Shrimp bowl newb here with a question

shinycard255 · 03-05-2012, 02:00 PM

So I started a shrimp bowl a little while back and never really went anywhere with it. Most of the plants died and I just uprooted the plants and let the bowl sit there for a bit...

Well, I started taking care of it again and I cleaned the inside glass because of a diatom outbreak, took out the old Flourite cap I had and replaced it with PFS (I did this about 2 weeks ago). I've been changing the water on it every weekend, about 75% of it.

I put a shrimp in on Saturday to see if he'll live, but he was dead come Sunday morning. So I did another 75% water change, tested the water and it tested fine, so I put another one in just to test again. Well, I wake up this morning only to find him laying on his back...

The bowl has no water circulation nor a heater. Temp fluctuates between 68-72 throughout the day.

It has dwarf sag and anubias nana petite in there for plants.

What am I doing wrong?

**FisheriesOmen** · 03-05-2012, 04:32 PM

That's wwwaaayyy too few plants. That bowl has got to be stuffed full and then wait about a month to let the plants grow and stabalize. Hope to see the progression of your bowl, I just added plants in mine.

shinycard255 · 03-05-2012, 04:34 PM

Too few plants to act as a filter... never thought of that...

I've got 6-7 plants of dwarf sag in there... maybe it just needs more. I can put more in there from my main tank

**FisheriesOmen** · 03-05-2012, 04:43 PM

How long has it been since you first added plants?

shinycard255 · 03-05-2012, 04:55 PM

Started it back in December so its been up for 3 months and I had put plants in it from the start, which only lasted a month and I pulled the plants. I just redid the bowl 2-3 weeks ago and added the sag and nana petite

**FisheriesOmen** · 03-05-2012, 05:16 PM

Ya wait a little longer for shrimp. I am not sure if 68 is toolow of a temp .

shinycard255 · 03-05-2012, 05:29 PM

There will only be RCS in there and I've read that they do well in cold temperatures too... I could be wrong though

I'll wait another few weeks then and give it a try then

**FisheriesOmen** · 03-05-2012, 05:37 PM

Wait RCS? That's a whole nother story I thought you were using cherry shrimp

shinycard255 · 03-05-2012, 05:55 PM

Umm.... RCS is Red Cherry Shrimp...

**FisheriesOmen** · 03-05-2012, 06:05 PM

It's actually red crystal shrimp is what RCS is commonly known as. Do you have any pics of your bowl?

shinycard255 · 03-05-2012, 06:09 PM

This shot was taken about 2 weeks ago just before I added plants... I'll post an updated shot tonight when I get home... but thats the size of my bowl. Has a piece of DW in it that the anubias sits on and 6-7 plants of Sag... ( just imagine it in there

)

Ha... and here I thought it stands for Red Cherry Shrimp... well it's for Red Cherry Shrimp and I know they are very hardy shrimp

Ozydego · 03-05-2012, 06:18 PM

RCS is red cherry shrimp, CRS is crystal red shrimp.... I had it wrong a while back too.... yeah, plants are the only thing that can keep the ammonia from spiking.... After the plants take hold and start growing like mad is when I should have introduced shrimp.... I had little to no growth for 5 to 6 weeks, then BAM, huge growth... I had to do a ton of water changes to keep mine alive until then.... also... thats a lot of sand.... it will be harder for the plant roots to get down to the good stuff

**FisheriesOmen** · 03-05-2012, 06:23 PM

:
Can't wait to see an update with plants

shinycard255 · 03-05-2012, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozydego

RCS is red cherry shrimp, CRS is crystal red shrimp.... I had it wrong a while back too.... yeah, plants are the only thing that can keep the ammonia from spiking.... After the plants take hold and start growing like mad is when I should have introduced shrimp.... I had little to no growth for 5 to 6 weeks, then BAM, huge growth... I had to do a ton of water changes to keep mine alive until then.... also... thats a lot of sand.... it will be harder for the plant roots to get down to the good stuff

My plants have started to grow... I guess I just need to be patient and let the bowl work its magic and get settled in. I may be jumping the gun too quick on adding RCS into the bowl...

I'll post an updated pic of the bowl tonight after work

**FisheriesOmen** · 03-05-2012, 08:17 PM

I agree with Ozydego that's A LOT of sand

03-05-2012, 02:00 PM	#1
shinycard255 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (18/100%) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Chicagoland Area Posts: 1,375	Shrimp bowl newb here with a question So I started a shrimp bowl a little while back and never really went anywhere with it. Most of the plants died and I just uprooted the plants and let the bowl sit there for a bit... Well, I started taking care of it again and I cleaned the inside glass because of a diatom outbreak, took out the old Flourite cap I had and replaced it with PFS (I did this about 2 weeks ago). I've been changing the water on it every weekend, about 75% of it. I put a shrimp in on Saturday to see if he'll live, but he was dead come Sunday morning. So I did another 75% water change, tested the water and it tested fine, so I put another one in just to test again. Well, I wake up this morning only to find him laying on his back... The bowl has no water circulation nor a heater. Temp fluctuates between 68-72 throughout the day. It has dwarf sag and anubias nana petite in there for plants. What am I doing wrong? __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt #42* Who would have thought that plants like dirt?! Tanks: 60G \| 5.5G \| Evolve4 Last edited by shinycard255; 03-05-2012 at 04:34 PM..

03-05-2012, 04:32 PM	#2
FisheriesOmen Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: AppleValley, MN Posts: 820	That's wwwaaayyy too few plants. That bowl has got to be stuffed full and then wait about a month to let the plants grow and stabalize. Hope to see the progression of your bowl, I just added plants in mine. __________________ The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech Salty & Sassy~~~ #000

03-05-2012, 04:34 PM	#3
shinycard255 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (18/100%) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Chicagoland Area Posts: 1,375	Too few plants to act as a filter... never thought of that... I've got 6-7 plants of dwarf sag in there... maybe it just needs more. I can put more in there from my main tank __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt #42* Who would have thought that plants like dirt?! Tanks: 60G \| 5.5G \| Evolve4

03-05-2012, 04:43 PM	#4
FisheriesOmen Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: AppleValley, MN Posts: 820	How long has it been since you first added plants? __________________ The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech Salty & Sassy~~~ #000

03-05-2012, 04:55 PM	#5
shinycard255 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (18/100%) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Chicagoland Area Posts: 1,375	Started it back in December so its been up for 3 months and I had put plants in it from the start, which only lasted a month and I pulled the plants. I just redid the bowl 2-3 weeks ago and added the sag and nana petite __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt #42* Who would have thought that plants like dirt?! Tanks: 60G \| 5.5G \| Evolve4

03-05-2012, 05:16 PM	#6
FisheriesOmen Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: AppleValley, MN Posts: 820	Ya wait a little longer for shrimp. I am not sure if 68 is toolow of a temp . __________________ The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech Salty & Sassy~~~ #000

03-05-2012, 05:29 PM	#7
shinycard255 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (18/100%) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Chicagoland Area Posts: 1,375	There will only be RCS in there and I've read that they do well in cold temperatures too... I could be wrong though I'll wait another few weeks then and give it a try then __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt #42* Who would have thought that plants like dirt?! Tanks: 60G \| 5.5G \| Evolve4

03-05-2012, 05:37 PM	#8
FisheriesOmen Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: AppleValley, MN Posts: 820	Wait RCS? That's a whole nother story I thought you were using cherry shrimp __________________ The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech Salty & Sassy~~~ #000

03-05-2012, 05:55 PM	#9
shinycard255 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (18/100%) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Chicagoland Area Posts: 1,375	Umm.... RCS is Red Cherry Shrimp... __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt #42* Who would have thought that plants like dirt?! Tanks: 60G \| 5.5G \| Evolve4

03-05-2012, 06:05 PM	#10
FisheriesOmen Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: AppleValley, MN Posts: 820	It's actually red crystal shrimp is what RCS is commonly known as. Do you have any pics of your bowl? __________________ The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech Salty & Sassy~~~ #000

03-05-2012, 06:09 PM	#11
shinycard255 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (18/100%) Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Chicagoland Area Posts: 1,375	This shot was taken about 2 weeks ago just before I added plants... I'll post an updated shot tonight when I get home... but thats the size of my bowl. Has a piece of DW in it that the anubias sits on and 6-7 plants of Sag... ( just imagine it in there ) Ha... and here I thought it stands for Red Cherry Shrimp... well it's for Red Cherry Shrimp and I know they are very hardy shrimp __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt #42* Who would have thought that plants like dirt?! Tanks: 60G \| 5.5G \| Evolve4

03-05-2012, 06:18 PM	#12
Ozydego Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Delaware, OH Posts: 417	RCS is red cherry shrimp, CRS is crystal red shrimp.... I had it wrong a while back too.... yeah, plants are the only thing that can keep the ammonia from spiking.... After the plants take hold and start growing like mad is when I should have introduced shrimp.... I had little to no growth for 5 to 6 weeks, then BAM, huge growth... I had to do a ton of water changes to keep mine alive until then.... also... thats a lot of sand.... it will be harder for the plant roots to get down to the good stuff __________________ Ozy's nano HC meadow \| Ozy's 55 high tech angel tank \| Office Walstad shrimp bowl

03-05-2012, 06:23 PM	#13
FisheriesOmen Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: AppleValley, MN Posts: 820	: Can't wait to see an update with plants __________________ The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech Salty & Sassy~~~ #000

03-05-2012, 08:17 PM	#15
FisheriesOmen Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: AppleValley, MN Posts: 820	I agree with Ozydego that's A LOT of sand __________________ The Fraternity of Dirt #97Just because its dirt doesn't make it low tech Salty & Sassy~~~ #000

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