Former salties first fw shrimp tank

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BigRedsReefs10

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Dec 25, 2013
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Well it’s been about 5 years since I got out of the hobby and a couple weeks ago I got that familiar itch. 2 of my absolute favorite aquarium critters on the salty side are the cleaner shrimp and a pistol shrimp goby pair. So I thought I’d try my hand at some of the fw variety. Got a 7.5 gal tank and a small job filter out of storage (only tank that had a working light that would fit it) and set it up on Sunday. Finally got around to scaping it today using some spider wood, dragon stone and a couple other plain rocks. Think the game plan is going to be a small group of neon tetras or harlequin Rasboras, 3-4 Pygmy cories, and some cherry shrimp. Grabbed a couple annubias and a small piece of java fern, and am going to pick up some java moss this weekend when the lfs gets the plant shipment in, and maybe another Anubis’s and java fern. Think I’m gonna pick up the neons tomorrow if the sands settled.
 
And now for the pics
Left side
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Right

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Fts
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Think I want to put another java fern on the back right corner and on the back right of the rock pile on the left. Another rock under the annubias in front and one or 2 in the right corner to gove a little more height to the rocks. And possibly another annubias I front of the wood to the left. Then cover the center rock the one behind the wood and the one in the right front corner with java moss and add a little to some of the dragon stone.
 
Shrimp are fun to watch.

Have you looked at Chili Rasboras - Boraras Brigittae? They are really small and their mouths are small and they, for me have been the least shrimp eaters. It takes a little bit for them to color up nicely, but they do.

Here is an article for identifying which ones you might run across. I have been sold the wrong kind and paid higher money for the Boraras Merah, or the Phoenix Rasbora. Good fish a bit larger and not as bright.

Check them out if you can. Hopefully the lfs could have them.

https://msjinkzd.com/news/which-boraras-do-you-really-have-a-pictorial-guide/
Edit: oops forgot the link.
 
Cool thanks autumn I’ll check those out.

Added one more tock I had and switched another.

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And new fts at least for a few hours
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Thanks autumn, I’m liking it too I think it’s come together nicely. Think I’m gonna have to loose the to and use a cfl and desk lamp for the plants, doubt the 4 leds in the lid do much of anything. Should I use a plant growth bulb or just a regular like 6500 white?
 
You can find daylight bulbs but also really good deals
like this one
https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquar...ocphy=9028883&hvtargid=pla-556087237626&psc=1

or the other light which has a good following and I have 2 different ones from Beamswork. All basic and you need to see if they work with timers if you care about that or not.

There really are a zillion choices, including RGB lights/full spectrum, which I would prefer a full spectrum light. I bought one Beamworks 48" white/blue new for like ~$38 just because it was so cheap and I could use it in the future for a couple different projects.
 
I like that, think I’m gonna grab it actually. Or I could just throw my old nanobox reef light on it and go the overkill route. I wouldn’t need co2 for that one right?
 
Ya I just ordered the smaller one for $20. Might as well use prime if I’ve got it right? And on a peer pressure note, my buddy is bringing me this piece of driftwood to work tomorrow.
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I’m already envisioning a tree root type scape for some Apistogramma. Next time the $/gallon comes around I’m gonna get a 20 long I think, or I’d absolutely love a 30 breeder since I only have 33” space to work with at the moment.
 
Wow, that is a perfect inspiration piece. What a lucky piece to get. I absolutely love the tree stump look. And apistogrammas.... can't wait to see this tank build.

Last dpg sale, I got the 20G long so I would be able to move around in it (it is a spare tank /QT - atm holding Red Root floaters outside), and also had a few thoughts for the future use. Just make sure to look at the tank braces, and the caulking and chose the best you can find of course. Some are better than others.
 
That one is pretty fun looking! You NEED a bigger tank.

40G breeder is the same width as a 30G breeder - 36"... Can you squeeze that in somewhere? ;)
 
We shall see, I’m sure I can figure something out.

In other news, first water test since I took the cocktail shrimp out showed no ammonia, trace nitrates and about 80-100 ppm nitrate. Big shout out to my buddy joe for giving me some of his filter pad out of his 120s sump, made it so much easier. So 2 75% was later and the yanks got its first inhabitants. Picked up 3 neons ( lfs is ordering chili Rasboras but it’ll be like a month so we’ll see how I like them til then) and 3 panda cories. And the salty side feels like I made a big mistake adding 6 fish to a nano on the first stocking but we’ll see how it goes. Pics probably tomorrow when everyone calms down and I turn the light back on.
 
True with SW, I can see how you would feel it was a large number of fish. My recommendation is to feed very lightly but a couple times a day so the bacteria can get to work on any left overs and the pooping which happens after eating.

Keep that up, and the fish are likely young and would like the nutrition for growing.

Checking on progress with the fish and feeding, and "voila" by then, time for more fish.
 
A couple times a day, wow I’m used to a couple times a week, lol. What do you think final numbers should be fish wise? I was thinking 4 pandas and 8 neons or chillis and then the shrimp?
 
Got my light yesterday and what a difference.

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And cories

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And on a down note woke up to find a neon had jumped Monday morning
 
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