Planted/Shrimp Help Please

[TankerJs]

I want to start up a planted shrimp tank with my unused 10 Gallon. I am planning on getting the screw in fluorescent bulbs for my incandescent hood, as they provide better light for plant (so I've read). I am going to use an AquaTech HOB filter (yes the kind sold at Walmart...I already own two and love them, plus they are cheap and work awesome!). I have an extra Marineland Stealth Pro lying around to help the temp. since the tank will be near my window (the light is blocked though by navy blue curtains-- not to worry). I am going to use fluorite substrate by Seachem-- anyone ever used this before? I will also be using a Fluval Edge Pre-filter on my AquaTech's intake...I'm hoping that the shrimp (RCS) will breed easily. Also I wanted to add a few snails, what type are the most beneficial? and would otocinclusses or otocincli (I'm not sure which is correct) feed on the babies? Also what plants should I add, and what decorations would work (I like to use rocks from my yard in my other tanks and I think I am going to try driftwood too.)
Thanks in advance for all the advice I hope to get!

 

[JokerWx13]

malaysian trumpet snails are great bottom snails. they rarely leave the gravel, eat leftover food and aerate the soil for plant roots. nerite snails get rid of the hard to scrape green spot algae and other types. otos don't have one mean bone in their body they're actually considered the best tankmates for red cherry shrimp so get 1-3 if you can feed them boiled zucchini

 

[TankerJs]

I figured Otos would be okay! Thanks for the help with that. Aren't Malaysians kinda small and have the long shell? Are they the ones that can come home on accident? The ones people usually hate?? Where could I get them? Do you have RCS, and if so do yours breed easy?

 

[JokerWx13]

very easily, you don't need anything in particular to breed them, just make them the happiest they can be and they will breed and yea MTS are the ones that come home by accident but most people hate them cuz they breed so quickly. they do good things for the tank but you tend to have an overload of them if you overfeed a lot. my MTS dont overpopulate cuz i scoop out most of the excess food in my tanks. if you find that there are a lot of em and u want to get rid of some, put a piece of boiled lettuce onto the gravel and turn off the lights. come back in an hour or 2 and the MTS will crawl onto it and eat it. just take the lettuce out and do whatever you want to the snails you scooped up.

 

[TankerJs]

so if i just plant it nicely, keep some otos in there and run the filter constantly they will still breed? Do you think the pre-filter will prevent the babies from being sucked up? I made sure it didn't have a hole at the bottom, so it will completely cover my intake.

 

[JokerWx13]

the babies won't get sucked up but watch out cuz if the current is too strong, they can't break free and just stick there dying. so i put a sponge add-on to it. its wide enough to reduce the water flowing into the filter and the shrimp love to cling onto the sponge, they find a lot of food on that thing lol

 

[TankerJs]

is yours diy or what? could you tell me how to make one?

 

[JokerWx13]

i literally get some foam at any store that sells it, arts and crafts store perhaps? cut a hole smaller than the filter hole and stick it in lol its way cheaper than buying a sponge from a fish store, i saw one of those sponges for 5 bucks >.> i bought some foam for 50 cents lol

 

[TankerJs]

Ohh wow, you just cut a slit in and put it around? What kind of foam...like the green kind for flowers...the kinda hard stuff?

 

[JokerWx13]

you could use that i think, but i'm taking about the kind of foam that ppl get from gift boxes (not styrofoam lol) the ones you get from the ornaments you put on a shelf, but then again, i guess all types of foam would work, just make sure the shrimp cant crawl in the holes xD

 

[TankerJs]

Hmm I'm not sure what kind you mean...sorry I probably sound so stupid. Well I'm going to bed, I will check in the morn and respond then!

 

[JokerWx13]

alright some types of foam look like a sponge essentially, the sponges holes are pretty big, so baby shrimp can and will explore inside em, usually getting trapped in the filter intake so get a foam that water can pass thru but also has the tiniest holes ever lol

 

[tiger terror]

Hmm I'm not sure what kind you mean...sorry I probably sound so stupid. Well I'm going to bed, I will check in the morn and respond then!

From own experience DEFINITELY use a prefilter on your intake..have had shrimp fry get drawn into the filter even at a low flow rate,good bacteria can also grow within the filter.(be sure to rinse in tank water every few days)get ya a fluval edge prefilter for 3 or 4 bucks..they won't be able to find their way through..

 

[Austin.b]

Plant wise, shrimp love moss. The easiest moss to get ahold of is java moss. RCS breed like rabbits if the water parameters are good, so don't worry! Definitely following this thread

 

[TankerJs]

From own experience DEFINITELY use a prefilter on your intake..have had shrimp fry get drawn into the filter even at a low flow rate,good bacteria can also grow within the filter.(be sure to rinse in tank water every few days)get ya a fluval edge prefilter for 3 or 4 bucks..they won't be able to find their way through..

My only worry is that, like Joker said, the shrimp will get stuck on the pre-filter because the flow is too strong. The 10-15 filter isn't too strong, but it is not adjustable... do you think it's okay?

 

[TankerJs]

Also would 2 10 watt bulbs grow many plants?

 

[JokerWx13]

i've found that my 30g filter isn't strong enough for my shrimp to get stuck in, so im pretty sure your 15g would do fine. and with 2 10watt you could grow a decent amount of low-med light plants like java ferns and moss, as well as crypts, anubias and other plants

 

[TankerJs]

I currently have three types of plants. I have anacharis and appoghetton? (came in a package with little bulbs) the appogheton was left in an empty 10g for like 3 months and i found it still alive...wow. I also have this other kind that is similar to anacharis but it's leaves are much more fragile and skinny. It falls apart so easily and I think the small shoot i have of it is dying. Would these be a decent start?

 

[JokerWx13]

idk about the second one but the third one sounds like hornwort, look up the pic for one, if it is, then the anacharis and hornwort are low light plants so it would work in your tank

 

[TankerJs]

You are right!! Hornwort. It has lost most of its "needles" and looks like its in bad shape...do you think it's possible to revive it?