NanoNano

Good...Two other dumb thoughts: * Have you tried a second ammonia test kit to see if you get similar readings? Testing chemicals can get contaminated, go bad, etc. Long shot, but not out of the relm of possibility that it's the test that's gone bad not the tank. * Would you tell us a little more about your substrate? Could be that it absorbed a lot of ammonia at some point and it is now leeching it back into the water column.

Dumb question, but did you confirm with your girlfriend that she didn't use any chemical cleaning solutions *anywhere* on or near the tank (including on the outside glass)?

Amanos prefer to be in groups rather than solitary. My experience has been that, like most other freshwater shrimp, they seem to do best in groups of 5-6 or larger, but three (as long as one of them isn't a merciless bully), will work. Amanos are actually probably the best choice to pair with Bettas as they tend to stand their ground rather than "flit away" (which Betta's seem to trigger a lot of Bettas "prey" instincts) when another tank mate "gets in their face". Amanos can grow pretty large- larger is probably better with a Betta especially if it's their first cohabitation with shrimp.

I have Fluval stratum in 7-8 nano tanks with Bettas and shrimp. My experience has been that it doesn't radically change the chemistry of the water column on it's own (I have naturally low pH mineral poor "Seattle water" though, which is much different from yours) . What the Fluval does do for me is act like a sponge where it absorbs and holds nutrients and ammonia and concentrate them on the surface of each little bead. When first submerged, I've had issues with plants "burning" when coming in contact with the stratum and more delicate shrimp getting "shocked" (pH?...ammonia?...not sure) and dying when they come in direct contact with it. I would recommend planning on a fishless cycle with frequent water changes for 4-6 weeks before adding shrimp.

Good info. Probably worth calling out that with Sulawesi shrimp and snails in particular you want to make sure that you understand if you're getting wild caught or captive bred stock (and the water parameters that they've been raised in)...It's my understanding that a combination of the Sulawesi government cracking down on harvesting and the introduction of invasive predatory species like Talapia into the native lakes have put a huge dent in wild caught exports of late. Lots more stock being sold these days that are several generations into being captive raised in 7.0-7.5 pH much lighter mineralized conditions (e.g. Petco)...That's what's "natural" to them.

A couple of points: * @Tihshho is spot on. Lower pH (lower 7s or below) will speed shell erosion due to acidity and swings in pH will cause uneven shell growth. Rabbit snails have a difficult time going backwards, so the tip of their shells tends to get worn from digging into the gravel or from "base jumping" off the glass back onto the substrate. * Snails can't repair existing shell damage, only grow new shell from near their head area. Existing areas of damage may get smaller as the shell increases in size, but the damage will never "fill in". I always remind myself that snails are living things that show they've lived a life, not perfect gems. * I've owned a bunch of varieties of rabbit snails and it appears to me that they do need some amount of fish/crab/krill protein in their diets to grow and stay healthy. I would suggest that you add some shrimp food to your feeding routine in addition to veggies. * I'm not a fan of feeding Tums as they contain additives like artificial dyes and color as well as artificial sweeteners (Splenda in specific). The "safety" of said artificial things and stuff has been gauged against small does to full grown human beings (snails are 1000's of times smaller) and there's still ongoing debate about potential health risks to people. Most places that sell Tums also sell Calcium Carbonate (as a food supplement) without any added flavors or colors usually for cheaper than Tums. Better choice in my book.

The one thing you want to keep an eye on is that some Bettas have the same "can I squeeze my body into that impossibly small space?" gene that housecats have. You want to really critically examine the stone for deep or "daylight" holes that your Betta might, maybe, possibly even a snowball's chance in....get their head/body wedged in and either plug them with some coarse filter foam or think about modifying or removing the stone.

As alway, have a plan for success. I have a 11 Liter heavily planted tank which I *thought* had just the original 6 shrimp that initially were homed in it...A family member decided to pull up a chair, drop in some food, and count...they got bored of counting at 47.

I've noticed that both my local chain and independent LFSes seem to be getting a lot more battle scarred and DOA Nerites. I have a sneaking suspicion that with cost increases in fuel and shipping, the overseas suppliers have moved to areas/sources where it's easiest to catch the snails- not necessarily where there's the best stock. While I have seen some filthy tanks- they've been the exception. What I *do* consistently see is 20-30 Nerites all in a 20 gallon tank without any visible food source. Not uncommon the see Nerites burrowing deep into the substrate, which to me is a sign that they're desperately hungry. There's only *one* employee in my area that I've ever seen that specifically feeds the snails in a store. Nod of respect sent to Big Mike @ the Federal Way, WA Petco for bringing in his own fresh zucchini and greens to feed to the snails that store.

@Guppysnail Thanks for the tip! I was fortunate to see some advice here on dosing BacterAE prior to purchasing it, so I was forwarned. I purchased the smallest container they sell and at the "baby scoop in a baby scoop" rate I'm going through it, I think I have at least a lifetime supply.

A couple of thoughts for you: * My experience with shrimp has been that "the smarter ones" find hiding places for the first week or two in a new environment so they can figure out the food and predator situation without becoming the food part of that equation. I'm betting that's what's going on in your tank. I would try breaking out a flashlight or doing a quick tank check after the lights have been out for an hour or so. * Many "algae" wafers are actually 30-40% fish meal/protein. Nerite snails are herbivores and will only eat animal protein under duress. Natural algae and biofilm are their preferred foods. I've started feeding BacterAE (biofilm growth promoter) in my shrimp and snail tanks and the Nerites seem to be doing a lot more "grazing" on surfaces than previously. Shrimp do need some protein (and calcium), so some dedicated shrimp food as supplement is a good idea. I'm using Sera Shrimp Food which my shrimp seem to love, but to be honest, I think they'll eat just about anything. * I tried my best to create a perfect pH, perfect mineralized environment for my shrimp to breed in. They grew monstrously large...but no babies. I eventually ran out of mineralizer and they went "cold turkey" onto plain old tap water and boom- babies everywhere a few weeks later. Once your shrimp get settled into you tank- if you don't see breeding, you might want to change their water parameters to see if that encourages things. Best of luck- love to see updates on how things progress and your experiences and learnings.

Pro tip- Some big chain "Pet--" stores price things like this sponge at a *significantly higher* price in their brick and mortar stores than online. Always double check the price on their website (which they must match in store) before checking out.

In the picture it looks like there's water on the top surface of the leaves. My experience with Frogbit is that it wants the top of it's leaves kept dry. If the top of the leaves are consistently kept wet or submerged, the leaves start to get discolored, pockmarked, and wither.

Maybe a really crazy idea...but given their ages, rather than take them all into the fish room where everyone (including Grandparents) are cramped together, set up a cheap webcam and let the crew watch everything remotely on a TV or computer screen? Having the family fish be "TV stars" is something that kids might really find intriguing. Edit- A lot of adults certainly enjoy "the Murphy cam".

I'd add snails to the list of potential things to breed to sell. Not high margin, but extremely low touch and generally pretty prolific reproduction without much encouragement. Many types of snails thrive on garden vegetable scraps which you might already be generating from your daily meals, so food costs might be low to nil. I'll add my voice to the chorus of huge respect for what you're doing...I'd continue to tell your story- send some emails or snail mail letters to manufacturers letting them know what you're trying to do and see if they can lend some expertise or assistance. While the change in your family is new to you, it's something that a good number of people have been a part of, understand well, and truly want to be supportive of. Continue to let us know how we can help...happy to buy you a beer with a economy sized flake food chaser if you ever find yourself up here near the co-op. Good luck!

@Zenzo knows this for sure, but it bears pointing out that the trends of "cord cutting" and increased proliferation of actually usable "smart TVs" mean that self produced content is being consumed more and more on "big screens" with multiple viewers. Are YouTube's analytics way off...no...but in my household there's frequently females viewing content under my (sure to be attributed to a male) login- either solo or along with me. A couple of my general observations and thoughts: * Trying to keep this positive, so here it goes. It seems like many of the female content producers spend *a lot* of time, money, and focus on their personal appearance when creating content. I would hope that this is because they want to do this rather than feel that they feel pressured that they have to do this....but given that most male content producers seem comfortable appearing in t-shirts, shorts, and varying days worth of facial hair growth, the disparity is hard to miss. I know that at the end of the day it's all about subscribers and views, but I hope that content sponsors make sure that everyone they sponsor feels equally as empowered to have the appearance and grooming that they're comfortable with. * Nearly all of the female content producers out there seem to be either solo or part of a wife-husband duo. Seems like the doors are wide open for someone to come in as two or more female team as something unique (would potentially help split the costs and work load too). * Building on the solo part again. I see old "masters" producing content about the deep "never do this/always do that" knowledge that they've learned over decades while I see women simultaneously producing content where they're showing themselves make basic beginner/intermediate mistakes. There's obviously opportunity here to create some partnerships that would both accelerate knowledge and make for engaging content.

Ehhhh...I branched off the link you included in your post and there appears to be a significant number of regulation changes around non native wildlife that have gone into effect in 2021- such as requiring permitting or in some cases surrender of invasive reptiles. It also states that a permit is now required to sell any freshwater fish. It looks *to me* like Florida's laissez faire approach with non native species is already in the midst of significant change with the reptile program likely being a pilot for restrictions on fish/birds/etc. I think the owner would be wise to make sure that they understand where the FWC roadmap is headed not only where it is today. This is a case where you probably don't want to be the last guy in the pool literally or figuratively.

My teenager just looked over my shoulder at this thread and told me "Mother Nature is the ultimate fish keeper- how's that for females in the hobby Dad?"

Totally normal behavior for Amanos...They pretty much have the social skills and cajones of the Seagulls that you encounter at an oceanside boardwalk.

Former pool owner here...Lot's of potential issues to think about: This sounds like it was used recently as a swimming pool, so there's likely some residual chlorine/chemicals that will continue to leech/off gas into the water and the materials used for construction may not be "fish safe" (I remember seeing pool tiles advertised with embedded "microban" antimicrobial properties at one point). As others have pointed out- the pool liner will decay- there's no way to prevent it and maintenance will be unavoidable. Finding "a pool repair" company willing to venture into a green water fish laden mess instead of requiring the pool to be drained could be a challenge. The pool will require regular feeding and cleaning...sounds like the Mrs has tapped out, so all that falls on the Mr. He needs to really be clear with himself on the time and money commitment that he's obligating himself to. Open water will attract insects which will breed and be kept captive by the screen....and algae/fish poop can produce an odor if out of balance. Owners could find that they don't want to go near the pool to feed the fish because of the flying pests and/or stank. Not sure what the course of action (or required action by the state) would be if the owner encountered a toxic algae bloom. As other's have mentioned. When the owner fails (or even have a natural death), they will need a way to dispose of some potentially large dead fish...if they succeed, they will need to find a home for some potentially large live fish (or a whole lot of small fish if they breed). Dumping them in a water body is a no-no. The end game when the time comes to shut down a heavily stocked pool could be a complete nightmare of complications and expense. Owner needs to research state DNR/Fish and Wildlife runs as well as federal Dept of Agriculture rules. Capture and keeping of native species often at best requires a permit. Capture and keeping of invasive species is almost always forbidden and comes with a potential fine and jail time if rules are not observed. My impression is that after iguanas, peacocks, pythons, etc. many Florida judges are not apt to be lenient in charges involving invasive animals.

I've scooped some of the substrate from the tank into a small container, drained out all but a little bit of water, let it sit for as long as my patience allowed me to, and then done a dip strip test. My method is likely flawed and inaccurate, but I got pH readings in the mid 6s from the substrate in the container and the low to mid 7s directly from the same tank's water column the few times that I've tried this with "new" Fluval substrate. Edit- To be perfectly clear- the issue that I've encountered has been with new stratum (out of the bag to 3-months or so submerged) and has required that inverts bodies come in direct contact physical with the substrate. Hanging on decor just above the substrate or sitting on live/dead plant matter that's in contact with the substrate and there's no problems. As soon as the invert touches the substrate, it's like they've touched an electric fence. Snails curl in distress and shrimp keel over paralyzed from which they rarely recover.

Been reading along- lots of great info/observation/collaboration 😀. One thing to be on the look out for (that I Iearned from Fluval substrate)- With buffering substrates, you can encounter situations where the PH at the substrate surface level can be *substantially* different than in the water column. I've run into conditions where inverts (shrimp and snails) seemed to be thriving while on plants or decor, but ended up in serious distress/death if/when they came in contact with the substrate.

I had something similar happen with a male Betta when the female Betta (that he was totally infatuated with) that he could see in an adjoining tank died suddenly. The male Betta certainly looked like he was going through a grieving process- becoming listless and refusing to eat for over a week. In my case, the Betta floated at the surface with his dorsal fin in contact with the air, which caused it to become damaged and wither- so I'd recommend doing a "head to tail" visual study of "your guy" a couple times a day. The advice from others here is sound...My teenager told me that the Betta needed to "get his game on again" and went out and got a big beautiful Elephant Ear female Betta and placed it in the adjoining tank. The male pretended to be not interested in her for a couple of days, but soon he came around after returned to normal behavior. Good luck- hope your guy gets back to being his old self soon.

Quick update to this thread. I went ahead and ordered an initial group of 6 Sulawesi (homebred) shrimp back in early July and introduced them in one of my well established, heavily planted tanks. The shrimp did well initially and seemed to be thriving...and then they started slowly dying off one by one. The three major learnings I think I got from the experience are: * They homebred are a lot more hearty and resilient than a lot of the material on the internet would suggest. Mine easily acclimated to 78 degree water with a PH of 7.3 ish and a really low TDS level. Mine also were far from picky eaters- readily grabbing and feeding off of shrimp pellets. * They tend to hang out and feed as a pack in the same square inch or two of tank space. If one shrimp is consistently away from the rest of the group for a day or more it's usually a sign that shrimp is soon headed to shrimp heaven. * They have a *much* lower tolerance for differences in PH between the water column and tank objects than any other aquatic critter I've had experience with. Active substrate is an absolute no-no with these shrimp. Even when fairly depleted, something like Fluval Stratum still contains/captures enough of something that a couple of my shrimp suddenly fell over "stunned" and paralyzed as they moved about on the substrate (I had a colony of Blue Dream neos in the same tank and none of them from the tiniest new born baby on up ever had a similar issue with the substrate). Undeterred (and with some money from a new job), I decided to take another crack at keeping them and ordered 10 from a seller in Brooklyn (the one I mention that I bought plants from in an earlier post). This time I bought a new tank and scaped it with Hawaiian red lava rock and an inert sand substrate. Same water parameters as before, but with a water temperature at 82 degrees F (happy fluke from a Fluval preset heater that came calibrated a couple of degrees higher than spec). All 10 survived shipping but three died in the first week. I'm now on week 4 with 7 shrimp still alive and growing. Crossing my fingers that in another month or two we'll see some babies.

Good read and one of the potential cause of cysts on Bettas: https://www.thesprucepets.com/lymphocystis-in-freshwater-fish-4782868