AllFishNoBrakes

If it was my tank, I’d go ahead and scrape the glass to your liking, and then add a couple fish. Personally, I would add the Amanos later. I’d want the fish to ensure the cycle keeps going, and I’d want the Amanos to help clean up the algae. I only have Amanos in my 6 gallon cube. My girlfriend brought them home for me as a surprise, and I wasn’t sure that tank was mature enough for them. They’ve been fine and I still have them a couple years later, but if I had it my way I would’ve waited longer. All that is to say, adding them now is probably fine, but like @Tony s said, I’d be concerned about their very little bioload to keep the cycle going. What fish do you plan to stock in there?

Precisely. We’re all good! Diverse thoughts, opinions, and experiences are necessary and invited on my end. All I know is that I’ve never personally seen cons from doing the med trio, and I have had bad experiences when I didn’t do it. That, and I did the med trio on my Chili’s and they were just fine to circle back to OP’s question before we hijacked their thread 😂

Right, that’s what I meant by not water changing and redosing like the box says to do. Instead, one initial dose, and then let it marinate. We’re on the same page 🙂 I view it no differently than vaccinating my dog, or myself for that matter. Every time I’ve decided I wouldn’t quarantine with meds I’ve ended up regretting it. Doesn’t mean it’s the only way, I’ve just never personally experienced any cons from doing it.

I use a full dose of Maracyn, Ich-X, and Paraclranse when I QT. Granted, I do one packet of each and one initial dose of Ich-X and let it marinate for a week. Maybe that’s what you mean by not doing the full dose in that you don’t water change daily and redose meds.

I did the med trio on my group of 20 and didn’t lose any to the QT process.

I’ve never done hydrogen peroxide, but if I was going to try I would do it everyday.

I use methylene blue. Just a couple drops in my 2.5 gallon hatchery tank. Put it in once and leave it until they’ve hatched. Once they hatch, water change it out. Hydrogen Peroxide can work, but it quickly breaks down to water and oxygen, meaning you have to re dose.

I bought mine from Walmart. Just your standard, black poster board. I got super fancy with mine. Cut it to size, and then taped the 4 corners around the back corner of the tank. Super fancy!

I put a black poster board background on most of my tanks. I would absolutely do that if there was a window behind it. The natural light plus your tank light will be an algae producing nightmare, in my opinion.

In my experience, I believe the API test to be more accurate, but you have to follow the instructions EXACTLY as they’re written. My API liquid test, when done correctly, will read like 40ppm, and the ACO test strips will read 0.

I’ve never done it, but I assume that the aquasoil will just end up all over the place. Also, I think you’d want it under your substrate as that’s where the roots from the plants will be.

All you need in a 10 gallon is a small sponge filter. That’s all my 10’s run on. I used to run a 20 long on just a small sponge filter, too.

Also agree with @Tony s above. I’ve had 14 tanks for 4 years, and I’ve only tested pH a handful of times. Mine tends to run in the mid to high 6’s as well. Soft water with little kH. I don’t chase the numbers though. I focus on consistency instead.

Do you have a way to test ammonia? How long has your tank been set up? When you say safe for nitrite and nitrate, what does that mean? Not trying to bombard you with questions; instead, we’re trying to get a full scope so we can help.

Are you using a dechlorinator?

I agree that a well seasoned tank is the secret to success with shrimp. You want algae for the shrimp to graze on. You want moss for the shrimp to graze on. Seasoned is more than just cycled, and you want a seasoned tank to be successful with shrimp.

If you’re nervous, and if you can do it, run both filters for a few weeks, and then take the old one off. I know you said you couldn’t really do that, but that’s kind of your other option.

My first shrimp tank I started with 15, locally bred cherry shrimp. 20 long with just shrimp and snails. Bred and sold 100’s of them before converting the tank to what it is now. For me personally, I’d still probably start with 15. Even for a 2.5 gallon tank. Should get a nice mix of male and females that way, and if you lose a couple you’ll still have good numbers to start with.

Shrimp, and only shrimp. If you wanna add something else, snails. 2.5 is extremely limiting in your options.

Rocky Mountains stand up! Love the cooler as a pond idea. Immediately one of those “huh, makes sense, but I never would’ve thought of that” moments. Stoked to see these guys in the pots you make!

Not your bad, nothing to be ashamed of at all. We’re all here to help and wanna see each other succeed. Let us know if you have any questions along the way and we’d be happy to help!

None. This tank is no filter and no fertilizer. Just 1/4" dirt with a gravel cap, a Fluval nano plant light, and 2 years of patience to achieve the Pearl Weed forest that I have now.

Idk, maybe get a new spouse? Jk. It’s a tough one with no right/correct answer.

I personally would hesitate to use it as it’s 75% peat. It says it’s pH adjusted, not over time I’m not sure how that would work. Also, 10 lbs is probably way more than you would ever need. I used about 1/4” of dirt for my tank. I used Miracle Gro Organic Potting Soil for my dirted, no filter tank. Works great. Tank is over 2 years old and crushing it.

Ya, 22 C might be a little chilly for an Angel, but I’m not 100% sure. My breeding pair is at like 74 F, and they still breed all the time. I probably wouldn’t worry too too much about dropping that a couple more degrees, but it just might not be “ideal”. An Angel would probably be more chill (pun intended) at that temp.