A couple planted tank questions!

[Gboy66]

NOO! Please do not add any otto's!! They need to be in groups of at least 3 and require at least 20G's. However I've kept a pair alive in a 10G for 5 months, until one died from an infection and the other died soon after.

For algea, you can go with a less powerful bulb, like a 10 or 5w would work. If you want a snail, you can go with 2 horned nerites. IMO they're perfect for smaller tanks.

I don't think doing ferts in a invert tank is good news, I only say that because I've had really bad experience with that. Be very careful when doing excel!!!!! Can't stress that enough! Make sure to not overdose that! Just start off slow for ferts, and watch how your shrimp react. Root tabs would definitely be appreciated by your future stem plants! You can make your own, or get some online at bobstropicalfish.com, they're MUCH cheaper there, than at petsmart or Petco. Crypts are heavy root feeders, so make sure you put one under the crypt if you do end up getting some. You can dose excel every day, but, again, make sure to not overdose. With flourish comprehensive, you can dose once a week, or twice

Haha austin, dont worry i wont do ottos. Nerites all the way.

Would my 13 watt be too much? Will i have algae issues?

Hmm...well i dont know what do do then! Should i go ahead and use it then?

Im going to check out the tabs at petco atm, and see the pricing. I might get some and add them only when i get new plants! I dont know when ill bw able to get new plants though. I might have to buy online. My lfs's plants arent great and thats the only one that sells close to me

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Buy yourself a tub of osmocote slow release fertilizer. Short of making your own mix and putting in gel caps it's the cheapest way to make root tabs.

 

[Gboy66]

Buy yourself a tub of osmocote slow release fertilizer. Short of making your own mix and putting in gel caps it's the cheapest way to make root tabs.

What is it exactly? Have ypu ever had shrinp and dosed ferts mumma?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

http://www.buy.com/th/osmocote-plant-food.html




I only have one tank with glass shrimp that I dose with leaf zone every couple of months.

 

[Biosfear]

Maybe somebody suggested this already....

Get a small adhesive under tank heater instead of submersible. Good for plants.

 

[Gboy66]

http://www.buy.com/th/osmocote-plant-food.html

I only have one tank with glass shrimp that I dose with leaf zone every couple of months.

Oh very cool! Is the osomote made into cubes?

 

[Gboy66]

Maybe somebody suggested this already....

Get a small adhesive under tank heater instead of submersible. Good for plants.

Ooh like a reptile heater!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Oh very cool! Is the osomote made into cubes?

No, 2mm granules. There are heaps of threads on it if you do a search here on AA.

 

[Gboy66]

No, 2mm granules. There are heaps of threads on it if you do a search here on AA.

Cool thanks mumma!

 

[Coursair]

I use root tabs and liquid ferts in my Shrimp tanks. I don't use Excel or CO2.

I do add Excel to tanks that are fish only or have Amanos, but I use it 1/2 strength in the Amano tank.

 

[Gboy66]

Just bought 3 golden horned nerite snails, and a ghost shrimp!! The snails are cool, and hopefully the shrimp isnt food, because he is my test to see if i can keep shrimp!!

 

[George9]

Just bought 3 golden horned nerite snails, and a ghost shrimp!! The snails are cool, and hopefully the shrimp isnt food, because he is my test to see if i can keep shrimp!!

Aww. I hope he does fine poor guy, he's the test subject lol

 

[Gboy66]

Aww. I hope he does fine poor guy, he's the test subject lol

Haha yup! He is hiding atm. I didnt acclimate because it would have over flowed the tank to set the bag in, so he expierenced a temp drop. Its okay, i think he and the snails will be fine. Check out my other thread "what plants can i keep, i have a question"

 

[Gboy66]

So the shrimp is alive still! He is in the open, but doesnt move much. Whenever the betta swims by he is really on his guard, and even poles him in the face!! Lol. Goin well so far.

Any ideas on the algea?? Squirt comprhensive at it? Lower lighting time?

 

[George9]

So the shrimp is alive still! He is in the open, but doesnt move much. Whenever the betta swims by he is really on his guard, and even poles him in the face!! Lol. Goin well so far.

Any ideas on the algea?? Squirt comprhensive at it? Lower lighting time?

I think lower light time and maybe a simple diy co2 system will solve it. How long are your lights on? Not sure about comprehensive, but I know Excel is an awesome algaecide

 

[Gboy66]

I think lower light time and maybe a simple diy co2 system will solve it. How long are your lights on? Not sure about comprehensive, but I know Excel is an awesome algaecide

Ill lower to 6 hrs, it is on for 8 usually. Ill try to stop natural light from coming in too.

Diy co2 will have to wait until at least this weekend, but probably longer. I want to see if i can get along without it first, but i i need to i definitly will try.

I dont have excel yet...ill get some though. Thanks george

 

[MABJ]

I want to start by saying for lowlight plants, incancendents do work. I've done it.

I would suggest some mosses and a few stem plants. I know you've already got your beta, so why not skip shrimp, go with Thai micro crabs instead. The shrimp will eventually fail, and you'll be out of your stock.

Ok ok, some people make larger shrimp work. I will say though people lose shrimp to betas and occasionally betas to shrimp. They're opportunistic feeders.

I'm not sure how they'd do, but I presume they'd do a bit better than shrimp, maybe I'm wrong though.



Nerites -- only get one. Your tanks algae will not support more than one, and you'll have to supplement past that.


Something I've learned in my two short years at keeping fish and inverts, minimalistic thinking and stocking keeps for happy fish and happy owners.


A clean up crew to take out nonexistent algae is silly to me. It will also starve the cuc if they aren't properly supplemented. Definitely a resounding 100% no on the singular Otto. Bad advice. Consider one Nerite snail or maybe a ramshorn variety. The ramshorns will eat algae and decaying plant matter. Overall, I think they're a little more effective than Nerites plus they actually reproduce, which Is a plus for me.


Alrighty, let me know If you want me to explain on anything.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Haha yup! He is hiding atm. I didnt acclimate because it would have over flowed the tank to set the bag in, so he expierenced a temp drop. Its okay, i think he and the snails will be fine. Check out my other thread "what plants can i keep, i have a question"

A good simple way to acclimate née arrivals in a small system like that is to sit the fish bag in a Tupperware container (or specimen container), take a piece of airline tubbing about 18" long (or longer if you need it) and tie a simple knot in it. Start a siphon from the tank into the fish bag and adjust the knot tight enough that it just drips into the bag. After about 45 minutes to an hour it should've added about 2-3 cups of water to the bag and the temp and water conditions (ph) should be close enough for you to safely scoop out and add your new animal to the system. It's a really useful technique for tanks where floating the bag isn't an option. I got a nice setup for doing this easily online for about $2.50 but the knot trick works fine.

Also, if you have natural light going into the tank that could account for a ton of your algae issues.

 

[Gboy66]

I want to start by saying for lowlight plants, incancendents do work. I've done it.

I would suggest some mosses and a few stem plants. I know you've already got your beta, so why not skip shrimp, go with Thai micro crabs instead. The shrimp will eventually fail, and you'll be out of your stock.

Ok ok, some people make larger shrimp work. I will say though people lose shrimp to betas and occasionally betas to shrimp. They're opportunistic feeders.

I'm not sure how they'd do, but I presume they'd do a bit better than shrimp, maybe I'm wrong though.

Nerites -- only get one. Your tanks algae will not support more than one, and you'll have to supplement past that.

Something I've learned in my two short years at keeping fish and inverts, minimalistic thinking and stocking keeps for happy fish and happy owners.

A clean up crew to take out nonexistent algae is silly to me. It will also starve the cuc if they aren't properly supplemented. Definitely a resounding 100% no on the singular Otto. Bad advice. Consider one Nerite snail or maybe a ramshorn variety. The ramshorns will eat algae and decaying plant matter. Overall, I think they're a little more effective than Nerites plus they actually reproduce, which Is a plus for me.

Alrighty, let me know If you want me to explain on anything.

Mosses and stems, totally!

Really? Micro crabs..arent they too small? Shrimp wouldnt work at all then?

How should i supplement algae? I have algae wafers i feed!

I will have to look into ramshorns! They sound cool.

Any other betta tankmates then? I would like somthing other than the betta if i could.

Thanks for all the help! I hope you stick around!

 

[Gboy66]

A good simple way to acclimate née arrivals in a small system like that is to sit the fish bag in a Tupperware container (or specimen container), take a piece of airline tubbing about 18" long (or longer if you need it) and tie a simple knot in it. Start a siphon from the tank into the fish bag and adjust the knot tight enough that it just drips into the bag. After about 45 minutes to an hour it should've added about 2-3 cups of water to the bag and the temp and water conditions (ph) should be close enough for you to safely scoop out and add your new animal to the system. It's a really useful technique for tanks where floating the bag isn't an option. I got a nice setup for doing this easily online for about $2.50 but the knot trick works fine.

Also, if you have natural light going into the tank that could account for a ton of your algae issues.

I have a drip, but i was lazy and didnt pull it out:/ lol.

I will make sure to close the blinds!! Thanks!!

Oh.,just saw the betta go after the ghost shrimp!! Doh!! Not good...