5 Gal FW Planted Shrimp Tank

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Fort - In almost any breeding setup, know matter what you are trying to breed, it should be a species only tank. This will maximize the number of offspring that survive because there wont' be any predation and there will be less competitoin for food and less stress as well from having to hide from predators. You could keep over 100 shrimp in that size tank. If you get RCS I would be EXTREMELY surprised if they DIDN'T breed for you since they are one of the easiest shrimp to breed. I wouldn't recommend a 5g tank as a breeding tank for shrimp but it sounds like this is more of a display tank anyway, which is fine. Adding some fish would be okay and it would certain keep the population of the shrimp in check.
 
Didnt know that about the ammonium, heh learn something new every day...

Personally I would pick neons over endlers, but thats just me :p

One more thing, don't plants slow down the nitrogen cycle?
 
Just because ammonia is present that doesn't mean that there are enough nutrients in the tank. There could be a lack of lighting (doubtful since it seems adequate IMO) or a lack of CO2 or other photosynthesis related nutrient. This means that the plants won't be using much ammonia until the balance of ALL nutrients is met so it might appear to be in surplus. The possibility of a lack of nutrients accounts for this "surplus".

FYI, I am dosing chelated iron, a comprehensive micro, N, P, and K. Also running pressurized CO2. I shouldn't be bottoming out on anything. Based on Larry's advice, I think I should be able to stop dosing N, at least until the cycle is done.
 
Fort - In almost any breeding setup, know matter what you are trying to breed, it should be a species only tank. This will maximize the number of offspring that survive because there wont' be any predation and there will be less competitoin for food and less stress as well from having to hide from predators. You could keep over 100 shrimp in that size tank. If you get RCS I would be EXTREMELY surprised if they DIDN'T breed for you since they are one of the easiest shrimp to breed. I wouldn't recommend a 5g tank as a breeding tank for shrimp but it sounds like this is more of a display tank anyway, which is fine. Adding some fish would be okay and it would certain keep the population of the shrimp in check.

Yes, I am not looking to sell any shrimp, just a display tank. Of course, I would like to keep a bit of a colony going since the shrimp don't have a huge life span as it is. I suppose as Ben said, if population were to get out of control, I could throw a few in the 29G. I am sure the SAEs and the Botia Stratia would love that.

Keeping/minimal breeding shouldn't be a problem if all I have in the tank is RCS and CRS right?
 
The RCS will have a faster rate of breeding than the CRS. Seems like a waste IMO to toss the shrimp into a tank as feeders when you could get about $1 each selling them. Just think of how much food that could buy.
 
Finally dug the digital camera out so I could get some better pictures than than with the crappy iphone camera. Also, cycle looks as if it is almost complete. I may be able to add some RCS as soon as Sunday...

TOP VIEW
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NEW BUBBLE COUNTER ($14... and it looks better than the $40 ADA one...)
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FRONT VIEW (The Rotala Macranda seems to be doing well... already sprouted a second stem)
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I also planted the HC that larry sent me in the middle. It is not looking so good... anyone with experience with it have any advice? Does it take awhile to establish in the tank before it starts growing?
 
for me my hc took about 2-3weeks to start growing back. The question is was the HC gown submerged or underwater completely. If submerged you will have some die off before it grows at all. Try burying (spelling way off) most of the plant and only leave a few leaves above surface. The plants i planted that way were the first to take.
 
Thanks JNam, will do that. Right now I have not buried any of the leaves... just the roots. Tough to do to in aquasoil... the stuff wants to float up quite a bit.
 
Looking very good fort.

Jnam is correct. Bury the individual plants deep so that only about 1/2 protrudes above the substrate... and I suggest that they be burried one at a time. Spread them out over the area you want them to grow in and don't worry how sparse that might look. It will take 3 - 4 weeks before the adjust to their new environment and then they will start to spread. If you do not control their growth, they will eventually cover the entire bottom of the tank... but that will take a few months.

(Your plants have been grown immersed - not emersed - so you should see no die back as is commonly the case with the ones grown emersed that come in the little plastic pots of rock wool.)
 
High light will help keep it growing low. For me HC LOVES co2 and thats what triggers increased growth rates. For me at least
 
Ben,

They are very cheap on ebay from seller Aquaticmagic... I think under $5 each.


I know they are cheap, just not lookin' into buying from AquaticMagic, had bad experience with them, even though they are cheap. I'll stick with my airstone until I get some money, my airstone works fine, puts out very small bubbles for me.
 
Sorry to hear that. I have bought from him 5-6 times with good results each time.
 
I guess I just got an unlucky time from them then I guess. Ordered some x-mas moss from them and they supposely didn't get my payment and waited 2 weeks to ship it. Most of it was dead aswell so I wasn't to happy about it.

I might end up ordering from them again, just because they have so many different types of plants, just hoping I don't get bad results again.
 
Yeah I guess the plants I bought weren't great. All the other stuff was great though.
 
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