My Completed 5.5 gallon RCS Tank

[KingMaddog]

I finished my RCS tank!!! I am very pleased with it. I finished it on June 5th with all the plants. I have 20 RCS, 1 Water Lily, 2 Water Onions, 4 Aponogeton (all grown from bulbs), 2 bunches of Cyperus Helferi, and 3 bunches of Telanthera Cardinalis (live plants). I already spotted 2 females carrying eggs today. I even noticed one Aponogeton has a flower stalk touching the top of the water. I will be getting a black background to show the colors better. Here are some pics.

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[KingMaddog]

More pics

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[NeonRaccoon]

Where did you get that sponge thing that is on your filter?

 

[KingMaddog]

Where did you get that sponge thing that is on your filter?

I got it on ebay. It is a sponge from a bio sponge filter powered by an air pump. I paid just over 4 dollars for the filter.

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[NeonRaccoon]

Ok thanks and your tank looks great

 

[KingMaddog]

Thank you

 

[KingMaddog]

It appears that I may have a problem. All of my shrimp have lost their color. I have had them for a little more than a week and everything looks good in the tank. When I tested the water it was fine. I noticed the change this morning when I was looking in the aquarium. What would cause this? Is it due to the light first coming on in the morning? Someone please chime in on this. Thank you.

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[KingMaddog]

Any takers? The first pic is one that's still red, the second pic is what appears to be a female that lost color, the third pic is what the majority of them look like now. They have been swimming around frantically now since this morning and I was lucky enough to get one to stop long enough to get a good pic. Last is a pic of a red and a clear together. Do I just have a bunch of males? It seems that they were "redder" when I first got them. I do still have some dark red ones hiding out in the grassy plants and they rarely come out. Can someone please give me an idea of what's going on here? Thanks.

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[Fresh2o]

You might have a few males in there. I may be wrong, but I suspect it might (might being the key word) be the light colored substrate. When I kept fish over light colored sand, their colors appear faded. Conversely, the same fish over a dark substrate appeared more colorful. Coincidence? Maybe it is an innate response to blend into their surroundings.

 

[KingMaddog]

Since I been reading about the substrate being the culprit, (did some deep searching) can I get some black sand to sprinkle on top of the regular sand? The bulbs I planted have extensive root systems and I don't want to go through the problems of disturbing them, plus I have my tank set up just the way I want it. I'm getting a black background tomorrow hoping that will help too. These shrimp were a nice shade of red when I got them, and I want that color back. After these changes is there a chance they will get their color back?

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[KingMaddog]

"Flower" from one of my Aponogeton plants. I grew these plants from bulbs I bought at the pet store. I think they are doing very well.

 

[Fresh2o]

What are you feeding the shrimp? Perhaps the lack of coloration is diet related? Idk.
A thin layer of black sand over the light sand might work but there is a chance that the two will mix. Plus you don't want the sand to get too deep. You could try siphoning out the light colored sand in all areas except for where the roots are and replace with black sand. Seems like a lot of work and could be disruptive to the shrimp.

 

[KingMaddog]

What are you feeding the shrimp? Perhaps the lack of coloration is diet related? Idk.
A thin layer of black sand over the light sand might work but there is a chance that the two will mix. Plus you don't want the sand to get too deep. You could try siphoning out the light colored sand in all areas except for where the roots are and replace with black sand. Seems like a lot of work and could be disruptive to the shrimp.

I'm just feeding them a mixture of color enhancing flake and and sinking pellet fish food. I was looking into trying blanched zucchini and algae wafers. If I do the zucchini how big a piece do I use for 20 shrimp and how long do I boil it for?

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[Fresh2o]

I've only used it once or twice and when I did I took the zucchini and cut it into very thin slices. I placed the zucchini on a plate and threw it in the microwave for "I don't recall" how many seconds (45-60?). Enough to get it very hot. Then I placed the slices in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer. When I need to use a slice, I put it on a saucer in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Depending on the thickness of the slice, I would either drop the whole slice in the tank or a quarter or half slice.

 

[Fresh2o]

I've only used it once or twice and when I did I took the zucchini and cut it into very thin slices. I placed the zucchini on a plate and threw it in the microwave for "I don't recall" how many seconds (45-60?). Enough to get it very hot. Then I placed the slices in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer. When I need to use a slice, I put it on a saucer in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Depending on the thickness of the slice, I would either drop the whole slice in the tank or a quarter or half slice.

Err...the latter part...maybe 10-12 seconds instead of 20-30 seconds.

 

[KingMaddog]

Will these be good for my shrimp?

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[Fresh2o]

Will these be good for my shrimp?

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They should. I use a similar product from Hikari. I get paranoid about what the shrimp eat so I always check to see if copper is listed as an ingredient.

 

[KingMaddog]

I just bought a piece of cuddle bone for my shrimp and was thinking of attaching it to the side of the tank. I have a suction cup and need to know what kind of wire I could use to attach the cuddle bone to the suction cup that won't harm the shrimp.

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[Fresh2o]

The only metal that would be safe to use is stainless steel. You could try fishing line instead. Or break it in chunks and place in the filter or in the back of the tank.

 

[Krogman]

Copper can kill but is ok in small amounts. Like really small. If I'm not mistaken the Hikari shrimp pellets I have have copper in them, my shrimp love it. I will double check when I'm home later. Seems to be that everyone's shrimp enjoy different diets.