[Newman]

Hello guys, I have this 20gal long. I want to breed shrimp in here but I feel that I may be missing something. Most likely its a lack of filtration.
Tank looks like this. It is now over 6 months old.

It is meant more to breed shrimp rather than be a display tank, but I guess i tried to combine both attributes into one tank. At any rate here is what I have currently done in this tank:

• Filtered by one Aquaclear 30 HOB filter with a sponge prefilter.
• Cuttlefish bone is used for calcium and other supplementation.
• There is Fissidens moss in here, tied to a medium piece of DW.
• There is also an indian almond leaf in the tank always.
• Temp stays at 73F (because it's winter. I'll probably need a small fan for summer)
• Back wall of the tank is not being cleaned, so algae and other stuff grows there.
• TDS is at 175ppm, pH at 6.4 or slightly lower. nitrates around 5ppm, everything else at zero.
• I can't think of anything else that might be slowing my shrimp down. I don't do water changes on the tank, maybe its the lack of that? DI water is used for top offs and the tank is re-mineralized with Mosura Mineral Plus up to 175TDS and 5dGH always.
• There is low flow in the tank, so maybe I need to up the filtration? it might oxygenate the water more? another filter? what kind?
  
• I'm keeping crystal shrimp in here and chocolate shrimp, but I'm mostly interested in breeding the crystals. the chocos already started.

Thank you for any suggestions and help.

 

[Betta Maniac]

It's winter, and a lot of people report that their shrimp slow down or stop breeding in winter (it’s not universal, but it is common). There's a whole thread about it right now:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=206793


I would definitely add a nice sponge filter though. Increased oxygenation of the water and more grazing surface is always a good thing.

 

[Newman]

hey, thanks for the advice! i knew i should get more filters in here! What sponge filter do you recommend for my tank? can you please link me to something good? I'd like to get one ASAP haha.

 

[Betta Maniac]

Something like this one.

Don't forget you need airline tubing and an air pump too.

 

[dougolasjr]

I have three sponge filters in my 20L, and my Neos and Malawas are breedling like crazy. One has a powerhead on it. See the first link. The other two are just the normal ones like the second link.

http://www.amazon.com/Jardin-Aquarium-Biochemical-Sponge-Filter/dp/B0051XIN78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357940373&sr=8-1&keywords=sponge+filter

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Biochemical-Sponge-Filter-Fish/dp/B0056XVF82/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1357940373&sr=8-5&keywords=sponge+filter

 

[Newman]

Thanks guys. i've never really used sponge filters via air pumps before. i get the concept, but it doesnt seem like it would create a lot of good flow or surface disturbance for oxygenation w/o a powerhead. If you guys connected these contraptions in the links to a powerhead, could you explain to me how you did it plus what powerhead you used? You could use a diagram if you feel like it. I want to be able to buy something very soon and really need an idea of exactly what i need. Thanks a bunch!

 

[Newman]

Also do you guys clean the sponges out from time to time?

 

[Merth]

The sponge with air pump causes a ton of surface disturbance/agitation if you get a strong enough air pump. Not to mention the upflow of air/bubbles cause water to be drawn thru the sponge causing flow within the tank. It is not the kinda flow a hob or can will give but there is some.

 

[Merth]

I clean my sponges about once a month by squeezing in a bucket of tank water.

 

[dougolasjr]

I cut the tube that comes with the bigger sponge filter and placed the power head on it. I had to cut the tube otherwise the power head would have been out of the water. The power head I used is below in the link. Its pretty simple. I aimed the flow toward the back wall to it wouldn't be as bad. You could probably get one with less flow not sure tho.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IMPOIO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

 

[Newman]

thanks everyone. I'll probably go with an air pump solution since I already have an unused air pump lying around. Though i wonder if I can split the air flow between two sponge filters(with a valve)? or will that be too weak per filter, and am i better off using two air pumps then or one super powerful one?

Also does any big chain store sell this style of sponge filter? I kind of want to go over there right now and pick two of them up lol.

 

[Betta Maniac]

It depends entirely on how poweful the air pump is.

 

[dhgyello04]

thanks everyone. I'll probably go with an air pump solution since I already have an unused air pump lying around. Though i wonder if I can split the air flow between two sponge filters(with a valve)? or will that be too weak per filter, and am i better off using two air pumps then or one super powerful one?

Also does any big chain store sell this style of sponge filter? I kind of want to go over there right now and pick two of them up lol.

I put one of those in my 20 gallon long and man was it noisy… the wife was pissed.. lol so I ordered one of these

Ista Hydro Bio Sponge Filter

It works great, quiet, and it is compact. I didn’t have to cut any length off of the plastic tube on the top.

 

[Newman]

Ista Hydro Bio Sponge Filter looks cool. it seems like the other popular design of sponge filters. if It's quiet, thats good because this tank is in my bedroom and i have to sleep at night somehow haha! the HOB makes noise that i can take, so a quiet sponge filter is a plus.

What size do you recommend for a 20L? I want two of those to fit in the back portion of my tank, behind my plant scape.

 

[Betta Maniac]

If the sponge filter is too loud, just turn the air pump down a bit.

 

[Newman]

right, I'm going to go pick up some things tonight. i need a split valve since i just looked at my old one and its broken lol. I have a whisper10 air pump. do you think that's enough to split between two sponge filters? what pumps do you guys use?

 

[Newman]

last question about the sponge filters: these things are weighted right? they're not going to float up and be annoying? looks like the bottom disc should be the weight...

 

[Merth]

last question about the sponge filters: These things are weighted right? They're not going to float up and be annoying? Looks like the bottom disc should be the weight...

+1 ^

 

[Newman]

sweet, thanks for confirming

 

[Hardstuff]

Can some one explain the concept to me on why they run sponge filters in shrimp tanks.
Sponge filters will drive up the ph & cause out gas of CO2! What am I missing. Internal canister filters filter better & you can control surface agitation if needed. I could see HOB filters if the flow stays lower enough but even HOB filters are not as good as canisters say with a pre filter or screen on them to prevent babies from being sucked into them.
Out gassing CO2 & poor flow rates do not seem productive.