My 5.5G Shrimp & Moss Nano Tank - Aiming to convert into iwagumi layout

[new2betas]

John,
I just wanted to comment that is a beautiful tank. I am pondering starting a small red cherry shrimp tank. I just love yours! Also, do you have any sort of filter in there? I keep reading that sponge filters are the best to use. I would love to see what a sponge filter looks like that would be good for a shrimp tank.

[HiJaC]

Originally Posted by new2betas

John,
I just wanted to comment that is a beautiful tank. I am pondering starting a small red cherry shrimp tank. I just love yours! Also, do you have any sort of filter in there? I keep reading that sponge filters are the best to use. I would love to see what a sponge filter looks like that would be good for a shrimp tank.

Hi,

I have the standard filter that came with the tank.

It is a little too powerful so i swapped the active carbon in the top section for a tightly bound pack of purigen granules (helps keep the water clear) which slows the flow alot.

For idea breeding with shrimps and small fish fry you are meant to use the sponge filters or a sponge pre filter. This tank however is in my bed room and since most sponge filters use an air pump method i find them too loud to sleep in the same room at night.

If my shrimp were berrying (the first stage of pregnancy) more, with few surviving babies id consider using a sponge pre-filter over the bottom part of the internal filter i have. But my water param's or tank arrangement isnt quite doing it for my shrimp labido's. There not quite getting it on as much as i'd want.

As for the layout, i've not been keeping this up as much as i should have, this can look alot better. But hey, at least it's low maintance.

I'll post a slightly better shot later today, with black background and a few more things added.

Best Regards,

John

[Purrbox]

There may be another reason for a lack of breeding. Are you sure you actually have some males? If you purchased your shrimp from a local LFS you may have only females since they are more colorful and easier to sell.

[HiJaC]

Originally Posted by Purrbox

There may be another reason for a lack of breeding. Are you sure you actually have some males? If you purchased your shrimp from a local LFS you may have only females since they are more colorful and easier to sell.

lo,

ive actually bought groups of 10 from three different online retailers over the last year and a bit.

Not all have been in this tank but the smaller, less colourful males are/were present. They did breed a couple of months ago. Two at the same time. It's just not constant. They don't seem to saddle that often.

I know the breeding process is started by a saddling female who gets preganant when molting as far as i can remember. They just don't molt that often.

Best Regards,

John

[Purrbox]

What are you feeding them? A nice varied diet will help encourage breeding, just like it does with fish. Hikari Crab Cuisine, Hikari Algae Wafers, and Omega One Veggie Rounds are some excellant options. I generally try to feed one of these every other day, and leave a second day for any left over food and scrounging for algae in the rest of the aquarium. This generally gets fairly good results.

[HiJaC]

Originally Posted by Purrbox

What are you feeding them? A nice varied diet will help encourage breeding, just like it does with fish. Hikari Crab Cuisine, Hikari Algae Wafers, and Omega One Veggie Rounds are some excellant options. I generally try to feed one of these every other day, and leave a second day for any left over food and scrounging for algae in the rest of the aquarium. This generally gets fairly good results.

Generally i use Hai Feng - Red Bee Shrimp Food (for crystal reds and cherries), one pellet per shrimp most but not all days, but the oto's also munch some. There is plenty of algae for them to much, especially lovely green fuzz that accumulates at the back of the tank. I occasionally drop a wafer in for the oto's and they munch a bit of that.



A few other pics.



Tank with a black background and another a.nana. Notice there is a brown leaf in the bottom left. That is a dried cappa leaf, which is meant to help the water get to the correct params for their breeding and they also munch on. I occasionally stick on in to give a little interest in their shrimp lives. Boiled first thou.




Look at fish while you work. Everyman's dream.

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Before i mentioned i was wanting to convert this to a iwagumi layout. Here are the two big rocks i have to choose from. They will be broken into bits for the final choice.


rock 1

rock 1



rock 2

rock 2

Both rocks came from aqua essentials in the uk. The first one is called Mini aquascaping rock. The second is dragonstone, if i remember rightly (i think made famous by oliver knott).

I'm leaning towards using rock type one, but rock two does have some funky tunnels in it which would be good for planting or shrimp hidouts. I think the grey and white streaks of rock 1 will look good under water though.

What do you all think?

Best Regards,

John

[Purrbox]

Ooooooo... I love that first rock. It's absolutely beautiful. That's definately the one I'd choose.

[new2betas]

The updated pics are just gorgeous, John! What kind of wood did you use and how do you get the moss to stay right on them in place like that? I just got my 10g tank today from the lfs. I am cycling it for the next couple of weeks (using filter media from another tank of mine). I am going to be researching aquascaping, etc., for them in the coming weeks. I am so excited!
I like both rocks, but lean toward #2 because of its color and all of the nooks and crannies in it

[HiJaC]

Originally Posted by new2betas

The updated pics are just gorgeous, John! What kind of wood did you use and how do you get the moss to stay right on them in place like that? I just got my 10g tank today from the lfs. I am cycling it for the next couple of weeks (using filter media from another tank of mine). I am going to be researching aquascaping, etc., for them in the coming weeks. I am so excited!
I like both rocks, but lean toward #2 because of its color and all of the nooks and crannies in it

The wood is a bit of redmoor wood/twig and some black/bog wood that came in a bag, salt treated, both from my LFS. Remember the scale, these are mostly twigs.

Tieing stuff on stuff puts me into the stage 5 of the aquascaper according to that tom barr post stickied at the top of this forum

You teese the moss out, reasonably thin, along the wood and wrap it up with string, not too dense, enough to hold it on. Tie off. Then ive found if you repeat with another layer of moss on top of that it grows out better and fuller.

Once it grows in (java moss i'm focusing on here) if you trim it back it grow's back denser and in my opinion looks better.

I love moss. I've tried Weeping moss (very like christmas moss) in this tank too but the lack of ferts meant it didnt really get going well. The remains are now in my 46G on a small stump trying to revive.

I'd love to try fissden's or however you spell it.

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The rock debate is still raging in my mind. Anyone else have an opinion?

Best Regards,

John

[Purrbox]

Originally Posted by HiJaC

I'd love to try fissden's or however you spell it.

It's Fissidens fontanus and one of my favorite mosses. I'm actually at a point where I should trim mine back fairly severely. Feel free to PM me and I can see about putting together a plant package for you.