accordztechs shrimp tank --->Picture update

[accordztech]

So for my second tank I decided on doing a shrimp tank in my JBJ 12g Nano I had laying around. It serves its purpose with lights, and a shrimp safe filtration system, and a cannopy cover. I built a stand for it, never could sell it, but never fiqured out what to put in it.

I been doing quite a bit of reading on shrimps but perhaps not enough.

Co2: yes pressurized via powerhead reactor in the back of the tank. 3bps.
Lighting: 2x24 pc.
Plants: needle leaf java fern, glosso
Decor: some White sand....ADA aquasoil on bottom, then slate to create a raise, then black fourite sand to make a mountain and hold plants.

Kinda bit off of the design of msnnikkistars tank, http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ta...ml#post1136907 but I am giving her credit here =)

question:

1. Im wondering if I should put ferts like greensand, kelp meal, and bone meal under the flourite like I did in my EI 55 gallon.To late
2. Should I dose EI method with nitrate, csm+b, and phosphates like I do in my other tank? I will watch the plants, if they show difficiency ill do it.
3. will styrogene 49 be fine without co2?

Current Picture

[accordztech]

I have another question. If I'm laying down slate rocks should I put something under it? It will be on the bottom glass obviously

[accordztech]

well Since no one is helping much, im going to attempt to draw in a crowd with pictures lol.

I was testing my layout. Thinking of doing it like this then flourite black sand mountain. Borderd with some styrogene.


I dont care what anyone else says, putting both of these sands in was a PITA. Dont mind those out of place stones. Those are removed and were there to block the black sand from coming down.


Gotta clean some of that up


I broke up some more slate and actually laid it on the mountain to give the mountain some meaning. Also so the black sand wont trickle its way down to the white sand. The tank is very cloudy right now. I washed the white sand but not enough. The black sand was very clean.

[familyman03]

will the two sands become mixed over time? If not how do you plan on keeping the mound place?

[accordztech]

Originally Posted by familyman03

will the two sands become mixed over time? If not how do you plan on keeping the mound place?

Im hoping they wont lol. They are seperated but only by rocks, I hope once I get the other plant between the 2 it will help hold it back.

[accordztech]

I just did a water change




I am NOT doing this again, but I do got to find a way to hold that mountain.

[familyman03]

If you have the patience you can wait it out and grow some moss toward the bottom end where it encroaches the white. Or you can put some on to small pieces of slate and rest it there and go from there. I imagine that once you get your plants going the roots would help hold the mountain in place. Have you figured out which shrimps you will put in there?
Jason

[accordztech]

I'm really liking cardinal shrimps. I like how they look almost like the salt water ones. I can easilly get cherry shrimp but they seem to plain

[Jaggedfury]

Looking good, I'd used the same Micro-Fiber towel to wax my cars! I have tons of it! In it for some plant growth!

[accordztech]

Originally Posted by Jaggedfury

Looking good, I'd used the same Micro-Fiber towel to wax my cars! I have tons of it! In it for some plant growth!

Ahh, im a detailer. These things are a dime a dozen lol.

[accordztech]

I dont know why but im not feelin my mountain =/.

Tested the ph of the water, 7.8 pretty good. Cardinals want 7-8.5 so its still in their range.

I also bought a heater today. My 50 watt heater had a very hard time going past 77. So I bought a 75watt heater. I am going to try to keep these guys at 80 degrees.

[guppygolucky]

the mountain looks good, maybe you're not feeling it yet because it hasn't been planted and "aged" yet. If you wanted a dash of color, you could place either 1 or 2 large red lava rocks or a few small ones to break the solid black.

[accordztech]

Thanks for the opinion. Perhaps your right. Soon, if jaggedfury would get off the comp and take some pics for me, then ill probably be planting it with some moss from him. I am probably going to do mosses only, and ditch co2 for now.

I hate that the black sand keeps getting into the white, hopefully once I put plants on the rocks then it will stop that.

[msnikkistar]

Well, looky my name is mentioned! lol

A good way to keep the mountain in place is to use small lava rocks, or even put large fluorite, then top it with whatever you want. You can also put some plastic uhh bordering to keep it in place as well

[accordztech]

Originally Posted by msnikkistar

Well, looky my name is mentioned! lol

A good way to keep the mountain in place is to use small lava rocks, or even put large fluorite, then top it with whatever you want. You can also put some plastic uhh bordering to keep it in place as well

Well got to give credit somehow lol. I dont want to be attacked by shrimp lovers.

Tested my water today

Temp-82 F
Ph-7.8
ammonia-.25
nitrite-.25
nitrate-10 or 20ppm

I think the cycle process has started. Last night I took the fine filter pad out of my other tank and cut it into pieces to put in this one. Then got some ceramic media from the other tank, and a small bag of sand to help the cycle process.

I never really cycled a tank, always used the silent cycle method and added fish little by little (I also had plants in there). So this is the first time trying to attempt a cycle. Go figure when the shrimp that I want is really expensive, cant afford to loose them.