The Foldable Shrimp Net is a fine-mesh aquarium net designed for catching dwarf shrimp and shrimplets -- the animals in your tank that a standard fish net is too coarse, too heavy, and too aggressive to handle safely. Standard aquarium nets have mesh openings large enough for shrimplets to pass through or become entangled in, and frames stiff enough to damage planted tank surfaces, dislodge hardscape, and stress shrimp through the turbulence of fast sweeping motions. The foldable shrimp net addresses both problems: the fine mesh retains shrimplets as small as newly released juveniles, and the compact, lightweight frame allows slow, precise movement through a planted tank without disturbing substrate, hardscape, or plant structure. The foldable design collapses for storage in a small footprint between uses -- a practical quality in setups where bench and shelf space near the tank is limited. An essential maintenance tool for any keeper who regularly needs to catch, move, or observe individual shrimp.
What It Does
Design and Function
Fine mesh retains shrimplets and small adults without escape or entanglement -- the mesh opening size is small enough to prevent shrimplets from passing through the net openings and coarse enough that water passes freely rather than creating a pressure wave ahead of the net that pushes small shrimp away before the net reaches them. The mesh is also soft enough that shrimp legs do not catch and become entangled on the mesh surface during netting -- a common problem with stiffer, coarser mesh nets when used on delicate dwarf shrimp.
Lightweight frame allows slow precise movement in planted tanks -- the compact, lightweight frame can be moved slowly through a densely planted tank, around hardscape, and under plant leaf canopies without the turbulence that heavier frames create. Slow, precise movement is more effective for catching shrimp than fast sweeping -- shrimp respond to water movement rather than visual threat and a slow-moving net produces less warning current than a fast one.
Foldable design collapses for compact storage -- the frame folds flat for storage between uses, reducing the storage footprint to a fraction of a standard rigid-frame net. This is a practical quality for keepers with multiple tanks and limited storage space, and for travel between tanks in a multi-tank setup.
Soft frame edges protect tank glass, plants, and hardscape -- the frame edges are finished to avoid scratching tank glass during use and to avoid damaging plant leaves or dislodging moss from hardscape when the net passes close to these surfaces. In planted shrimp tanks where hardscape and plant arrangements represent significant investment, a net that can be used without risk of incidental damage is meaningfully more useful than a standard rigid fish net.
Essential for moving shrimp between tanks, selecting breeders, and QT transfers -- the primary uses of a dedicated shrimp net are moving animals between tanks for breeding, selecting specific individuals for observation or isolation, transferring animals to or from quarantine setups, and emergency catch operations when a tankmate issue requires rapid removal of shrimp from a shared setup. In all these scenarios, a fine-mesh, gentle, precise net produces better outcomes than improvised alternatives or coarse fish nets.
How to Use It
Tips for Catching Shrimp
1Move slowly and approach from below rather than above -- shrimp are more alert to threats from above than from below -- a predator approaching from above is the threat they are biologically prepared for. Approach the target shrimp with the net moving upward from below or from the side at the same depth as the animal rather than sweeping down from above. Slow, lateral approach movements produce significantly higher success rates than fast overhead sweeps.
2Herd toward a corner or hardscape junction before netting -- open-water catches are the most difficult -- shrimp in open water can retreat in any direction. Herding a target toward a tank corner, the substrate-glass junction, or the base of a piece of hardscape reduces the escape directions available and increases the likelihood of a successful catch with a single net movement.
3Use a second net or a flat card to block escape routes -- two nets used simultaneously -- one as the capture net and one as a blocker to close the escape route -- produce faster catches with less disturbance to the tank than single-net attempts on mobile individuals. A flat piece of card or a second net held vertically behind the target functions as an effective barrier.
4Rinse and air dry between uses to prevent cross-contamination -- rinse the net in clean water after each use and allow to air dry completely before using in a different tank. This prevents the transfer of pathogens, parasites, or unwanted organisms between tank setups.
Bonus TipKeep the foldable shrimp net immediately accessible near the tank rather than stored in a drawer -- the most common use case for a shrimp net is catching a specific individual quickly when an unexpected situation requires it (a sick shrimp, a shrimp in an unsafe location, a berried female ready for isolation). A net that requires searching for before use adds time and stress to situations that benefit from fast, calm resolution.
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Browse more accessoriesPair your Foldable Shrimp Net with feeding dishes, plant rings, or ceramic plant rings for a complete tank toolkit. Browse our Accessories collection.
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