CT_ Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 I thought I'd journal this tank so here goes. my "main" tank (15g in the kitchen) is loosing its shrimp population. I think either the guppies or cardinals learned how to eat them because I started with about 10 and at one point there were half a dozen berried shrimp at all times and 50ish total and then no babies came and no bodies showed up. Just slowly loosing them. This also coincides with me closing up my HOB filter better to keep shrimp out. In retrospect, i think the HOB was working as a refugium since there was always a dozen shrimp in there, mostly babies, on every clean out. I guess an impeller is less dangerous than a cardinal :P. The point of this tank is to rescue my remaining few shrimp (6-10 probably?) and keep them in a desktop tank that's shrimp only. Eventually I plan on moving some shrimp back to the main tank once populations are high enough. I'm also planning on trying to make this tank look aquascaped from the start. Goals here are no co2, slow growing plants with maybe some faster stems in the back for nitrate absorption. I may do "low tech co2" to start (inverted cup of co2) establish things. I got 2 crypt parva and a gold coin anubias from co-op. I also have 3 baby java (like maybe 1-2" right now) ferns that I've been "incubating" in my main tank to use later. And some anubias nana petite that I'm going to move over. Substrate is seachem flourite 7kg bag worth. I haven't figured out how I'm going to filter this one yet. I may DIY a micro sump or something so I don't have to look at a filter and I have space to do something like add a cheap UV lamp. Here's the hard-scape in. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions, comments, tips---all welcome! 5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 The hard scaped looks great @CT_, your off to a great start. I'm looking forward to see the plants planted. Keep us updated! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 (edited) Done for the day. I VERY carefully pulled apart all the crypt parva. and decided on a location for the anսbias gold coin. I'm sad it looks all cloudy right now but I'm sure that'll clear up. Gonna leave it half full tonight so the spider wood has time to absorb more water. I plan on water changing out some of that silt too so no point in filling it too high. Also, better not fill it to the top before I've proven the tank won't leak 😉 EDIT: next day (2pm) after the dust settled and I did a 50% water change. It's a bit back lit because I don't have my intended light in place yet. I also had to wipe down the walls since they had a layer of red dust on them. Edited February 13, 2022 by CT_ 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 I seriously nerm out on new setups.... I actually used to keep a tank with no livestock, so I wouldn't bother them when the redecorating bug hit. Of course, that was long before the Co-op, and long before I was more than accidentally successful with plants. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 It’s tough figuring out how to scape nano tanks. I think you’re on the right track with the Parva. and the Nana petit will look good too. I think I’d add a mid height plant behind the wood. A small sword or maybe a clump of Java fern. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardedbillygoat1975 Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 I think it will look great when it grows in. I would let it settle in over the next couple months and then decide on your next round of planting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) I got my light positioned. I haven't built the fixture for it yet so it's just dangling by a wire until I figure that out. You can see in the back the shop light I had in place for setup. The photo makes it look crazy bright but its quite moderate with some shadows. I had to turn the light down a lot though. at full intensity it was something like 5000 lux at the substrate, which is, i think, ~100par (give or take since I don't have a par meter). I turned it down to the 1000-1500 lux range. Still thinking on what goes in the back. I'd love a fast growing stem plant for nitrates but they all need high light and many need co2 and I'm deathly afraid of an algae mess this time around. On 2/14/2022 at 11:18 AM, Patrick_G said: It’s tough figuring out how to scape nano tanks. I think you’re on the right track with the Parva. and the Nana petit will look good too. I think I’d add a mid height plant behind the wood. A small sword or maybe a clump of Java fern. It might be cool to have a background forest of the narrow leaf javafern. like a line of rhizomes along the very back edge. 🤔 Edited February 15, 2022 by CT_ forgot the photo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash_2011 Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 tank looks nice about the stem plant I have Rotala rotundifolia orange juice in my betta tank it has no Co2 and it grows in good for me 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineSong Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 Looks like you'll have great viewing with lots of places for shrimp to perch. I'm looking forward to seeing them enjoy that wood. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 I came home today to a dead shrimp in my main tank. it was mostly intact but it was missing its tail so I decided to accelerate my rescue time line. I was able to found 2 shrimps one male and one female to be my test subjects. I was planning on doing this in about a week but if they're just going to get killed I figured they may as well die for science over a tetra snack. Here's Adam and Eve acclimating and in their new home. They've got some bacter AE and whatever came on the plants. I hope that's enough for now. I'm wondering what I can feed them short term without spiking ammonia. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 (edited) On 2/15/2022 at 12:03 AM, CT_ said: I came home today to a dead shrimp in my main tank. it was mostly intact but it was missing its tail so I decided to accelerate my rescue time line. I was able to found 2 shrimps one male and one female to be my test subjects. I was planning on doing this in about a week but if they're just going to get killed I figured they may as well die for science over a tetra snack. Here's Adam and Eve acclimating and in their new home. They've got some bacter AE and whatever came on the plants. I hope that's enough for now. I'm wondering what I can feed them short term without spiking ammonia. Looking great! If you have Repashy, a little bit on a feeding dish so you do not lose it into the gravel, would make them very happy. I feed the Vampire crab tank Repashy and see new shrimplets all the time! 😍 Edited February 15, 2022 by eatyourpeas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 I don't currently have a dish. Is there anything clever that people use for one or do they just buy the 12$ amazon shrimp dish. I was thinking about a quarter of a micro wafer too since i hate mixing repashy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 On 2/15/2022 at 12:26 PM, CT_ said: I don't currently have a dish. Is there anything clever that people use for one or do they just buy the 12$ amazon shrimp dish. I was thinking about a quarter of a micro wafer too since i hate mixing repashy. I never bought a dish, and do not use one. Some people get concerned about food going into the substrate, but I do not worry about it. I think the wafer would be happily consumed. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumbo99 Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 There is a product called BacterAE that is supposed to help build biofilm for the shrimp, I have had very good results with it. Might be worth your time to check out. I bought my container on Amazon and it has lasted several years so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 On 2/15/2022 at 1:26 PM, CT_ said: I don't currently have a dish. Is there anything clever that people use for one or do they just buy the 12$ amazon shrimp dish. I was thinking about a quarter of a micro wafer too since i hate mixing repashy. I used a teacup. Worked great. Just remember to rinse your hands well before feeding/removing teacup.😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 (edited) The tank got bacterAE first thing after setup (well second after water conditioner). I just threw in a quarter micro wafer, installed a "Nano Tank Hang on Back Filter", and threw some crushed coral in the back of the HOB. the female is now running laps around the aquarium. she stopped briefly and ate at the wafer and is now going on rounds again. I'm sure the flow and the wafer stirred up all kinds of smells now. Photo is right after I dropped the wafer in. I can see both of them in the hidey hole area under the wood. They made it through the night so I assume they'll be fine from now on as long as I let the cycle go REALLY slow and not ammonia bomb the tank. I haven't done the math but I assume the bioload of 2 shrimp in 6 gallons not that bad assuming I don't feed much. Edited February 15, 2022 by CT_ 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 (edited) Came home today after work and found the female clutching the algae wafer. She sat there for a couple hours while I was home just eating on it. She disappeared with the wafer a bit ago so I assume she carried it "home". I was able to pull the last(?) shrimp from my main tank so now there's 2 females. Yesterday she was berried so either she dropped/hatched her eggs today or there's still another female in the main tank. 50 shrimp could be hiding in there for all I know too so we'll see how many show up. Also I think I'm good on food now. the spider wood is growing a new layer of bio film crazy fast. We'll see if the shrimp like it. I also put in a new anubias nana petite that i cut into thirds. Too lazy to drain and glue it but i got lucky and was able to wedge everything where i wanted. Edited February 16, 2022 by CT_ tying is hard 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 (edited) Found 2 more females so I'm up to 5 in the rescue tank. I've been testing the water 2x a day and there's a tiny bit if nitrite, no amonia, and nitrate has been climbing. I'm guessing that the 7 root tabs I put in to start are probably leaking nitrate. I'm thinking I'll do small water changes every day or two just until the nitrate levels off. I'm not thrilled about the nitrite (~1ppm) but their brothers and sisters survived a huge nitrite spike over winter in the garage tub so I suspect they'll be fine. I added a dash of salt just incase. I also threw in a tiny indian almond leaf hoping whatever it releases may help with some stress and build some bio film. In today's photo you can see the A. nana petite I broke into 3 parts, 3 of the shrimp just hanging out up front, and the leaf in the corner. They're pretty still but grazing so I assume they're not too stressed from the move. Update 12hr later. One of them died. I spotted the male so he's still okay. This always seems to happen when I move shrimp. One never makes it. Edited February 17, 2022 by CT_ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 They are so sensitive to water parameters. Your tank is looking good, 🤞 no more losses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 yeah. its the same water but my main tank hardness is a lot higher because, i presume, the coral has had more time to dissolve, and the co2 acidifies the water more. I did acclimate them for about an hour before introducing. I've also been adding tiny scoops of equilibrium (about 5ppm change worth) twice a day to bring it up since I realized the difference. I'm trying to minimize the meddling I'm doing but its hard as fiddling with stuff that doesn't need to be fixed is hard wired into my brain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 the move triggered at least one to molt. I think I saw the precursors to mating. photos in this thread: I saw all four out and about at once so everyone else is still alive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 I hope they are mating and you get a berried female. I can't stand the idea of losing all of my shrimp children. I am about to introduce my Sakura Orange shrimp into my 75G. I worry that they will not be prolific. But I keep a "shrimp sanctuary" in my bathroom. You know, like everyone does. Who doesn't have shrimp in their bathroom? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 On 2/17/2022 at 11:30 PM, Minanora said: Who doesn't have shrimp in their bathroom? I opted for the octopus! 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 On 2/17/2022 at 11:30 PM, Minanora said: You know, like everyone does. Who doesn't have shrimp in their bathroom? I've got some brown culls and my rice fish breeders in the bathroom. On 2/18/2022 at 11:39 AM, eatyourpeas said: I opted for the octopus! why not both! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minanora Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 On 2/18/2022 at 11:39 AM, eatyourpeas said: I opted for the octopus! That is amazing! I love the contrast. Floral, butterflies, then BOOM! A very "thinker" esque, Auguste Rodin style Octopus. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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