Flytrap

Thanks this is great new info for me. I had planned on only cleaning one sponge filter at a time so that remains the same. I also have well water and the water parameters work well for my inhabitants. As I wrote before I have been trying to clean the filters as @Cory does but I think this time I'll try it your way and see how it works. Probably a good swishing in the small white pail or clear container first. I also had a wonderful surprise last night before going to sleep: Seeing a baby glow light tetra swimming in the Java Moss.😃 I had no idea they were spawning. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Hi and Thanks for your post. I got and appreciate your humor and am quite glad to get your thoughts on this. Honestly, I'm not quite sure if cleaning the sponge is in fact needed. This tank will only have been set up for 2 months starting next week. The sponge filters certainly look clean enough but before there were shrimp babies I did wring out a lot of fish ****. Sorry just don't remember the rules re: language. I absolutely love that the shrimp are taking up residence there along with the snails, Otocinclus and platies at this point doing the same thing it looks like yours are. The one difference though is this is all I have. No Hob filter. At this point this is all I want to put in. I know that must sound crazy but there's a reason for it. So far I think the inhabitants I have are doing fine. One of the platies is pregnant and the cherry shrimp are reproducing like I've never seen before. Any thoughts by you on my new information on this post are appreciated. Thanks.

Whoops, I meant before going to the main cleaning of the filter.

Thanks for your thoughts. I'll try this (along with a fine brine shrimp/fry net to bring them back to the tank) before going the main cleaning.

We'll see. Maybe I'll get some new ones at the LFS. Thanks.

Thanks again for your thoughts. Generally I drip acclimate when moving shrimp and will do the same but I am glad you reminded me of moving a pregnant female could be risky. I do have plenty of juveniles now that would probably work. As to Cherry shrimp in the main community tank, that's one of the things I love about them, seeing them going to work in the Java Moss and knowing they help the water and aren't considered much of an addition to the bio load. The challenge of having them survive with other larger "diners" is also fun to observe. You might be able to help with one more issue re: drip acclimation. I know that shrimp are sensitive to temperature changes along with abrupt changes in ph. The room temperature is pretty close to the tank but if it's drip acclimating for one to 2 hours, there could be a 2-3 degree difference. Is that too much or do you know how much of a difference creates a problem? Best, FT

Thank you @Tihshho and @lefty o for your thoughts. This was pretty much what I was ready to try so I have the white buckets and smaller white pails ready. I have also set up a 10 gallon nursery/quarantine tank so hopefully I will get a nice shrimp population going there. Now I've just watched the you tube presentation by @Cory on the AC powerhead which could change everything if I try it out. 🤣. My main tank is 30 x 20 x 18 high. The nano usb pumps are great but the new AC powerhead would help with more flow and picking up more waste attached to a sponge filter. Anyway, Thanks again.

Hi Everyone, I responded to the post a few days ago on whether a sponge filter could suck up fry. I wrote that I have 3 medium sized Aquarium Co-op sponge filters now with the USB nano pumps, 1 for each, and the cherry shrimp have been breeding regularly. The babies have not been sucked in and can be seen moving around the outside going in. I don't really have an idea on how many could be in each filter but I also see many babies in the tank in the Java Moss on the spider wood and throughout the plants in the tank. I mention this because it would not be a total loss of babies if I couldn't save them but I am hoping someone has an idea on how to save the babies that are in the filters. They are due to be cleaned, at least one anyway. So far I've used the method demonstrated by @Cory. That is before there were shrimp babies. @Odd Duck sounds like you're experienced with baby shrimp and these filters. Any thoughts by you and any who have experience with this issue would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I have 3 medium ACO sponge filters in my approximately 45 gallon tank powered by the usb nano pumps. I definitely notice baby cherry shrimp exploring in the filters and haven't been overpowered by the pumps. My concern now though is how to clean the filters using the method by @Cory . Sounds like your system works well for you @Odd Duck. How do you clean the filters without losing the little ones? Thanks all for your thoughts.

Thanks again Frank. The reminders of plant and fish benefiting from lower light settings were needed. I've had tanks since I was 10 yrs. old and last month I hit the big 60. What's funny, and I have no idea of your age but you have a lot more experience in using the Fluval 3.0 than I do. One of the things that makes this hobby for me at least so fascinating. Every time something new arrives I become a beginner all over again.

Thanks, @Frank so much for your response. I was wondering the same thing about possibly ramping it up higher when hopefully some floating plants begin to fill in. Thanks also for including your settings. Do you think that beginning at 25% will be enough for the P.S. Octopus in the back? I also was thinking about Dwarf Sag. in the foreground but think that will be a bit complicated for now in the beginning since ideally I would like it to be carpeting.

Does anyone have recommendations at what settings I should set for these mainly low light plants? They are listed on my previous post. See all tank dimensions in the previous post . The gravel will be around 2" deep and my water is generally hard, ph 7.6. I will be cycling the tank using plants and fertilizer (easy green), no C02. Since it's starting out does that mean the beginning percentage of light should begin at 25% and brought up higher every few weeks or should it begin even at a lower setting? Thanks

Thank you @Streetwise, @StephenP2003 and others for sharing your insight, settings and more re: the Fluval 3.0. I recently bought my Fluval 3.0 and am excited to get it up and running. My tank has not arrived but it will be approximately 55 gallons with a height of 18", length of 30" and depth (front to back) of 20". I will be planting the tank with mainly low light plants: foreground: crypts (Parva and Lucens, I hope) and Anubias, Java Ferns, etc. glued on to spider wood in the mid tank area, and hopefully some Pogosteman Stellatus Octopus in the back. Also water sprite, wisteria, etc. I know the crypts, java ferns, etc. call for much lower light settings/percentages on the Fluval 3.0 but am unsure of what to begin with, since it will be new plants cycling the tank and how high of a percentage to ultimately end up with once the plants are established. I will also be fertilizing with Easy Green. Many Thanks for your thoughts, Flytrap

Hi all, I used an under gravel filter on a tank that had already been running for many years. I moved and the nearby pet shop had ugf's and I reset the tank using the same gravel etc. The tank was a freshwater planted with livebearers: platies, mollies, guppies, etc. Everything thrived with the under gravel filters and I never had any problems. I did regular water changes. So I think they are great. I've since set up a 285 gallon tank with a sump with breeding Kribs and livebearers. I had forgotten all about ugf's and also read that they were considered a bad choice. After recently seeing Cory's talk on UGF's and then his set up for platies and guppies using one. He was using a Lee's. Does anyone know if it was a Lee's premium or original model. Thank you all and of course Thank you Cory for all of your information. Flytrap

I used one in my planted freshwater tank that was already “seasoned” many years. Upon moving I visited a local pet shop and I saw the Penn Plax under tow UGF. I reset up the tank and the plants and fish thrived!!! I did regular water changes and can say everything was much healthier than before using it. I recently saw Cory’s talk on ugfs from 4 years ago and his presentation on the new set up for the guppies and platies. He used a Lee’s but don’t know if it was a premium or original model. Does anyone know? Thank you all and Cory Thank You for all of your information. Flytrap

Hello Cory and all on board. Congratulations on the new fish room and I can’t Thank you enough for all of your your information. I am so new to forums etc. I am not new to the hobby starting in 1971 at the age of 10. I inherited many empty tanks from my Dad when my folks split up and so the hobby began. It was a wonderful thing as our lunch time visits still often ended at the fish store to pick the next tank member. All of my tanks were freshwater planted and I’ve worked with everything from a ten gallon to a 285 gallon using everything from under gravel filters to canisters and sumps. To tie this into your post Cory, I am now in a beautiful new home for retirement and the tank I’m having built fits into a very tight space like a puzzle piece. I plan on using all internal filters and recently saw your video on under gravel filters and then the guppy and platy tank with the under gravel filters. Can you advise which model you used, I assume it was a Lee’s premium but couldn’t tell for sure. I can’t find the type I used many years ago but the plants and fish thrived. I never had any problems. Thanks again for all of your advice I will begin to order once I have my ideas put into place,etc ,Best to you all and thanks to all ps I will be using powerheads for the uptake tubes