Martin
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Posts posted by Martin
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Thanks all, sounds like it's going to be just good ole elbow grease then. The shrimp tank has so many nooks and crannies I'll never get some spots, that and I always feel bad when I suck up a shrimplet and the trauma kills them. I had the hunch that a lot of the nice photos were likely recent setups, but wasn't sure if I was just doing something wrong.
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Hey all,
I wanted to solicit for you guys thoughts on how to keep lighter substrates (sand and the like) clean. I love the lighter appearance for some of my setups, but I know eventually its going to get littered with waste and plant material. My RCS tank is currently sand only and it is pretty much impossible to keep it clean. The best I end up with is a peppered appearance due to the volume of shrimp poop.
I see all these photos online of tanks and their sand is practically pristine. I know some are probably professionally kept but I just wonder how it is done.
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Thanks guys. I was leaning the same way, but it's good to have the insight of more experienced folks. I dreaded the thought of introducing some puck of shrimp food and coming home to mass casualties.
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Hey all! I am taking the family on a much-needed vacation in the near future for 5 days. My RCS colony is about 150 to 200 strong in a tank that is very densely packed with lush susswasertang vines and algea growth on the back wall. My inclination was to not even worry about feeding (and risk introducing an untested food source), but I wanted to be safe and ask. Would you guys even bother and, if so, any products you would recommend? Thank you!!
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Annnnnd how might one procure one of these pieces of state of the art technology? Asking for a friend...
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Happy Thankgiving all!
Just as the title says. I'm basically considering using a spare tank as a nursery. All of my tanks do have bladder snails and I am assuming those will likely make their way into this tank as well, but apart from that, the plan is plants-only. That being said, is filtration a necessary thing? I just wasn't sure if a stagnant tank was good or not. Thanks guys!
Martin
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I also wouldn't keep any fish in that tank, especially if you are trying to breed the shrimp. One lone male and female shrimp in the tank would be a challenge enough to breed, but losing the shrimplets to other animal life would make the process needlessly difficult. If anything, I would consider adding a couple more female shrimp.
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Welp... Momma has passed. She is survived by a countless score of her fry. I did her the honor of burying her in our garden. May she rest in peace.
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Thank you all. @Flumpweesel The store only had 3x females the day I brought her home and they were all full grown, so I'd like to believe she has had a good, solid life.
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Momma bear is sick. In her guppy tank, she was one of the original three female guppies that bore the rest of the population. She is special from the others though because she was born with a spine deformity that gave her a hunchback appearance. Despite this, she has always been a happy and healthy resident amongst her family. As the population grew, she become only one of a few guppies that I could recognize on sight.
I don't always see her due to the amount of hardscape and plants I keep; I just figured she was hidden away somewhere hiding from her suitors. It wasn't until I did a deep clean of the tank this evening that Momma scurried away from a little spot near the sponge filter. I dropped to eye-level to say hello and it was then that I saw her once round and healthy belly had lost all volume and that she was only slowly fluttering her fins. When placing her in an isolation box and the poor thing didn't/couldn't even run from the net. She literally just allowed herself to get scooped up. She doesn't swim; she won't eat. I feel guilty, like I should have seen it sooner. I'm heartbroken over a guppy. I didn't know that was possible.
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Ooooh... those are great pieces of dragon stone! Just use a soft toothbrush to loosen any excess dirt, then boil them. Be careful, dragon stone is brittle and will break if you use too much force. Don't lose the woooooood! Wood is so beautiful!! Bear in mind, the overall look changes once the plants are added in.
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I vacuum as needed. My RCS tank population is getting up there and the amount of poop is impressive. I'd rather just leave everything alone for the same reasons you mentioned, but I get nervous after a point and feel the need to at least get the large collections. But I agree with you on all counts; it is a pain and even when removing the acrylic tube, using the flexible plastic tubing just doesn't get where and what I want.
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@nabokovfan87 Thanks for checking on me buddy! No major changes as of yet. I've basically trimmed down the amount I'm feeding the RCS and monitoring for change.
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Hey gang! Sorry TLDR!
I'll tell you now to go to Amazon and search "orchid flower pot" and you will see something like this:
My RCS tank uses a sand substrate and also has susswassertang in it, so any significant current will eject material all over the water column. My wife is an avid gardener and I had noticed these special flower pots she uses for her orchids. I was like, "Huh." I basically take a small one, place it in a slightly larger one and basically just pour water into them. The dual barrier pretty much takes out any violent forces water entry would create. Unless you are filling a brand new tank from the bottom, pretty much nothing is disturbed. Even if you are filling a new tank, there is really minimal displacement. Thank you, wife!
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Quote
(This is where you guys tell me those are benign and everything is fine.)
Thank you guys! I appreciate all of you following my instructions! Except you, @nabokovfan87! 🤣
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I don't THNK I'm dealing with planaria (thank God, just read about them). Their heads don't appear to have that characteristic arrowhead nor do I see any eyespots. I first noticed one maybe 2 weeks ago, so I figure, even if it was young, it has had time to develop those giveaway characteristics by now? I suspect they are rhabdocoela worms (head and tail both rounded in shape) based on some online sleuthing but I just wanted to solicit the opinions of your smart people.
As for your questions:
1. The tank is a 20G long with an Aquaclear HOB appropriate for tank size on one end with flow assisted by a pump on the opposite end of the tank. In terms of plants, it only has marimo moss balls and self-made susswassertang vines. Some of the moss balls I have had for several years now, but I had purchased additional moss balls about a month ago not knowing about the whole Zebra mussel situation (no wonder they were so hard to find). Fortunately, I haven't had any issues on that end, though it is the possible vector for my new tenants.
2. I do PWCs each week with the last vacuuming last week. I don't vacuum that tank too often due to all the shrimp babies in there that inevitably get sucked up.
The worms do not appear to free float, which I'm guessing are more likely to be a characteristic of detrius worms?
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Hi all!
My shrimp tank recently picked up a new lifeform somehow and I don't know what they are and if I should be concerned.
There aren't a huge number, but their population is increasing. I only see them on the glass, but they are small (roughly 0.5 to 1mm) and semi-transparent, so they could be elsewhere too. Anyone able to ID my new "friend"?
(This is where you guys tell me those are benign and everything is fine.)
Thank you!
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I love guppies; they are beautiful and easy to keep, but yeah, they are like rabbits on steroids! What the heck to do you do with all of them!? I know I could just keep an all-male tank, but I like to let nature take its course. The tank can sustain them now, but I'm worried they will reach a tipping point. Do you guys just let "survival of the fittest" keep populations in check?
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On 6/8/2022 at 1:03 PM, FishPlanet said:
I started with 6 blue neocaridina shrimp. It then went over 30.
Yup, I second neocaridina! I started a 10g red cherry shrimp tank with 20 shrimp about 3 or 4 months ago... population around 50 now. They are a fantastic starter species because they require no special water conditions to breed. Just feed them, keep them happy with places to play/hide, and they will breed.
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On 5/26/2022 at 11:32 AM, Patrick_G said:
Don’t worry, you’re about to get advice from at least six other forum members that will say don’t do it. 😁
Not if I don't check back!
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On 5/26/2022 at 11:09 AM, Patrick_G said:
Yes, those are sturdy dressers and like you said the weight of the 20 long would be spread out over 30” and the center leg adds extra support. This is much sturdier than some of the stands you’ll see at Petco.
You are simultaneously my favorite and my wife's least favorite person today.
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Good morning all,
I am trying to free up my 10g tank to become a quarantine tank. It is currently my RCS tank and the population is already about 50 shrimp so I was thinking to upgrade the tank to a 20g long. My 10g currently sits on my Ikea Hemnes 8-drawer dresser (below) along with a small 3g tank I use to isolate fry. The dresser below is made of solid wood pieces (i.e. not particle board) and the center of the dresser actually has a middle leg that you cannot see in the photo. I would estimate the current weight on the top of the dresser is roughly 120 pounds after all the knick-knacks have been added in. Do any of you have any experience with these types of situations? The dresser is pretty darn sturdy and the width of the tank would distribute the weight pretty well across all five legs. If I were to do this, I would definitely remove all else on the top to reduce load. Thanks for your big brains!
Martin
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Welp, I've swapped out the old 10g HOB for an Aquaclear for 20g tanks, popped in 2x sponges and a bag of ceramic rings... intake sponge filter should arrive later today. While it gets settled, I've pulled out the old cartridges from the 10g HOB and left them sitting in the tank.
I've also moved the heater to the center of the tank with the secondary flow pump positioned in the back at the opposite end from the HOB to circulate the warm water more evenly.
Any other suggestions? A HUGE thank you to all!
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LED lighting question
in General Discussion
Posted
So... sorry if this is a stupid question. I never bothered to really think about all the available spectrums of light on my tank LEDs as I have always defaulted to the "full blast" white and just tinkered with the brightness level. Is there a use/purpose to each monochome option apart from "mood lighting"? I know my 24/7 modes will cycle through some of the colors to replicate various times of day, but is there any biological use/benefit beyond that?