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

[HiJaC]

Hi,

This is my shrimp tank, which sits next to my home office computer.
It's usually much more "mossy" but this is after a trim.

-It has been setup for about 6 months now.
-Currently has two Arc Pod 9w lights (CF plant bulbs with reflectors).
-I dont fertilize at all but really should do now i have more light on it. I use water from my main EI tank with some fresh for nutrients.
-Eco complete is the substrate.
-Tank currently has Java Moss, Anubias Nana and the tall stuff at the back i cant remember the name for.
-I wanted to make a bigger home for my cherry shrimp to breed (which they have once) so just started chucking bits of wood and sticks in.





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It is usually much much fuzzier.

When i get a bit more free time i aim to plan to convert this into a Igawa layout and try some ricca or other carpeting plant, which ive had no sucess with my 46G corner tank (which is very deep).

For this ive bought some aquascaping rock from the uk online retailer aqua essentials as well as some dragon stone. im not sure which one to break up and use yet. I'll post some pictures of both to aid discussion/help.

Current occupants are 8 cherry shrimp and 2 oto's.

Best Regards,

John

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Wow looks great. When I get one of my coconut huts in my 5 gallon. I'm thinking about putting a small peice of driftwood in there aswell leaning against the hut and put moss all over that.

[Tifta]

those are really cool little shrimp. I've never seen those! Where did you get them?

[SpeedEuphoria]

Most of the time the RCS come from online, either a vendor or I know there is at least one person on here that sells them. Sometimes you can find them at a local LFS.

[HiJaC]

Originally Posted by Tifta

those are really cool little shrimp. I've never seen those! Where did you get them?

As mentioned above they are Red Cherry shrimp. They are great although not quite doing what i bought them to do.

I have been a huge fan of amano shrimp since i started my planted tank, saw cherry shrimp in here somewhere are tried to source some in the UK.

The same week my LFS had some at £5 each (is that like $8.5?). I found two suppliers online in the UK at £2.5 each with discounts for more. So i picked up 20 and made a "Shrimp Vase". It was about 4 litres with a small heater and HOB filter. The intention was to have them in there breeding like crazy (which they are meant to do) and sell them to my LFS.

Unfortunatly my underwater bonzi (driftwood plus moss) tree shrimp face failed to get them breeding so i bought this tank to replace it. The remaining 10 are in there and have had 3 breed with a few surviving shrimplets (now running a normal filter so there is more die off of babies).

I don't fertilize because of them, but ive read other people's tank blogs where they are spawning happily in EI or other heavy planted dosed tanks.

So i think i'll just keep the same occupants when i switch this to a iwagumi layout.

Q to readers - Will I have to modify the standard EI dosing much when i only use a liquid carbon source not CO2? If so what way? Is EI the best method for nano tanks with high light?

Best Regards,

John

[Purrbox]

Really EI can be adjusted to any situation. I'd just watch your plants for signs that you need to adjust your dosing and go from there. If EI works for you on your aquariums, the size really doesn't matter. It's about picking the dosing solution that fit you and your aquarium needs best.

[HiJaC]

Originally Posted by Purrbox

Really EI can be adjusted to any situation. I'd just watch your plants for signs that you need to adjust your dosing and go from there. If EI works for you on your aquariums, the size really doesn't matter. It's about picking the dosing solution that fit you and your aquarium needs best.

good good.

For the lighting ive got two 9w CF arc pods on the tank currently and have another spare that I can possibly fit on.

Arcadia - ARC-POD

I'm wanting to try all the lovely carpeting plants i'm not able to grow in my main quite deep 46G corner tank.

Does 18 to 27W CF arc pods sound good for things like HC or glosso on a nano?

Best Regards,

John

[Purrbox]

I've currently got 36 watts over my 5.5 gallon, and I have a hard time with carpet plants. I suspect that you'll need more light for your goals.

[HiJaC]

Originally Posted by Purrbox

I've currently got 36 watts over my 5.5 gallon, and I have a hard time with carpet plants. I suspect that you'll need more light for your goals.

hmm,

after a bit of reading elsewhere ive found a couple of references to people using a couple of the 11w arc pods over a nano and growing hc well.

i guess this is confusion/complexity is the WPG rule falling apart on nano's.

I notice your 5.5 is a hex, what fitting do you use for your 36watts? is it a lamp mounted quite far above the tank?

edit - i read through your 5.5 G tank thread again and see your using 2x18 Watt Coralife Fixture.

The 3 x 9w arc pods ive got are all fitted with internal reflectors and lenses so there is pretty much no light loss. They are also mounted about an inch from the top of the water. With specalist arcadia plant bulbs.

I'm hoping this will be enough but i guess the only way i'll know is to try.

The vision of what i want to try is to have the rocks clustered to one back side with the substrate raising up to them and between them. The HC i want to try growing between the peaks of the rock clusters and have it cascading like waterfalls out of them. So it is pretty much going to be right under the lights, at 3 or 4 inches from them.

With possibly ricca stones below, and maybe something else at the boundary between the bottom of the rocks and the plains. Maybe a couple of Pogostemon helferi which are growing pretty well in my other tank.

I'll post some pictures of my two rock options later today.

Best Regards,

John

[Purrbox]

Actually, the 5.5 gallon is a standard aquarium. While I started out with a 5 gallon hex, it was later converted when I got sick of the dimensions of the hex.

HC can be grown under medium light conditions as long as you have good carbon supplementation and fertilizer dosing. With the layout you have in mind you'll have a fair chance at growing the HC if you start using CO2 or Flourish Excel.