shalu's 10 gallon low tech shrimp tank(07-24-2005**56k warning)

[shalu]

Originally Posted by Urkevitz

Nice tank, the 2700k's really bring out the greens in the plants and the reds in the shrimp.

Thanks, but I think the credit goes to the camera setting, not the bulb
Honestly, the light looks quite yellow, but I can live with it if the plants grow fine, and they do. I used the white balancing function on the camera. Basically I point the camera to a sheet of white paper lit by the aquarium light,then I press a button on the camera telling it that the object is supposed to be white, the camera calculates the color and subtract it from photos being taken.

[Buck]

This is a good experiment Shalu... I think we should be striving for "least" lighting levels, not highest. High levels , high maintenance. The only thing I really think would be a good assist in it is CO2. Even the low light tanks can benefit in small amounts.
Never did like Excel at all when I used it in any of the small tanks I did. I dont trust it.

Look forward to updates.

[shalu]

I took most of the weeping moss off the driftwood and made a moss wall:


I used the screen kit mesh and small suction cups from Home Depot. People usually use mesh with larger holes for that but I did not find a suitable one. It might take longer for the moss to grow out of the mesh, but I am sure it will. Will update later as it progresses.

I had a crazy idea of tying some Anubias nana 'petite' and windlov java fern to the wall, hoping to create the look of a lush tropical mountain cliff when the moss wall matures. I hope the java fern stays small without CO2, otherwise I will have to take it off later.

[g8wayg8r]

It all starts with light and I guess 30-watts over a 10 gallon tank isn't bad - close to what I have. An anubias frazeri would probably do well and not care about the substrate, bulb temp or CO2. I like the leaf shape of that variety and it get a bit taller than most.

[fhqwhgads]

i think san frans a bit too far for me, but if you have any extra weeping moss in the future, id be glad to buy it from you. just name a price

[shalu]

Some more pics.

The Tonina fluviatilis is growing very well, although slower than in the CO2 enriched tank:


Utricularia sp. 'red', an interesting carnivorous plant:


Close-up of a Neon tetra:


A very pregnant cherry red shrimp:


I won some crystal red shrimps recently on aquabid. Here are some pics:

crystal red and cherry red:

[scolley]

Hey Shalu, I missed this post. Interesting tank! Nice pics too!

And love the new inter-nodal length on the r. macrandra! Anxious to see how this turns out. Especially since the r. macrandra looks better than in my hi-tech tank!

Looking forward to what it we all learn from it. Good luck!

[75sausage]

Very nice. I am going to follow this thread as I am trying a similar approach in my 10 gallon (setup 4 weeks ago. So far I only have 2 little glossos a bunch of horworth and anubia nana in there. The anubias have beard algae growing on it right now but otherwise all the plants are healthy looking and there is no other algae. I dose PMDD (greg watson) every 2 days. I am very optimistic about this tank. It will get some Hygro compacta this week and probably some corkscrew vals and I will get rid of the hornworth eventually. The tank has 10 harlequin rasboras and 3 SAEa which are getting lazy due to lack of algae.

[jwarper]

This is a wonderful project setup! I am thinking of doing something similar with a 20G planted shrimp tank. Any updates? Some more pics would be nice

[shalu]

holy macro, I found a pregnant Crystal red shrimp today, so excited! Forget about plants, I will update on them later





the mother-to-be taking a snack on behalf of the babies-to-be:


feeding frenzy:

[PeteyPob]

Those shrimp look like salt water shrimp, very cool . I will be on the hunt for those! Good luck with the babies.
-Pete

[scolley]

Shalu - Apologies if I've missed this info somewhere else, but can you tell us a bit about your photogorapy equiptment please? Those pics are awesome!

And contrats on the mom to be? With all that moss and glosso, surely some of them will escape being tetra food.

[shalu]

Scolley, I use a Sony DSC-707. Good camera helps a lot for a non-photographer like me . It has a macro mode that can focus within an inch.

It will be a LONG time before I have any excesses to get rid of My Neon tetras don't seem to be interested in any cherry babies so far, even the really tiny ones. Cherry babies are popping up everywhere in the tank.

[Steven_Chong]

Are those bee shrimp? (the ones with the black and white stripes)

I'd be worried about them breeding with the crystal reds . . .

[shalu]

Originally Posted by greenmiddlefinger

Are those bee shrimp? (the ones with the black and white stripes)

I'd be worried about them breeding with the crystal reds . . .

Those are "bumble bees", which is different from Bees. but still, there might be such a possibility.