-wise... of course the lower the better, but if it costs you more than $3-$4 material-wise then it probably won't be feasible. 

Make one or two and have a good test on them before making more.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Thanks Randy. Most of the nets I see sold as being for shrimp are much smaller than 3" opening, if you are speaking of diameter. Usual diameter appears to be two inches or less. So I'm guessing you'd like to see one larger than the usual ones ? Square is one idea I'd not thought of, but it makes a lot of sense.

I can see the need for short handles too, the one thing I like about the Fluval ones is that telescoping handle, but it's so flimsy and easily broken.


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## randy (Jan 29, 2012)

Hi Karen, I didn't measure, I was just guessing. So go with your actual measurement. 

Yeah, both long and short handles have their places. I only have one long handle net and rest are short ones. The long handle net has only one unpleasant purpose and I hope I don't need to use it very often ;-)


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I'll just have to see what I can come up with.


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## LTPGuy (Aug 8, 2012)

Two cents from my personal experience.

Shape of your net will depends on the shape of your tanks. I have quite a few round/globe shape tanks thus a round net works for me. I also have a few rectangle tanks which makes it difficult to get at the shrimps that end up in the corner. There is no problem against the flat faces of the tanks and it actually works a little better as the curve allows you to better select one shrimp out of a crowd.

I used what appears to be galvanized 14awg or 16awg wire (probably from $ store). It's seen over a year of used and no rust.

Netting material came from a mesh bag that held some polish stone (most likely from $ store) which I borrow from my wife. The colour is white. The material is not soft and is slightly more rigid than fabric. The pore are super fine so you can catch even newly hatched.

In term of colour, I've read from a post by a shrimp farmer that white or clear filament seems to be better for catching shrimp than darker colour.

The opening is about 1.5 to 2" in diameter. Any bigger I think will allow you to scoop up more shrimps, but I use my net for culling not for mass transfer.

Everything is held together by hot glue.

I've hand sewn the net into a egg shape so that there is no corner or crevice where the babies might get caught in. As mentioned, the material was somewhat rigid this maintain the half an egg shape form.

When place near a shrimp, they will hop on the net most of the time without having the scoop them up.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Thanks for that LTP.. gives me some good ideas.


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