Beardedbillygoat1975 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 (edited) Happy St Nermy’s Day!!! Category 1 - Home alone - you had everything at home and didn’t spend a dime Remember this is a NERM positive event, no negative posts, voting is either a heart or passing on the posts, you can leave positive comments for people. Have fun! You have until 4/8/22 to vote! Edited April 1, 2022 by Beardedbillygoat1975 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatyourpeas Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Entering here as well, because I realized this may be more appropriate. This from leftovers, and inspired by @modified lung condo conversion as blackworm tenants kept looking for a place of their own. Besides the populations thriving, there is not much in the sense of evolution, so it looks pretty close to what I started with. It sits by a window, there is no heater, no light, and gets a water change once a week. I call it "Pint o'Dune" This is what I used: - Flower vase from many moons ago, it holds less than a quart - Leftover gravel from my first tank - Clay egg that was not being used for plants in another tank - Extra nano pump and airstone - Brown paper towels The inhabitants: Snails (of course), Rhabdocoela, blackworms. Throw away Hornwort and not free of Nerm glitter! 4 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawjagrrl Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 When the topic of this friendly competition came up I was contemplating separating out my skittle shrimp and reading about Walstaad no-tech jars at the time. Given I was about to set up two new big tanks, I didn't want to spend anything on this... and I didn't! Total cost $0 I wanted to document here and in the process of gathering photos realized how easy my photo software could convert to video... so I uploaded one! No filter, heater... just the window light and a desklamp with an incandescent bulb that helped keep the jar warm when the kitchen hits the upper 50s at night. Materials were all in the house or on the farm: lemonade jar play sand (from the bag next to the door we use when rare ice appears) leftover fluval stratum rocks foraged from the New River eons ago foraged short moss foraged moss in jar foraged wispy moss from basement steps (added to wood) oak firewood scrap baby java ferms taken from Endor tank cuttings from QT tank ID on forum previously as a couple of things spider plant baby foraged ground pine assorted botanicals, including privet, holly and other leaves, seed pods and hickory nut shells my chicken coop squirrel leaves me duckweed (need I say more) bladder snails from other tanks 6 neocaradina shimp offspring from my "skittle" tank (babies of OG the snowball shrimp). I had never even kept an aquatic plant before last fall, so going no-tech was a big step for me. Glad I challenged myself and appreciate the help on many fronts from so many members here. Thanks for looking! 3 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 This tank is the one my wife bought me for Christmas 2019. It reinvigorated the hobby for me and caused one of the worst cases of MTS that’s ever been studied.🥴 this is a 60G that I had 2 koi fish I was taking care of for a neighbor. When they were removed the plan was a native tank. I rehomed most all my African cichlids except Venustus and my sons albino dragonblood. So that caused a big shake up and the two cichlids took over and I placed a pictus catfish in here. So the tank, filter, light, substrate, and the hand drawn background are already set up and running. I needed a heater from storage. I can’t stand empty tanks so I added most of my I’ll never use this again box decorations. Tree stump on left my wife picked out and bought with the tank. 😁 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJ Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 Just put this little bowl together today. Everything was on hand except the duckweed, which I got from a pond close to my house. Eventually it will be home to a couple RCS but I still need to order those, so right now just a few bladder snails. Bowl was given to me Wood, hornwort, and snails all came from the lake behind my house Anubius is a cutting from another tank Gravel is leftover hardware store gravel that I washed and sifted for another tank 4 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 (edited) I used this as an opportunity to make a home for my extra bladder snails I take to the LFS. It is an upgrade from the 5 gallon plant clipping bucket with an old cat drink fountain pump they are used to. This is my only entry I reappropriated the other tank I was doing for another project. All my gathering documentation is in my journal. This one was supposed to be a multi algae tank. The bladder snails ate everything before it could start. I did get hair algae to grow on the tank walls. I trimmed the algae every 2 days so it looked like shag carpet. Unfortunately I have to comb the hornwort every 2 days as well to control the hair algae so it does not kill the hornwort. I had everything about the house so not a penny spent. 😁 I feed the snails 1 TINY shake of fry food 1x week. They do not really need it but I like to make sure even they get good nutrients for shiny shells. The tank is a 2.5 bow front I purchased 2 years ago for nursing an injured CPD back to health along with an aqueon clip on light I use in a bucket for plant qt. The sponge filter is a nano filter cut in half with a Ziss airstone. The tank gets 2 pumps of easy green a week. Other than easy green, the food just to make certain of proper nutrition and taking the hair algae it is self sustaining. HAPPY ST.NERMY’S DAY Edited April 2, 2022 by Guppysnail 5 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 @Guppysnail loving the rock formation there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawjagrrl Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 (edited) @Guppysnail gotta love that algae Shag carpet - reminds me of the wall2wall Shag in my bathroom(!) growing up 😁 but this is much more attractive. You've given me some ideas on how to improve my tank like this as a new home for my betta Steve. Have to say those are some pretty snails! @BigJ how awesome that you foraged the hornworm and the snails! Something nice about a chonk piece of wood sometimes, very zen. Edited April 2, 2022 by Jawjagrrl 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 2:07 PM, Jawjagrrl said: Have to say those are some pretty snails! Some of us are intensely jealous of @Guppysnail’s gold bladder snails. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 @eatyourpeas the photo of the blackworms is really cool. Love how it’s thrown together with random pieces to put together something functional. Very true to the nature of this category. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/1/2022 at 3:07 PM, Jawjagrrl said: When the topic of this friendly competition came up I was contemplating separating out my skittle shrimp and reading about Walstaad no-tech jars at the time. Given I was about to set up two new big tanks, I didn't want to spend anything on this... and I didn't! Total cost $0 I wanted to document here and in the process of gathering photos realized how easy my photo software could convert to video... so I uploaded one! No filter, heater... just the window light and a desklamp with an incandescent bulb that helped keep the jar warm when the kitchen hits the upper 50s at night. Materials were all in the house or on the farm: lemonade jar play sand (from the bag next to the door we use when rare ice appears) leftover fluval stratum rocks foraged from the New River eons ago foraged short moss foraged moss in jar foraged wispy moss from basement steps (added to wood) oak firewood scrap baby java ferms taken from Endor tank cuttings from QT tank ID on forum previously as a couple of things spider plant baby foraged ground pine assorted botanicals, including privet, holly and other leaves, seed pods and hickory nut shells my chicken coop squirrel leaves me duckweed (need I say more) bladder snails from other tanks 6 neocaradina shimp offspring from my "skittle" tank (babies of OG the snowball shrimp). I had never even kept an aquatic plant before last fall, so going no-tech was a big step for me. Glad I challenged myself and appreciate the help on many fronts from so many members here. Thanks for looking! The container is great I really love how it fits and flows with the other plants and containers around where you placed it. The use of the oak firewood was a very nice detail. And your list of botanicals is impressive.👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 4:04 PM, Odd Duck said: Some of us are intensely jealous of @Guppysnail’s gold bladder snails. How many hundreds would you like 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/1/2022 at 11:26 PM, BigJ said: Just put this little bowl together today. Everything was on hand except the duckweed, which I got from a pond close to my house. Eventually it will be home to a couple RCS but I still need to order those, so right now just a few bladder snails. Bowl was given to me Wood, hornwort, and snails all came from the lake behind my house Anubius is a cutting from another tank Gravel is leftover hardware store gravel that I washed and sifted for another tank Foraging duckweed from a local pond nice touch to help fill out and stay within parameters. what is RCS? I ask because I’m in search of a permanent resident for my bowl. And I would take a look at them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawjagrrl Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 4:04 PM, Odd Duck said: Some of us are intensely jealous of @Guppysnail’s gold bladder snails. I'm just learning how much variety there can be with bladder snails, including their body color. I have a few that are lily white, others jet black while most are a taupey grey. Shells vary a lot too, but have not seen that pretty gold before. 24k snails? 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 7:18 AM, Guppysnail said: I used this as an opportunity to make a home for my extra bladder snails I take to the LFS. It is an upgrade from the 5 gallon plant clipping bucket with an old cat drink fountain pump they are used to. This is my only entry I reappropriated the other tank I was doing for another project. All my gathering documentation is in my journal. This one was supposed to be a multi algae tank. The bladder snails ate everything before it could start. I did get hair algae to grow on the tank walls. I trimmed the algae every 2 days so it looked like shag carpet. Unfortunately I have to comb the hornwort every 2 days as well to control the hair algae so it does not kill the hornwort. I had everything about the house so not a penny spent. 😁 I feed the snails 1 TINY shake of fry food 1x week. They do not really need it but I like to make sure even they get good nutrients for shiny shells. The tank is a 2.5 bow front I purchased 2 years ago for nursing an injured CPD back to health along with an aqueon clip on light I use in a bucket for plant qt. The sponge filter is a nano filter cut in half with a Ziss airstone. The tank gets 2 pumps of easy green a week. Other than easy green, the food just to make certain of proper nutrition and taking the hair algae it is self sustaining. HAPPY ST.NERMY’S DAY As far as aesthetics this is my favorite so far. The stone stack grabs my eye then algae kinda frames the tank. Floating plants and the immersed plants both look great. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardedbillygoat1975 Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 @BigJyou nailed the theme and the simplicity is super zen as @Torreysaid. It all works so well together. @Guppysnailagree with all the posters above you nailed the theme, the rock formation is really different and in the best way possible and what a space for snails - Snailhala is my name for it! 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widgets Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 5:11 PM, Atitagain said: what is RCS? I ask because I’m in search of a permanent resident for my bowl. And I would take a look at them. Red Cherry Shrimp On 4/2/2022 at 5:31 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said: @Guppysnailagree with all the posters above you nailed the theme, the rock formation is really different and in the best way possible and what a space for snails - Snailhala is my name for it! How about "On Golden Pondsnail"? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 5:58 PM, Widgets said: Red Cherry Shrimp On 4/2/2022 at 5:31 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said: 🤦🏻Of coarse it’s red cherry shrimp something I easily should of figured out since I have 500+ of them🤦🏻 thank you 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modified lung Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 Trash Tank *Acrylic cylinder I found in a dumpster *Acrylic sheet I found in a field, cut to size *Broken chair from the garage *Some extra plumbing from an old project The cylinder was buffed with toothpaste to remove the scratches. The acrylic sheet was attached with super glue. The plumbing attached to the bottom with a bulkhead allows for easy water draining without having to worry about syphoning up baby shrimp. The frame of the seat from the broken chair was cut to make a solid base for the tank. Plants: mystery moss, marimo moss, susswassertang, dwarf sag, jungle val, anubius. Hardscape: Cholla wood, driftwood sticks. Substrate: I don't remember what kind. Tech: small sponge filter and air pump, old cheap light. Money spend: $0 (Black cloth to reduce light reflecting off the wall for the photo) Stock: cherry shrimp, red ramshorn Hitchhikers: Malaysian trumpet snail, bladder snail, scuds 4 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 7:13 PM, modified lung said: Trash Tank *Acrylic cylinder I found in a dumpster *Acrylic sheet I found in a field, cut to size *Broken chair from the garage *Some extra plumbing from an old project The cylinder was buffed with toothpaste to remove the scratches. The acrylic sheet was attached with super glue. The plumbing attached to the bottom with a bulkhead allows for easy water draining without having to worry about syphoning up baby shrimp. The frame of the seat from the broken chair was cut to make a solid base for the tank. Plants: mystery moss, marimo moss, susswassertang, dwarf sag, jungle val, anubius. Hardscape: Cholla wood, driftwood sticks. Substrate: I don't remember what kind. Tech: small sponge filter and air pump, old cheap light. Money spend: $0 (Black cloth to reduce light reflecting off the wall for the photo) Stock: cherry shrimp, red ramshorn Hitchhikers: Malaysian trumpet snail, bladder snail, scuds Excellent example of foraging and being crafty enough to put it all together. The cloud of moss is gonna be a very nice home for your stocking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 @modified lung that is AWESOME! Engineering degree?? 🙃 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modified lung Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 4:27 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: @modified lung that is AWESOME! Engineering degree?? 🙃 No, fish biology and water resource management degrees. I worked for a college of biological and agricultural engineering for a while and picked up a few things though. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawjagrrl Posted April 3, 2022 Share Posted April 3, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 7:13 PM, modified lung said: Trash Tank *Acrylic cylinder I found in a dumpster *Acrylic sheet I found in a field, cut to size *Broken chair from the garage *Some extra plumbing from an old project The cylinder was buffed with toothpaste to remove the scratches. The acrylic sheet was attached with super glue. The plumbing attached to the bottom with a bulkhead allows for easy water draining without having to worry about syphoning up baby shrimp. The frame of the seat from the broken chair was cut to make a solid base for the tank. Plants: mystery moss, marimo moss, susswassertang, dwarf sag, jungle val, anubius. Hardscape: Cholla wood, driftwood sticks. Substrate: I don't remember what kind. Tech: small sponge filter and air pump, old cheap light. Money spend: $0 (Black cloth to reduce light reflecting off the wall for the photo) Stock: cherry shrimp, red ramshorn Hitchhikers: Malaysian trumpet snail, bladder snail, scuds Love it! Nice finds with the acrylic, really came together. The red shrimp/snails really pop with all that luscious greenery too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawjagrrl Posted April 3, 2022 Share Posted April 3, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 5:03 PM, Atitagain said: The container is great I really love how it fits and flows with the other plants and containers around where you placed it. The use of the oak firewood was a very nice detail. And your list of botanicals is impressive.👍 I actually forgot a couple that went in there. I wish I could open a botanical "farm stand" for NERMs to come and forage hardscape, botanicals, etc. Just happy my family doesn't think I am weird that I bring home twigs, rocks, moss, seed pods, etc., every time I go for a walk. 🙂 we have lots of mica veins and the mica/quartz combo makes for some nice tank glitter! On 4/1/2022 at 10:02 PM, Atitagain said: This tank is the one my wife bought me for Christmas 2019. It reinvigorated the hobby for me and caused one of the worst cases of MTS that’s ever been studied.🥴 this is a 60G that I had 2 koi fish I was taking care of for a neighbor. When they were removed the plan was a native tank. I rehomed most all my African cichlids except Venustus and my sons albino dragonblood. So that caused a big shake up and the two cichlids took over and I placed a pictus catfish in here. So the tank, filter, light, substrate, and the hand drawn background are already set up and running. I needed a heater from storage. I can’t stand empty tanks so I added most of my I’ll never use this again box decorations. Tree stump on left my wife picked out and bought with the tank. 😁 You've got my favorite African cichlid in there with that venustus. Tried twice but they never thrived in my setup. Hope the wife has come to terms with your MTS. We have 4 in the kitchen, one in the den with two more coming, soon to be one in our bedroom and the plant nursery tank in the basement. I think Acute Onset MTS is also a thing. AOMTS? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atitagain Posted April 3, 2022 Share Posted April 3, 2022 On 4/2/2022 at 8:51 PM, Jawjagrrl said: I think Acute Onset MTS is also a thing. AOMTS 🤣😂🤣 On 4/2/2022 at 8:51 PM, Jawjagrrl said: You've got my favorite African cichlid in there with that venustus. When he was with the group on average 8-ish AC this was his coloration barely any color on body and none on fins and face. Now ⬇️ and he was such a slow grower, out grown by a lot of tank mates even ones a year younger than him. He is a bit over 2 years old and definitely my oldest of all my tanks, (by time I’ve kept them.) My youngest son has rooted for him the whole time saying one day he will be the boss of the tank. Venustus is fairly subordinate as much as I’d wanted him to be tank boss he really never took over. So Isaac (what my son named him while he was still in the bag) he may have a shot at the top spot. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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