New RCS tank! :D A couple questions..

[00youknowit00]

Okay, so I FINALLY got my shrimp tank, after begging my mom. It's not as big as I wanted, but it's still a tank.

It's a 2.5 mini bowfront, I have pfs as substrate, the light that came with it (which I'm pretty sure has no hope for growing plants) and the filter that came with it(whatever it is that aqueon puts with it).

So I put my rcs in it (after painstakingly netting them out of my 20H 0_o which wasn't too fun if I do say..). For right now there isn't any decorations in it, just the pfs. I have some fake ones that can go in it, I just didn't do it yet.

Questions:
1) How often should I feed? There's ~15
2) Anything I can put in to help with breeding?
3) Anything and everything you can think to tell me

I've wanted this for so long, I want it to be a success!

Thanks!

 

[mfdrookie516]

Shrimp and plants are made for each other... that's what you're missing IMO

 

[00youknowit00]

Shrimp and plants are made for each other... that's what you're missing IMO

I know it, I just don't know of any light fixtures small enough to fit on it..

 

[mfdrookie516]

On that size tank, a $2 clip light with a cfl would be more than sufficient.

 

[00youknowit00]

On that size tank, a $2 clip light with a cfl would be more than sufficient.

Would it do well with some java moss and maybe a small anubias? Cause theres a incandescent on there now, and they do nothing for plants correct?

 

[mfdrookie516]

They do something, just not nearly as good as fluorescent. If it has an incandescent, you could probably just screw in a cfl in to your exisiting fixture. Java moss, java fern, just plants that can provide cover for them... java moss is probably your easiest bet.

 

[00youknowit00]

Ill go wednesday and get a cfl and java moss and anubias then! Perfect!

 

[00youknowit00]

Is a cfl a bulb that my lfs should have?

 

[andresdeo]

Cfl or compact fluorescent bulbs are regular light saving ones you can get at a hardware store, nothing special about them, should be cheap too. But it'll do the trick for what you need.

 

[00youknowit00]

Ohhh, so I just have to find a screw-in 15w somewhere

 

[andresdeo]

You got it, for a tank your size it should work, if you want check out my thread on DIY canopy and lights. Its a bigger tank, but it might help you out.

 

[00youknowit00]

You got it, for a tank your size it should work, if you want check out my thread on DIY canopy and lights. Its a bigger tank, but it might help you out.

Could you give me the link?

 

[andresdeo]

Sure thing, http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/diy-hood-and-lights-156145.html

There you go.

 

[NoMoreGoldFish]

A small tank like that with an incandescent light and a hood will turn your shrimps into a delicious shrimplet cocktail.

It looks like you're little tank is a desktop tank? Get one of those cheap USB 2-3W LED lamps for $5 and plug it into your computer. Or if you want, spend a couple of bucks on a USB power adapter. For $7 - 10 and you'll have yourself an energy efficient, low heat LED lamp that'll give your tank a gorgeous shimmering effect. (I have the same light set up for my 10 gallon snail tank).

Find a little piece of drift/bogwood, tie some java moss to it, voila! Your shrimps will love it. You'll see them feeding off microscopic algae on the wood and java moss, it's quite fun to watch. Probably should've went for some fluval shrimp substrate, since it will lower the water's ph and that's what they prefer, and would also encourage breeding, but the bogwood should help lower the ph as well.

 

[00youknowit00]

A small tank like that with an incandescent light and a hood will turn your shrimps into a delicious shrimplet cocktail.

It looks like you're little tank is a desktop tank? Get one of those cheap USB 2-3W LED lamps for $5 and plug it into your computer. Or if you want, spend a couple of bucks on a USB power adapter. For $7 - 10 and you'll have yourself an energy efficient, low heat LED lamp that'll give your tank a gorgeous shimmering effect. (I have the same light set up for my 10 gallon snail tank).

Find a little piece of drift/bogwood, tie some java moss to it, voila! Your shrimps will love it. You'll see them feeding off microscopic algae on the wood and java moss, it's quite fun to watch. Probably should've went for some fluval shrimp substrate, since it will lower the water's ph and that's what they prefer, and would also encourage breeding, but the bogwood should help lower the ph as well.

You brought a good point up, over the past two days I've lost 8 shrimp I have realllly high ph, like around 8.0-8.2, I drip acclimated them. Could that be why I'm having a hard time with them? :/

 

[NoMoreGoldFish]

8.2 seems kinda high for RCS. But it's not uncommon for them to die in new tanks even if you drip acclimatize them.

If it's going to be a shrimp only tank, why not try and lower the ph a bit? But with smaller tanks, you'd want to be careful when doing water changes to make sure you don't have huge ph swings.

If you don't mind some color in your water, try using some Indian Almond Leaves or oak leaves. And when you're doing water change, just brew some almond leaves in a hot cup of water beforehand (shred or cut the leaves into small pieces), and add it in while changing the water (let it cool first or dilute with cool water).

When I was trying to do a blackwater community tank before, my RCS bred like crazy!

 

[00youknowit00]

Hmmm, doesn't crushed coral lower it? It raise it? I can't remember which..

 

[NoMoreGoldFish]

Crush coral raises it.

 

[00youknowit00]

Hmmm.. I'm not crazy about having to boil leaves, I think I'll wait and see if it's just them being moved and such or what. And address the ph later..

 

[BakerBoy17]

If you add some drift wood that also helps lower the Ph