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Today I have been prepping the aquariums for the Gravel and crushed coral with root tabs for standard tank number 1 vs Eco-complete for standard tank number 2 vs Walstad tank 3 experiment. But, I wasn't planning on catfish though...

Decisions, decisions. Where to place this little guy...

Amanos come from a different genus than the other shrimp that you purchased and will only reproduce in brackish water. Females can become berried in freshwater but the larval young will not survive. It's rather common for Neocaridina shrimp to develop stripes down their back and it usually doesn't affect their grading (example below). The color change/translucence is likely because the rest of your shrimp are mutations within the same species. If you mix different color mutations, it's much more common that you will have wild type offspring. This is why most people will separate their Neocaridinas based on color. If you're interested in shrimp hybridization I highly recommend that you look into Caridina shrimp species (most often Taiwan bee) as the results are a lot more appealing to most people.

The eggs have hatched and now I can see the little wiggler baby gouramis in the nest.

Don't try this at home. Don't alert the fish police. Whatever you do, don't feed them after midnight. Look, I've been keeping fish for over 30 years. I like a challenge every now and then, and I need something to help with the occasional boredom. So watch me crash and burn attempt to run a large school of nano fish in a 5 gallon tank, hoping to get them all moving in a single direction around a center island. Why is it a challenge? It's going to be especially difficult because I intend to introduce enough nano fish (probably ember tetras, also considering chili rasboras) to get them to school in a continuous direction. That will likely require dozens, if not more. It breaks all the rules for nano tanks, and guarantees I will be a slave to this thing on a bi-daily basis as long as it is place. Other than that, should be a snap! 😉 That's the plan, anyway. So let's talk about the setup. (All links are non-affiliate.) TANK I started with a Fluval Chi 5 gallon tank, simply because I've never played with it before. This tank presented several challenges that I didn't see coming, and I had to adapt to them pretty quickly. But I chose it because Fluval glass always seems to be clearer than most, and the sharp edges also reduce distortion. That's also is why I didn't opt for a cylindrical tank or one with curved corners, such as the Marineland Portrait. I was also limited by my bedroom nightstand space, otherwise I might have been tempted to use the Aqueon 15 Column instead. FILTER The first order of business was to hot-rod the filter and remove any dependency on consumable materials. This filter lives in a box that creates the illusion of floating in the water. It is combined with a fairly weak light, all in one unit. The filter works by sucking water up through the bottom, next to the light, and then pumps it out the top, where the stream of water hits a plastic dome and waterfalls down the front. Cute. I replaced the filter's flimsy piece of foam and disposable cartridge with a couple pieces of medium-coarse and fine foam that I had left over from my overly-complicated box filter project. I had to cut them to shape, but these should be a permanent replacement. They were also a tight fit, but the foam squeezed in there well enough. Water flow did not seem to be disrupted, but I will need to keep an eye on things. BACKGROUND Next up, I painted the back with a few coats of black acrylic paint. I do this with almost all of my tanks. INITIAL SETUP Time for a quick setup to see how it all works. I used sand and water from a fully seasoned tank; hopefully this seeded enough bacteria where I won't need to worry too much about cycling. I also dropped in a few platies from my livebearer Skittles tank. I'll also squeeze in some mulm from a tank cleaning this weekend. Notice how the light is low and weak? Since it's powered by the same cord as the filter, I can't put it on a timer. Must do something about that. FILTER LID The dome lid and water stream at the top of this tank are a little obnoxious. There's an LED light in there that is turned on 100% of the time and cannot be turned off. I didn't realize this at first, but that feature is totally unacceptable for a bedroom tank. I solved this by removing the dome and applying a trick that many other Fluval Chi owners have done: covering it all with river rocks: TANK LID This kit needs a serious light upgrade. Knowing that I will be adding lights to the lid, I spray painted it with a couple layers of black primer, followed by several coats of Plasti-Dip. This is my go-to coating for all things freshwater: it's inert when cured, causes water to bead up for easy cleaning, and the rubbery texture hides imperfections. LIGHTS I was looking for something bright, simple, yet waterproof. After much hunting and searching, I stumbled across the replacement hood for the Aqueon 15 Column tank. At $42, it was more than I wanted to pay, but it ticked all the boxes with NO LABOR. The lights popped right out of the hood's housing, and as it turns out, they ALREADY HAD DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE INSTALLED ON THEIR BACKS!! I stuck them to the underside of the lid, and it was ready to go! What I had expected to be the hardest part of this project became the easiest! Such simplicity was worth the extra $20. HEATER I picked up a generic 25 watt pre-set heater on Amazon for ten bucks. No fuss, no muss. SETUP COMPLETE After installing everything, I threw in a few spare Anubias for temporary cover for the fish, and stepped back to take a look. The light is bright, but looks great! And now I can use a timer. So that's it for now. The next update will be about making that center island for the fish to swim around. I'm thinking about gluing some Anubias nana petite to a fake tree trunk, bonsai style. I hope that will be full-bodied enough for the fish to want to circle. Plants are arriving from the Coop tomorrow! Thanks for reading! Bill

Okay, so I'm going to try it. But I ended up going with something a lot smaller than I originally intended: This is a 5 gallon Fluval Chi, with several mods I've made over the last few days. The plants and platies are temporary. After I make a real centerpiece island (bonsai-inspired tree with Anubias), I'm going to do something totally crazy and ill-advised. I'm going to try to fill this with enough ember tetras to see if I can get the directional schooling going in one direction. Maybe dozens of them. Maybe more. I recognize this is crazy advanced level stuff and that I'll be changing water every couple days and checking parameters constantly. And having a larger tank ready as a backup. Nobody tell the fish police! Watch the Journals forum for one of my over-detailed threads about the setup and mods! EDIT: Here it is.

I think this is pretty accurate. And yeah, what Irene said. Though, I have cheated on the 6-12 months a time or two with clean up crew, but been prepared to feed heavy to compensate. I am an impatient soul, but knowing which corners you can and can't cut helps. Early tanks have wild swings in more than nitrogen cycle--pH/GH/KH can all drift around too while wood becomes saturated, mulm builds in the substrate, maybe your substrate has some (intended or unintended) activity, etc. If you are starting with aged decor and substrate repurposed from another tank, if you are feeding heavy and the tank is cycled, if you have live flourishing plants, and some algae, I would say you are getting close. But if every parameter has been stable for just a month, that is not saying it wont do something crazy next month. If it is stable for a year, you can feel more confident. So I have 100+ RCS in my shrimp tank. I will throw 3 in a newer tank. If they grow and molt and seem happy, I will put in 15-20 a month later. If they seem stressed I can move them back. I would not order $50 worth of fancy shrimp and experiment like that.

I like them a lot and throw them into new tanks often. Now if they just multiplied like guppy grass does, I'd have a tribbles problem on my hand.

I kept 7 sparkling gourami in a 10 gallon on my desk. They aren't fussy about temp, the heater I had in there eventually died and I just didn't put another one back in there and left it at room temp. They did fine. Temps were between 74-78. They do appreciate low flow. I had a HOB on it but I also had it heavily planted with a mass of floating hornwort which just caught and baffled out all the flow. They rarely ventured over to hang out in the direct flow. I saw the ghost shrimp there more often than the sparklers. Plants are important! Like betta, every leaf is a new thing to inspect around, above, under, etc. Only they do it as a group instead of solo. They like having plants to dart back into when they get spooked, they also like to lay on/sleep on plants. But it also kept the water super clean. I dont think the nitrates in that tank ever got above 10ppm. They initially started out very shy and would all go hide on the opposite side of the hornwort or java fern every time I sat at my desk or even walked by it. But, after about a month they got settled in and also came to recognize me as the food god, and became much less shy. They came to watch me just as much as I watched them. They have a fascinating social structure, which is a big part of why I enjoyed having them so much. Its like a tiny little soap opera on your desk. Every day a new squabble or bicker - all of which is sorted out with whisker smacking and a lot of bluffing, or even the occassional croak if things get really heated. But part of their social structure actually became 'who got to be closest to the person' as they would all try to cram themselves into the corner closest to me and then shove each other around to establish who had the 'prime viewing spot.' We're watching you human. Now, I never had a lid on this tank. Could they have jumped? Probably. But I had so much plant mass in there that they didn't. They bred after a couple years. They breed like bettas, building a tiny bubble nest (it was only maybe the size of a nickel, it was tiny) the male wraps himself around the female, fertilizes the eggs and then spits them into the nest. The other sparklers just kept around a four inch or so spacing from the nest while it was being tended. I'm sure they ate some of the eggs/fry, but the hornwort was so dense some made it. They probably fed off infusoria that no doubt lived in the tank on the plants in the beginning. I crushed up some flakes and fed the tank with that but I really wasn't trying to raise more sparkler fry. Several still made it. Eventually a friend, who was infatuated with them, asked if they could have my group of sparklers. They had a 33 hex, so I caught all the sparklers and transferred them and the hornwort and gathered up some valisneria from my other tanks for them to set that tank up as planted as well. I think I pulled 12 or 14 sparklers out of that 10 gallon. They went on to continue their little colony in the larger tank and bred several more times in there.

I wish they wouldn't use moss in the name. From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marimo Marimo[a] (also known as Cladophora ball, moss ball, moss ball pets, or lake ball) is a rare growth form of Aegagropila linnaei (a species of filamentous green algae) in which the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance. Marimo are eukaryotic.

Hey all, so last time I posted a solar set up for the usb nano pump, it was for one pump. A sort of plug and play set up you didn't have to think about but is expensive, considering it was only powering one pump. Then I saw this video: And realized you can cut the power consumption of AqCoop usb nano pump to 3/16 of a watt. Knowing that for about $100 you can build a small solar system to power 4 of the AqCoop nano pumps. Provided you take advantage of the hack in the video. I mathed it out and and a 20 watt panel with a 12Ah battery will power 4 usb nano pumps for most people living in the USA. I'm a project manager for a small solar installation company for people who are in need of credentials. In the picture I used parts I happened to have laying around the shop. That being said I made a shopping list should you want to build one for yourself. None of the following links are affiliated Panel and charge controller kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07RZBVTGR/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=AETKFZLJFO5AR&psc= Battery: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00K53FG5Q/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 Honestly thats all you need to get started running two pumps because the charge controller that comes with the solar panel has 2 usb outputs. If you want to run more than 2 pumps; Extra usb outputs: "updated to a dual usb output" https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07FLZ6Q5L/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=A2N5NE5XPDEZYK&psc=1 Optional battery leads: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07M5M8ZCG/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=A35S5P187G2BY3&psc=1 I say optional because you can just use the gator clips as I have, but if you want a more solid cleaner connection and you don't have the tools or parts to make your own leads, then here's an option. I also use this tub to contain the system but you can use any tub really, this is just what I had laying around. https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-7-Gal-Tough-Storage-Bin-in-Black-206152/305185634 Putting the system together is pretty straightforward once you get the parts in your hand but I can make a video for the form should anybody want me to. Key thing to remember connect your battery to the charge controller BEFORE you connect your solar panel. Also if you have any questions on how to size a system, let's say you want it to run 10 pumps or you want to build a system to run a liner piston pump feel free to ask.

Do you have a favorite area to place the Aquarium Co-Op Stickers? 👀

This is one product that no one has been able crack. I think this diy version is pretty cool. There have been others to try and solve this, but this is the best one I have come across in awhile. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-auto-frozen-food-feeder.753039/#post-7893236

I see people talk a lot about certain species that need to be put into a “mature” tank. What does that mean? Just very stable ongoing parameters? Like, you know your water change schedule and it’s a week+ dependably? The fish all stop bickering and learn to settle their disagreements through civil discussion? A special type of algae pops up and then vanishes forever?

I tied mine to my the cable for my heater

Ive found its more challenging but still possible to keep them with high flow. I have a ton of water movement in my fluval flex tank and water lettuce is still doing well. The smaller plants like frogbit just make a mess until they die off from tumbling in the water constantly but ive found that larger pieces of water lettuce are able to stay afloat and just swirl around in the tank. The roots do get damaged tho and it does cause a little bit of a mess but its worth the trade off for me so far.

Looks like anacharis. If anacharis is illegal in your region, it's probably another kind of elodea. Either way, it's a hardy, easy-to-grow plant that can be planted or floated.

They are gorgeous fish!!! 😍

Hi folks, Really looking forward to seeing this forum grow. Currently down at 4 tanks at the minute. Have been fish keeping for a few years now starting with African cichlids but have recently moved to planted tanks (blame @Cory for this ☺)

I'm so sorry. These kinds of losses are so hard. Many wishes for a better day tomorrow.

Yes, the ammonia spike can come from the worms or parasites that are being affected by the medication. I believe that's why Greg recommends doing a 20-30% water change (with gravel vacuuming) before dose 1 and before dose 2 to remove any dead organic material. Also, don't forget to a second treatment of levamisole again in 2 weeks to kill any eggs that have since hatched (since the medication doesn't affect eggs). Hope that helps! Source: http://www.selectaquatics.com/Website redone Front Page/levamisole_hydrochloride_Insert.htm

Mulm's the word here

With needle valves on a bubblers on a single CO2 line you can run different levels of CO2.

Let's make it a back-to-back post day. Guess what is in this giant crate?

I usually think of it as a stable aquarium that has been running for more than 6-12 months and has an established ecosystem that can support baby fry, dwarf shrimp, etc. Signs could include lots of healthy plants, algae growing on the back or side walls, biofilm, tiny infusoria, and of course beneficial bacteria.

Florida flag fish are an option so long as water temp doesn't get under 55. Paradise fish are also an option, they're surprisingly hardy to a pretty wide range on temperature. Just don't keep them with tiny fish like white clouds or rice fish because they will eat them. They'll breed in a tub with plants outside pretty easily, at least they did here in Florida, so I'm assuming your temps will be fairly similar.

What is your definition of nano? I have a 300 gallon that I'm working on being almost "nano" The reason it is almost nano is because I do have one fish in there that is pushing 4 inches but everything else is under 3 most are right around 2. I'm working with hillstream species so I have a bunch of US natives and some gobies the stiphodons may be shrimp safe but they would probably eat baby's I have also heard that panda loach are shrimp safe and kuhli loaches won't mess with the adults.

I know people have had good success with Japanese Rice Fish too. They are harder to find but there are breeders out there selling them. Plus they are easy to breed.

And to add to that, you still need to feed them once the algae is gone. Lots of "algae eaters" end up starving.

I would add that in reference to algae eaters you need to have lots of visible algae before you add them. It is surprising how many people will "preemptively" buy algae eaters for a brand new tank and then NOT feed them.

totally off topic, but I have always wanted to use this technique to stencil a word on a brick wall here in Seattle. If I started in fall I bet it would take.

For a dry start on moss what I usually do after painting it on is place it into a container, mist the driftwood until it's damp (not sopping wet or else you will grow mold), and cover it tightly in cling wrap. This keeps the environment humid and also maximizes the CO2 that the moss has access to. Some people will dry start entire tanks using moss and plants that can grow emersed and then flood it later, but it's also possible to dry start moss on aquarium decor and do the method in its own container for about a month or so (the amount of time depends on the species, this is how long it has taken me with willow moss).

I would use some hornwort or guppy grass. As well as somthing with lots of surface area for the shrimp to graze on.

I think that Java moss or subwassertang are great low-tech plants that shrimp would love having around!

Another method similar to plastic canvas is using plastic gutter guard, as it's usually cheaper than plastic canvas depending on where you live or for larger scale projects. I've also had good results by processing equal amounts of moss and water roughly in a blender and then painting it onto surfaces and doing a dry start. This works best on broader surfaces (I've personally done it on Mopani wood), I had to use cotton thread for my bonsai in my 5.5g.

I did! My old place was overrun with angelfish so don't think I didn't slow down and admire those when they first showed up. But I need to not have angelfish for at least another ten years.

PEA PUFFER. Coolest 5 gallon ever

Please excuse the mulm. These are the only photos i had. Heres my 10g corner desk tank. Im very limited on space so i squeezed a tank into the only spot i had.

I have specifically used the fruit flavor, and the generic brand too. I definitely needed it because their shells were very, VERY weak for a while there. The tums brought em back to health. I haven't seen any ill effects and they have been breeding more for me.

I don't actually have a 10 set up right now (not even a quarantine tank). So I don't have current pictures of a nano tank. But, when I had my last 10 set up it was home to 7 sparkling gourami. And it was an incredibly simple scape, BDBS substrate, a couple rocks with some java fern tied to it, and a bunch of floating guppy grass. Which they loved and spawned in. Sometimes, simple is good. ....seems I dont have any pics of the whole tank any more, just a couple small pics of the sparklers themselves.

Used the wrong sieve for rinsing baby brine shrimp most went down the drain 🤦🏼‍♂️

The co-op bumper sticker also fits perfectly on the side of the Linear Piston Air Pump too 👌

https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/08/24/a-baby-whale-was-born-at-the-shedd-aquarium-and-he-already-weighs-139-pounds/

Not exactly "fish" news but I thought is pretty awesome. Watch a diver swim right next to a 12-foot giant squid in Japan

Any guesses on what these will be used for? 🤔

I'm drooling a little... I would actually love the look of an aquarium with this as the substrate! but I really love rocks 😄

Those are very cool. You should post some pics after you set the tank up id love to see how it turns out

I wouldn't be afraid to using any of those rocks. I don't know how I know that, but they all are crystallinish, metamorphicish, just look unreactive to me. Definitely no limestone there!

Oooh! Pinball! Keep the health insurance, just give me pinball.

Well, a bit of a sad update today. Both bamboo shrimp have finally died. I started doing more research online. What could I have done wrong? And GOSH DARN IT I FIGURED IT OUT. I'm angry I didn't figure it out sooner. First I thought it was because of the food, so I changed back the food. I thought that HAD to be it. Then I thought it was the Flourish excel, so I stopped dosing it. That HAD to be it. Then I thought it was the filter flow, so I increased the flow AND added an internal filter to increase it even further. I was sure THAT was the answer. Didn't see any improvement; they were hanging in there but not eating normally, hiding all day. What else could I do? Went online today (not for the first time) and FINALLY found this: "Note Regarding Copper & Plant Fertilizer: A big Bamboo Shrimp care issue involves copper. As with all freshwater aquarium shrimp, its important to avoid copper, as it’s fatal to them. Also be careful with plant fertilizer pellets. Once placed in the substrate, plant fertilizer pellets remain there and dissolve slowly. But if the substrate gets moved around and the dissolved pellets get stirred up, it releases whatever is in them into the water column. This sudden burst of plant fertilizer in the water column can be consumed in large concentrations by filter feeding shrimp, and it may be harmful or fatal to them. So check to see if the plant fertilizer of choice is “shrimp safe”. And even if it is, take care not to accidentally release bursts of the fertilizer into the water column." SON OF A GUN. I had been dosing Flourish (not Fluorish excel) throughout the entire ordeal. I never thought any company would be STUPID enough to put copper in an aquarium fertilizer without clearly printing "NOT SAFE FOR INVERTS" somewhere in there. I was also just watching some YouTube vids saying you should dose ferts until nitrates reached 20ppm. Considering my tank is heavily planted, I gave an uber dose yesterday. And today, DEAD SHRIMP! So they were hanging on during the low dose, but the uber dose was just too much to overcome, especially when already weak. And all the over inverts that were suffering too? Makes sense now, doesn't it? Assassin snail population? Down. Cherry shrimp colony? Decimated. Uuuuugh. Whelp. Live and learn. Luckily I just got Easy Green from the Co-op, and it does NOT have copper. Clearly says shrimp safe. In other news, the cory fry are doing ok. I started with 13, then realized 3 weren't alive. Lost two more overnight, but not sure why. I think its just a result of normal losses. I have live baby brine hatching now, and Hikari fry food. I still see their egg sacs on some. I have been doing 50% water changes and have not been using methylene blue since they hatched. I have been very careful to dechlorinate water before adding it. (I have lost axolotl fry this way before.) There is not heater in the container now; I'm not sure when, but I would like to transfer them to a breeding box in the main tank soon.