SS Tank

[Rubes]

I'm planning on 2 self sustaining tanks. One is 6.3 gallons and one is 10 gallons. I'm planning on scarlet badis and RCS for the 6.3 gallon. For the 10 gallon, I was thinking maybe a blue crayfish with RCS. They will be planted with Staurogyne Repens, Rotala Rotundifolia, Hygrophilia Corymbosa. I was wondering if the crayfish would murder all the RCS outright or it would manage the population reasonably well. If it's going to dig up all the plants, then I can't really have it... I can always put in scarlet badis fry from the 6.3 into the 10 gallon if the crayfish is a no go. All in all, what do you guys think of the plans?

 

[Exigenn]

Define self sustaining.

 

[Rubes]

I'm using the Walstad Method. No water changes, only topping off the tank when it evaporates. The idea is that the plants and dirt take care of the chemical filtration.

I forgot to add that the inhabitatats of the tank will eat each other. I won't feed them but they have supply of food in the form of the shrimp and plants if they like them.

 

[Nils]

I wouldn't ever out shrimp and crayfish together. Not even dwarf cray. What cray do you have in mind? Anything but dwarfs will get too big for a 10 IMO and will rip up your plants. I'll tag along on this thread, I like seeing planted tanks

 

[Laeris]

What about tiny freshwater spider crabs? They get along with shrimp.

 

[keegster803]

I currently have a 1 gallon as tank with my blackworms and Java fern in it. I'm thinking you shouldn't do crayfish, because they tend to uproot plants


Sent via echolocation

 

[Rubes]

I wouldn't ever out shrimp and crayfish together. Not even dwarf cray. What cray do you have in mind? Anything but dwarfs will get too big for a 10 IMO and will rip up your plants. I'll tag along on this thread, I like seeing planted tanks

I was going for the dwarf version but if they're going to rip up my plants, well. I guess I can't have them. Too bad, really. They're really nice looking and someone on craigslist is selling them for 15 a pop.

 

[Rubes]

Since the crayfish is out, is everything else okay? The spider crabs kinda freak me out and I don't think they would be able to eat anything in there, which defeats the point of self sustaining.

 

[TheresaM]

I have a heavily planted 10g; no filter, heater, or light. I only top off, no actualy water changes. I do actually feed the fish & shrimp so I wouldn't call it self sustaining. It's home to least killifish, a pair of otos, RCS, a few nerites, and MTS.

 

[Rubes]

I heard nightmares of the MTS colony takeover xD but other than that, everything seems good? RSC can eat the plants and the basis can eat the plants and shrimp.

 

[TheresaM]

Don't think MTS have gotten crazy in this tank, although I do have quite a few in other tanks. It's heavily planted like I said but they show up well against a dark substrate.

 

[Rubes]

Might just put shrimp in the 6.3 and then shift a couple into the ten gallon when the ten runs low.I'll put in the dario dario in the ten. I'm planning on turning the 20 gallon I have into self sustaining, but I think that would only work with the plants as I have a variety of fish altogether. Maybe when they all die, I can add in cherry shrimp from 6.3 into the tank and let that colony grow. And then I could add in scarlet badis fry and let them grow as well!