They aren't that expensive at my LFS it's probably 2£ for a ball
Ahh ok so I'm guessing I shouldn't get the moss ball
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Need help on growing plants!
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They aren't that expensive at my LFS it's probably 2£ for a ball
Ahh ok so I'm guessing I shouldn't get the moss ball
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Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
That is a good price ($3.12) on this side of the pond.
It really does not matter if the plants grow fast or slow. It only matters what grows on the plants. That's what the shrimp feed on. You can supplement their diet with algae wafers.
Nitrate hog refers to their ability to consume nitrates (which helps with water conditions).
Turning the moss ball allows for light to reach the other side of it. Tbh mine have sat for months on the same side.
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Yeah it defo is i was surprised to see it at that price myself seeing as normally its quite expensive. Yeah that is true and i know you can but i would rather feeding them things that are natural growing in the tank which is what they are use to and also this way i'll save money as well. However they do eat left over fish food so its not like i dont feed them anything.
Oh ok but dont all plants take in nitrates?
I'll keep that in mind when i get it next week
Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nitrate hog.. means it uses up a lot of nitrate, that's a good thing usually. They need to be turned because if you leave them in the same position all the time, they grow lopsided.
They grow in the ball shape because they come from a lake where the algae that makes them up grows and is constantly washed up and down a shallow shore by the water. This rolls the algae into the ball shape to start with. It can only be kept that way if you turn them now and then so all sides get light.
Or keep them in a round bottomed container with an air stone, which has a similar effect to rolling on the lake bottom.
They grow in the ball shape because they come from a lake where the algae that makes them up grows and is constantly washed up and down a shallow shore by the water. This rolls the algae into the ball shape to start with. It can only be kept that way if you turn them now and then so all sides get light.
Or keep them in a round bottomed container with an air stone, which has a similar effect to rolling on the lake bottom.
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
Mine like both. I prefer my Moss Ball as my Java Moss gets all over.
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Oh ok so if i get moss ball it will help the water conditions for the shrimps right? and maybe possible reduce the amount of water changes i will have to do?
Sure thing i will make sure that i keep turning them around so no part of them dies.
Also could I tear a bit of the moss ball and lay it flat on the substrate to create a carpet feature? would it still grow and will it grow back on the moss ball as well?
Woww! your moss ball looks so nice and lush green how have you managed to do that?
Also could I tear a bit of the moss ball and lay it flat on the substrate to create a carpet feature? would it still grow and will it grow back on the moss ball as well?
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
I rinse it out on occasion. I give ferts and 6,500K lights. I do weekly water changes.
If you are trying to skip water changes already, don't do shrimp. Planted tanks do best with weekly changes esp smaller tanks. Shrimp need stable conditions. So skipping water changes will cause big swings in parameters.
I would NOT tear up a moss ball.
Forget carpeting plants in a low light situation. Look at dwarf Sag or Pygmy Chain Sword
It would still take trimming to try to make a carpet. Most plants grow taller in low light.
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oh wow i was wondering didnt think you could get a moss ball like that without adding anything to it.
No i didnt mean skip a water change i meant if i didnt have the chance to do one will the moss ball help keep the water good enough for the shrimps to live in? i general do water changes every week if not 2 weeks. I currently do have a few plants in the tank right now and they seem to be doing fine with the current water change pattern.
Why would it be bad if i did tear up the moss ball? i have seen may people do it online and have made smaller moss balls out of them if not a carpet. Oh ok thanks for that i will see if my LFS have those plants if not will probably go with the moss ball i like the look of it.
Also with the shrimps will they breed in the 20 litre tank on their own? currently my temp is at 26C and it is a open top tank.
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok, I reread this entire thread.
A. I don't grow Algae for my Shrimp !
They eat biofilm off of plants and surfaces.
I feed a variety of quality Shrimp food, Omega One color flakes, Omega One shrimp pellets , Omega One algae wafers ( just a tiny piece), and Rapashy gel food. I used to feed only 2x weekly when tank was Shrimp only.
I feed daily to twice a day now, tiny amounts, for my fish and Shrimp eat that.
I do blanch veggies/greens here and there.
I also add an Indian Almond leaf and Cholla cactus skeleton as they grow lots of Biofilm and Shrimps love them.
B. I never run my lights over 6-8 hours. You are heading for disaster blasting lights for so long. Algae can ruin a planted tank.
C. You still say you change water, weekly to every 2 weeks. Try to stick to weekly. TDS needs to be kept lower in Shrimp tanks. Look it up. Total Dissolved Solids...your phrase of the day.
D. If you want to rip up your Moss Ball, go ahead. It is a type of algae. I wouldn't, but I like the round shape.
E. 26c = almost 79f that is too warm for RCS IME. Others may say it's fine. I keep and breed mine in unheated tanks in a bedroom. The room is naturally a bit warmer than rest of house. Mine breed better in low 70sf YMMV
http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/articles/Caring-for-Red-Cherry-Shrimp.php
http://www.planetinverts.com/Red Cherry Shrimp.html
F. Anacharis plants prefer cool water.
Planted tanks should have at least 2" of substrate. My tanks have at least 1.5-2" of sand. 3" is supposed to be ideal, but I don't go that deep. I use MTS ( snails ) to keep sand aerated.
I use DIY root tabs that I buy from other hobbyists either on here or from The Planted Tank. It's free to join, only members can see sales section. I add root tabs about every 4 months.
I started with 15 RCS. I had over 100 in a few months before I added fish. I wish I had kept it to just Shrimp and Otos as I miss seeing the baby Shrimp.
CRS are more fragile. RCS are the way to go to learn to run a Shrimp tank.
http://youtu.be/2dxCfQK6jBg
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Thanks for that i appreciate your time to answer my questions really want to get shrimps as they look very nice but i dont want any dying...
A: you say that you dont grow algae for shrimps but i thought they eat algae and algae is a source of biofilm?
is there any way you can grow biofilm or help it to grow quicker? And how can you tell if you have biofilm in your tank?
Also you say you feed veggies now and again so i was wondering could you ffed them cucumbers? I looked online and didnt see much about feeding them cucumbers? :S
Why are indian almond leaf so good for growing biofilm.
B: Yeah i do leave them on for around 12 hours or so. But wont the shrimps just eat the algae that grows on the plants?
C: Yeah as im use to doing the current water change pattern. If one time i did do a water change after 2 weeks would the shrimps be fine?
D: No i was just asking if i could to make a carpet it out of it but my tank is small. But maybe i could rip a bit when it grows quite a bit and maybe put it in my other tank.
E: Oh so at that temp would you say that the shrimps wont breed?
you say anacharis prefer cool temps how are you suggesting currently mine are growing :S What about hornworts and jungle val what temps do they need?
I dont add any ferts to the tank but them seem to be growing
I appreciate your time helping me out and answering my questions glad to have you around
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
They don't need visible algae. Reduce your photoperiod or you'll have too much Algae. Biofilm grows all over the tank. No Shrimp will NOT eat all the Algae.
Keep your tank clean. Feed Shrimp 1-2x weekly to vary the diet.
I only wipe front glass. I leave the slippery film alone on sides and back. I never have visible algae.
Organic skinned Cukes are fine. Small piece. Zucchini is what I use.
IALeaf adds tannins and other good things. Bettas like them too. Good for water.
Jungle Vals get 6ft. Your plants will grow better with weekly ferts. But you don't have to use them. My plants show better color and growth.
Things will live at that temp, but for a Shrimp tank, cooler water has more oxygen and might be cheaper to run.
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Keep your tank clean. Feed Shrimp 1-2x weekly to vary the diet.
I only wipe front glass. I leave the slippery film alone on sides and back. I never have visible algae.
Organic skinned Cukes are fine. Small piece. Zucchini is what I use.
IALeaf adds tannins and other good things. Bettas like them too. Good for water.
Jungle Vals get 6ft. Your plants will grow better with weekly ferts. But you don't have to use them. My plants show better color and growth.
Things will live at that temp, but for a Shrimp tank, cooler water has more oxygen and might be cheaper to run.
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Fishfur
Aquarium Advice Addict
The almond leaves don't grow biofilm as such. They will grow some bacterial colonies as they break down, which make good food sources for shrimp and very small fish fry. So will other leaves, like oak or maple.
Biofilm is bacterial, and it grows on submerged surfaces almost immediately. You can't really speed up its growth rate, it accumulates with time, on every surface in the tank. But a sponge filters is a useful thing to have in a shrimp tank because it will serve as both filter and food source. Shrimp like picking at sponge filters.
The size tank you have is plenty to keep quite a lot of shrimp and they should breed in it just fine. I also think cooler temps are better, cherry shrimp don't really care for warmer water much. Mine always do better in cooler temperatures.
Cherry shrimp do eat algae but it's not their exclusive diet. If you allow algae to get out of hand, they may not eat enough of it to keep it from taking over a tank. It depends to a large degree just how many shrimp there are.
A very nice fellow I know who breeds shrimp to sell, allowed most of his tanks to become totally covered with algae at one point. It looked like the water was green, because all the glass was just covered in the stuff, fuzzy strands of it floating from every surface. I'd seen these same tanks months earlier and they weren't like that, but he didn't seem concerned about it.
A few months later when I dropped by to buy something else, I saw those same tanks again. They were now algae free and the shrimp had eaten it all. This was because their populations had grown dramatically, so there were a LOT of shrimp in each tank and he wasn't feeding them anything else in particular. These tanks also had thick plantings in them too.. one had a six inch high carpet of chain swords, so thick you could not see the substrate at all.
So maybe you can leave the lights on that long and let algae go nuts and get away with it, but if you have only a few shrimp, chances are good the algae might just take over far past the ability of the shrimp to control it. The fellow I mentioned had several dozen shrimp in each tank and they were all breeding like rabbits, which is quite different from only having six or even a dozen of them.
Biofilm is bacterial, and it grows on submerged surfaces almost immediately. You can't really speed up its growth rate, it accumulates with time, on every surface in the tank. But a sponge filters is a useful thing to have in a shrimp tank because it will serve as both filter and food source. Shrimp like picking at sponge filters.
The size tank you have is plenty to keep quite a lot of shrimp and they should breed in it just fine. I also think cooler temps are better, cherry shrimp don't really care for warmer water much. Mine always do better in cooler temperatures.
Cherry shrimp do eat algae but it's not their exclusive diet. If you allow algae to get out of hand, they may not eat enough of it to keep it from taking over a tank. It depends to a large degree just how many shrimp there are.
A very nice fellow I know who breeds shrimp to sell, allowed most of his tanks to become totally covered with algae at one point. It looked like the water was green, because all the glass was just covered in the stuff, fuzzy strands of it floating from every surface. I'd seen these same tanks months earlier and they weren't like that, but he didn't seem concerned about it.
A few months later when I dropped by to buy something else, I saw those same tanks again. They were now algae free and the shrimp had eaten it all. This was because their populations had grown dramatically, so there were a LOT of shrimp in each tank and he wasn't feeding them anything else in particular. These tanks also had thick plantings in them too.. one had a six inch high carpet of chain swords, so thick you could not see the substrate at all.
So maybe you can leave the lights on that long and let algae go nuts and get away with it, but if you have only a few shrimp, chances are good the algae might just take over far past the ability of the shrimp to control it. The fellow I mentioned had several dozen shrimp in each tank and they were all breeding like rabbits, which is quite different from only having six or even a dozen of them.
Thanks for your help when you said that anacharis need cooler temp what did you excatly mean by that? Currently my tank is around 24C is that fine for them? i was also wondering if this temp is fine for hornworts as well?
What would you suggest to keep my tank temp at for cherry shrimps where they will also breed?
I just recently bought a moss ball i was thinking of putting it in a tub full of tank water and letting it sit in there for about a day or so to quarantine it and make sure there is nothing inside it. Would that be fine?
Also was wondering if the moss ball will survive at 24C?
Oh ok thanks for that just dont know where i could find some almond leaves...
Yes i do have a sponge filter running in that tank and has been running for a while now so im guessing it will have some food on it hopefully!
Ok you say they need cooler temps so what temp would you suggest to keep them at where they will breed and live heathly? Currently my tank temp is 24C and it is an open top tank
Yes i understand that currently only growing a bit so they can start eating that. i dont have alot at the moment
oooo that must look nice is there any chance you could get a picture of his tank?
Sure thanks for the advice i appreciate it very much!
I just recently bought a moss ball i was thinking of putting it in a tub full of tank water and letting it sit in there for about a day or so to quarantine it and make sure there is nothing inside it. Would that be fine?
Also was wondering if the moss ball will survive at 24C?
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
24c = 75f.
That should be ok. I keep mine around 72f ?
Hornwort should b fine. Grows in a wide range of temps.
Moss should b fine. Grows in 72-78f
The only thing that might be on plants is usually snails or snail eggs. You can rinse the Moss Ball gently and squeeze out water to clean it.
Roll it over at least weekly so all sides get light.
You can google care info for plants or search on here.
If you don't know where to buy something, try Google
http://tinyurl.com/o6uozkc
Look stuff up, do some reading [emoji106]
Do research and it will help you help your tank.
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So 24C will be fine to allow the shrimps to breed?
You say it grows in a wide range of temps but mine is just not growing for some reason...Ive currently left mine floating as it is very small and so it can get the most light but i havent seen much grow out of it....why is that? What can i do to make it grow?
Yeah i did that before i put the moss ball in there i cleaned to get all the dirt out and make sure there is noting inside of it.
I have googled this before asking but i just wanted to clarify but thanks
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
You can add some basic ferts. I add API Leaf Zone and Flourish Comprehensive 1x weekly.
For really fast growth you can add Flourish Excel (Carbon source).
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For really fast growth you can add Flourish Excel (Carbon source).
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I also need help on lighting for my 20 litre tank.
Currently i have an Aqua Lux 13W 7200k light which sits on the top of my open top tank but i dont think this is doing a great job as my plants dont seem to be growing other than my anacharis.
Is my light powerful enough?
Dont know what to do...
Currently i have an Aqua Lux 13W 7200k light which sits on the top of my open top tank but i dont think this is doing a great job as my plants dont seem to be growing other than my anacharis.
Is my light powerful enough?
Dont know what to do...
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