15 gallon shrimp tank

[charlie]

I finally got my shrimp tank going @ the beginning of Feb. 2011, this tank sat empty for well over a year & with the help of a nudge from a few i set it up.
Tank - Perfecto 24X12 - 15 gallon
Lighting -Marineland 24 inch LED Double Bright Lights
Filter - Eheim classic 2213
Heater - Eheim Jager 100 watt
Substrate - Hagen Fluval Stratum shrimp Substrate
Plants - Java Fern, Anubias Nana, various mosses, Staurgyne SP,,Riccia fluitans & Marsilea hirsuta.
Livestock - small colony of CRS & 2 otto cats

[Brent Shaver]

Yet another fine sample.

Ever consider doing aquadesign for a living.  Do you know how many country clubs would love a garden in a tank for there members.

And big ones...

Great Job Errol

[Jeff1192]

WOW! That looks great. How did you find planting in the stratum substrate. I recently switched out about half my flourite for stratum in my Edge shrimp tank. It's a nightmare to plant in....especially with the limited access you have with the Edge to get your hands in there. I'm really glad I didn't swap out all my flourite!

Jeff

[charlie]

Yet another fine sample.

Ever consider doing aquadesign for a living.  Do you know how many country clubs would love a garden in a tank for there members.

And big ones...

Great Job Errol

Thanks Brent, i might someday consider your suggestion when i get better, it sure would be a fun job 

[charlie]

WOW! That looks great. How did you find planting in the stratum substrate. I recently switched out about half my flourite for stratum in my Edge shrimp tank. It's a nightmare to plant in....especially with the limited access you have with the Edge to get your hands in there. I'm really glad I didn't swap out all my flourite!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, you are correct the fluval substrate is tricky to plant in, fortunately most of the plants i picked for this tank are non rooted, with the Marsiela & Staurgyne being the exception , i forgot there is some Dwarf Hair grass in there too, but it`s benefits far out weigh the minor challenge.
I thought of the Edge sometime ago, but for the very reason you stated ( limited access) i stayed away from it, i even thought of having a larger access hole cut with modified top trim.
Now to wait & see how this tank matures, so far so good.
Errol

[Nyx]

It looks great, Errol. You have a real gift for this.

[charlie]

It looks great, Errol. You have a real gift for this.

Thanks for the compliments  .
Errol

[NanoSF]

Lighting -Marineland 24 inch LED Double Bright Lights
[

I was looking into these lights for my brother in law's planted tank but aren't they 10000k coloured LEDs? Shouldn't they be 6500k? It was hard for me to even find out what colour of white lights these lights had but the only information I found said they were 10000k.

[charlie]

I was looking into these lights for my brother in law's planted tank but aren't they 10000k coloured LEDs? Shouldn't they be 6500k? It was hard for me to even find out what colour of white lights these lights had but the only information I found said they were 10000k.

Plants will grow in any light spectrum from 3000 to 12000, they are some arguments out there about which spectrum produces the best growth, in large part it`s up to your preference of how the plants & livestock look, that said most hobbyist prefer the 5000 - 10000K range.
Regards

[NanoSF]

That's odd. I have been told by a few people that my 10000k reef tank stuff will be next to useless in a planted tank. I wanted to use some 10000 LEDs for my brother in laws tank but was advised against it.

[charlie]

I finally got my shrimp tank going @ the beginning of Feb. 2011, this tank sat empty for well over a year & with the help of a nudge from a few i set it up.
Tank - Perfecto 24X12 - 15 gallon
Lighting -Marineland 24 inch LED Double Bright Lights
Filter - Eheim classic 2213
Heater - Eheim Jager 100 watt
Substrate - Hagen Fluval Stratum shrimp Substrate
Plants - Java Fern, Anubias Nana, various mosses, Staurgyne SP,,Riccia fluitans & Marsilea hirsuta.Livestock - small colony of CRS & 2 otto cats -( now grown to a large colony & still growing
Updated as of Sept.2011.

[sas]

Nice and nicer, lovely tank. Thanks for the updates .

[magnosis]

Riccia fluitans & Marsilea hirsuta

Aha I was just going to ask how manageable was the riccia - I guess I have my answer now   I saw a lot of people using submersed riccia in contest tanks, but rarely do people keep it underwater for long. It seems like a major pain in the behind to maintain and keep it from floating up, despite using hair nets and whatnot.

Pristine tank as always, you keep impressing us Errol and setting the bar pretty high for the ovas aquascapers eheh

[charlie]

Aha I was just going to ask how manageable was the riccia - I guess I have my answer now   I saw a lot of people using submersed riccia in contest tanks, but rarely do people keep it underwater for long. It seems like a major pain in the behind to maintain and keep it from floating up, despite using hair nets and whatnot.

Pristine tank as always, you keep impressing us Errol and setting the bar pretty high for the ovas aquascapers eheh

Thanks Antoine, i`m really enjoying this tank, no co2 ,no ferts......... feed ,water change & go  , .
The Riccia did not fair well ,the combination of the CRS having a regular snack & lack of co2 & high lights  helped to diminish it  ,The Marsilea got shaded from the over grown moss .

[charlie]

Update
Shrimp continue to multiply & so is the moss - just harvested a whack load to decorate the drift wood in the 25 gallon , i`m guessing i have pulled at least 200 shrimp from this tank since it`s build & there is still a ton of shrimp in there.
This tank continues to amaze me considering  the Nitrate levels & the substrate ( Fluval Shrimp stratum) a lot of shrimp folks says is no good, still buffering well & shrimp breeding like crazy with it, no fancy dosing - water change & feed, i don't even wipe the glass, i`m really having second thoughts of completely closing it down  .
Regards

[jshchrtn]

All those shrimp are awesome! What are you feeding them in that picture?

[charlie]

Thanks Josh, this tank has being very good to me & my new tanks
That is a treat of zucchini, they love it & so does the Long fin juvie albino bushnose in there.

[touchofsky]

With a lovely tank like that being so low maintenance, I wouldn't want to close it down, either!

[charlie]

With a lovely tank like that being so low maintenance, I wouldn't want to close it down, either!

That`s it , i`m convinced it stay`s 

[cdylnicki]

Excellent decision!

[touchofsky]

I am happy to hear it.  It is such a pretty tank.  Lovely contrast between the green of the plants and the red of the shrimp 

[jshchrtn]

I'm glad your keeping it too! My shrimp i purchased from your colony are doing awesome! Thanks man keep it up!

[charlie]

I'm glad your keeping it too! My shrimp i purchased from your colony are doing awesome! Thanks man keep it up!

Thanks all.
Josh i`m so happy the CRS are doing well for you.
Regards

[touchofsky]

What kind of conditions do the shrimp require?

[charlie]

What kind of conditions do the shrimp require?

From my short stint with the CRS, i have found that stable parameters is key apart from soft water PH 5.5-7.2,temp.72-76F, the ADA & Fluval substrates of the world is a great help in helping to buffer the water in the PH range.
Regards

[charlie]

Well since i decided to keep this tank running wit the help of you guys  , i did some more moving around of stuff in an effort to jazz it up a bit so here goes.
I have come to accept that when you have multiple tanks & you get bored of one scape you have the liberty of messing with one while you enjoy the others in their present scape & the cycle goes on
Regards

[bizfromqc]

Very nice, I like it a lot 

I might have to give shrimps a try one day. Right now though, they'd just be expensive live food for my apistos.

[charlie]

Very nice, I like it a lot 

I might have to give shrimps a try one day. Right now though, they'd just be expensive live food for my apistos.

Ahh , see you have another excuse to start another tank, just casually take the  boss to the store like La Niche & guide her over to the shrimp section 

[pm]

Wow, your plans changed since Saturday (full hairgrass tank)?  Man, you might very well be worse than I am with tank changes 

[charlie]

Yep , very impulsive, the 79 gallon has changed too 

[touchofsky]

I like the changes, although I liked it the other way, too   

[bettabreeder]

Looks amazing!!

[jshchrtn]

Like the changes love the crs everywhere!

[charlie]

I finally got around to doing a short clip of the shrimp tank.
http://youtu.be/GhfMmA1hHjk
Errol

[touchofsky]

Wow, Errol, just gorgeous!  The tank is beautiful, the bn's are stunning, and the shrimp are so colourful and lively.  Excellence, once again 

[charlie]

switched things up again  , the shrimp production dropped considerable,the good news is that with the switch up production line looks promising, fingers crossed.
Regards

[exv152]

I'm sure you would have no issues finding buyers for your surplus CRS!

[daworldisblack]

Perfect timing! Looks like I have another tank for inspiration for my new 15 gallon.. I love the layout! looks like we also have the same equipment for the most part : 2213 and Marineland Dbl Bright. Do you dose this tank? Are the lights too strong? What temp do you keep this tank at? Param updates?!

[charlie]

Perfect timing! Looks like I have another tank for inspiration for my new 15 gallon.. I love the layout! looks like we also have the same equipment for the most part : 2213 and Marineland Dbl Bright. Do you dose this tank? Are the lights too strong? What temp do you keep this tank at? Param updates?!

Temp - 72 F
No dosing of anything water conditioner & now i`m doing 2 x a week water change to get them going again hopefully
PH 6.2
KH 1
Nitrates  around 10 ppm or less

[exv152]

How about your GH? I've read low KH is not a problem but GH seems to be the key to keeping shrimp healthy. I've never had CRS, but kept cherries in the range of 4-6º GH and they seem to do well.

[charlie]

forgot about that -GH is maintained between 4-5  with the help of Seachem equilibrium .

[daworldisblack]

Sweet .. Thanks for the info! Looking forward to setting mine asap!

[daworldisblack]

how high do you have your light fixture ? Sitting on the rim? Raised?

[charlie]

It`s been almost a year so time for an update  

[exv152]

Nice setup Errol. How about the 79g, something tells me you've redone that one too.

[charlie]

Nice setup Errol. How about the 79g, something tells me you've redone that one too.

Thanks Eric.
Somebody has been letting the cat out the bag 
Your feeling is right, I have reworked the 79 for the umpteen time , as well as the 25 
Just waiting for some more growth before I take a picture of the 79 & for some good for nothing algae to clear from the 25 

[charlie]

Just a quick update. I want to point out this tank has Fluval substrate since 2011, lights are 12 inches above the top of the tank from a sunlight 24 inch T5 HO strip with a reflector, there is no co2 or no fertilizers supplementing this tank- 10-15% water change weekly, so you can call this tank low tech, easy maintenance tank. Don`t worry about the air pump that feeds air to the bosses gold fish tank above, it is anchored there & will not fall into the tank

Java fern, Anubias, moss?, Crypts & dwarf Sag.



Errol

[charlie]

shrimp are doing that multiplication thing , this time I`ll be letting them continue without dwindling their numbers  

[daworldisblack]

shrimp are doing that multiplication thing , this time I`ll be letting them continue without dwindling their numbers  

Looks good Errol! Looks like candy canes got dropped all over the tank. Lil too early for xmas decorations no? haha. Thanks for the update!

[Jeff1192]

Wow that's awesome. Hoping to have similar success. Looks amazing.

[exv152]

shrimp are doing that multiplication thing , this time I`ll be letting them continue without dwindling their numbers  

Nice tank Errol. How much water are you changing on a weekly basis?

[charlie]

Thanks Guy`s.
I  try to change 10% weekly, but sometimes it ends up being 10% every 2 weeks

[fischkopp]

Those shrimps are a nice to watch! Will have to try to keep a couple of them alive one day.