new rcs tank
 

hi guys :smile:

just joined the site

been having a visit for a while and there are some very knowledgeable, friendly people on here so i thought i would join the club

im very new to plants in general and this is my 1st attempt at a planted rcs tank

ive just got a aquastart 320 that i want to make a rcs tank with, its roughly 7g, it has a built in 11w light, i will be running a sponge filter and heater, the sponge filter is seeding in my established 125g

ive got on order some

christmas moss
java moss
wisteria
dwarf sag
anubais nana
guppy grass

im using aquatic soil capped with sand

i want it banked up at the back at least 4", can i have it that deep? or will i get gas build up?
i will have mts in there to aerate the soil

i can post pics of how i have it at the moment if that helps

if any more info is needed just let me know

thanks in advance :smile:

My thoughts are if you want to bank it up with that, I'd cut it with some sand to relieve compaction and add some substrate additives (specificially the bacter mix) from ADA. If you can get some form of flow through there, you'll run much less risk of going anaerobic.

Hi baggy I'm new here too and to keeping rcs.

My first bit of advice is unfortunately from bad experience, but it's worth sharing, especially with people in UK. Be very careful where you get your plants from. If they're coming from Asia, there's a real risk of insecticides/chemicals that could harm your shrimp. I understand that plants shipped from the Netherlands are a much safer bet(?) . Maybe ask your supplier where the plants come from? I won't buy from Asia again.

My tap water contains nitrite, something regular water conditioners don't deal with. If your not using tap, then ignore this, but worth a 2 minute test if you are :)

You might also consider running the tank for a few weeks once you have your filter in. This allows the biofilm to build up. Your shrimps will appreciate this. In fact I think a month is preferred.

Other things to consider buying at some point are Indian almond leaves, cholla wood and a small feeding bowl. The feeding bowl stops half eaten shrimp pellets getting down into your substrate. The leaves and wood are popular with the shrimps (usually).

Good luck with your tank, these shrimp are great pets :)

Welcome. 4" bank shouldnt be a problem but it will slide forward and level out over time if you dont have stones or something to keep the layering at bay.

rule of thumb is always to keep things simple. take your time with things and enjoy!

thanks for the responses guys:smile:

im not going to put any livestock in for at least a month after the plants, i use prime to condition the tap water
i should have an instant cycle as my sponge filter for my QT tank is running in my other tank

i will also check on the plants origins, thanks jedi, but my lfs is pretty decent

i was thinking, i could put some gravel in plastic tubs at the back to build it up that way, would this work?

i hav some grapevine and mopani which im going to cover in the c/moss to make a couple of trees

i have an api test kit to make keep an eye on my perams

heres a few pics on how i want it to look, i will be replacing everything green with real plants

what do you think?:smile:

hi guys

just a quick question

do i need to have my sponge filter running after the month of letting the plants establish?

would it be self sustaining so to speak like a walstead tank?

Cycling in my experience is less vital if you're going only shrimp, especially neos.

I just made two bowls, one with 5 yellow shrimp, the other with about 25 rcs. Neither is filtered and they're thriving.

Waiting on the yellows to breed, shouldn't be long now.

I like your scape too, looks very calming :thumbup:

Pics?

In your opinion which shrimp is easier to see?

My parents are 86 and 85 and it's hard for them to find the amanos.

So am considering Painted Fire Reds, but the yellows looks cool, too.

Thx in advance!

thanks guys :smile:

it will be cycled initially but was wondering if i could take the filter out when i get the cherries because i wont be able to hide it and i dont want to spoil the look of the tank, cant wait to get it started

im with SpecGrrl, any pics of your bowls?

Snapped a quick (crappy) pic of the yellow bowl. Substrate is some sand from my 55g, skimmed from the top for bacteria. Right now I have Vals in there as well as dwarf sag and Java moss. Frogbit and duckweed for floaters. This bowl just sits on my desk where it gets a couple hours of sunlight a day and seems to be doing great.

I will probably end up dirting this bowl, rethink the planting and such, I set it up quick to get the shrimp out of the breeder box, and they seem to be appreciating it.

Cherry shrimp bowl I set up for my girlfriend, who has become enamored with them LOL.

Specgirl I think the question of which is more visible depends on your substrate, plants etc..but I think if amanos are difficult then cherries may be easier to spot. Right now the yellow juvies are not really solid, more translucent, but I think that is true of all neos. They'll brighten up with age.

tip top bowl fuze :cool:

i would like a no fuss low maintenance bowl like that in every room each with a different kind of shrimp but the other half would go mental :tongue:

they creep her out, she says they are just underwater creepy crawlies

i think they are cool, i could get into these guys big time :smile:

hi guys

im going for my plants tomorrow:smile:

i wasnt quite happy with the tank layout so i had a bit of a change

i removed the 2 caves and made 1 big 1 also the tree on the left was bugging me so im just going ot tie some nana to it and have the other tree as a c/moss or willow moss tree

going to have wisteria all along the back and maybe plant the dwarf sag along the gravel line but dont know what to put above the cave on the left

as this is my 1st shrimp tank any comments, changes, suggestions welcomed:smile:

well no planting for another week :icon_sad:

my plant order didn't come through so im going to flood it and run my sponge filter for a week

will test the water in a couple of days and if its ok i can get some mts in there to work through the dirt

patience is a virtue :icon_roll

hi guys

its been flooded for a week now and i did a water test

ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 5

i rinsed out a seeded filter in the water to give it a start, my question is will there be enough ammonia in the dirt to keep the cycle going or should i be adding some fish food as an ammonia source?

only plants atm is a few stems of camboda

thanks