[somewhatshocked]

NOTE: This tank now lives in a different form. High-clarity cube with a much more natural and attractive hardscape. Its new life begins with post 61 in this thread.

Original post below...

Have been thinking about Halocaridina rubra for about a year. Finally decided to start putting together a tank about a month ago. So I've been extremely excited seeing all the new H. rubra posts on TPT of late.

Specs:

• 2.5gal tank
• Small 50/50 CFL
• Hydro Mini sponge filter
• Caribsea "live" aragonite/crushed coral/sand to help get a small cycle of sorts going
• 1.012 specific gravity, which seems to be a popular brackish/salinity point for H. rubra keepers

Posted a couple teaser shots of the rock work on other journals, so here they are again:

Couldn't get my hands on large pieces of black lava rock that I liked, so I used reef epoxy putty to rig up a structure.

The tank a few minutes after being flooded:

Will add the sponge filter sometime today.

Hope to find some Chaetomorpha or other macro algae to thrive in the tank so it can legitimately be planted. Maybe a bit of Java Moss will survive? Guess we'll see.

The tank is situated on the fourth floor and has a 20L above and below it so it's holding at a steady 76-77 degrees Fahrenheit with no heater.

Now to let things settle for a week or two while monitoring parameters before ordering critters.

Thanks for checking things out,

Jake

 

[zoo minsi]

i like the layout so far cant wait to see how it progresses. how many shrimp are you planning on adding?

 

[somewhatshocked]

Thanks.

Probably not a ton. Thinking about 25 or so shrimp to start.

 

[GMYukonon24s]

Nice setup I like the rock formation

 

[Green_Flash]

halocaridina, super shrimp, one of my favorites!

you will really like them. the tank is great.

 

[somewhatshocked]

A few seconds after shoving in a sponge filter:

30 seconds later:

Filter would look way better if I stuck it in the left corner behind the lava rock structure. But… decided it would be better if it was in an easier to access area of the tank. And I'm sure it will become a big time feeding ground for the shrimp.

Flow was cranked up in the photo but I've since turned it down. There's no serious current in the tank and the bubbles hit right at the surface so there's a bit of gas exchange. Aimed for minimal disturbance and think I finally found the right setting.

Can't wait to add shrimp!

 

[somewhatshocked]

Thanks! Tried to keep it as simple as possible so I can get some nice algae growth.

halocaridina, super shrimp, one of my favorites!

you will really like them. the tank is great.

 

[crazydaz]

Nice Jake!! I think that we are so used to seeing filters in tanks that our eyes just gloss over it like they aren't really there anyways. Pretty impressive that it's only a 2.5 gallon!

Interested to see how this turns out! When are you expecting the shrimp?

 

[somewhatshocked]

Thanks! I'm enjoying it while struggling to find patience.

You're right about the filter. I tend to overlook equipment in tanks so it's not a big deal to me. And there's the added bonus that shrimp will graze on the filter.

Not entirely sure when I'll be able to order shrimp. This is "live" sand, so I'll probably have to wait for the bacteria to die off so other bacteria can grow. Most likely in a couple weeks.

Nice Jake!! I think that we are so used to seeing filters in tanks that our eyes just gloss over it like they aren't really there anyways. Pretty impressive that it's only a 2.5 gallon!

Interested to see how this turns out! When are you expecting the shrimp?

 

[Monster Fish]

Love the rockwork. Give the tank some time to mature before adding the opae ula. They feed mostly on biofilm and non-filimintatious algae growing on surfaces.

 

[somewhatshocked]

I should note that a bunch of the lava rock (the back of the structure) had been sitting in my brackish tank for several weeks and the sponge was running in there, as well.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Finally hitting the Nitrite spike and expect the tank to be ready for shrimp within a few weeks.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

 

[Trail_Mix]

Looks awesome, can't wait to see this project develop! I especially love the look of the lava rock

I need to buy some myself.... it just kills me to spend my precious money on "rocks" lol

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Waiting and watching with anticipation, Jake! (Do I hear Carley Simon?)

I now have two different chaeto in my Opae tank that are green and growing, so it's definitely possible...

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[somewhatshocked]

Trail_Mix: Thanks. I'll hopefully pick some up once I sell the shrimp and LEDs I listed in the SnS today.

Rob: Ha! Possibly. And if your Chaeto continues to grow well, I may have to buy some from you or from the same source.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

I'll give ya the perfect deal, I promise!

Why type of lighting do you have over the tank?

 

[somewhatshocked]

It's a 50/50 CFL that's plenty strong enough for growing anything but I've got a 6500K daylight I could use in the fixture.

Can always use something else, though.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Good deal.

My first ball of Chaetomorpha has fairly thick wirey strands kinda like a plastic brillo pad kind of feel, the second ball feels more like a bunch of hair someone yanked out of the tub drain. Both are doing well at around sg of 1.012.

Both have a lovely green color, too!

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[Rob in Puyallup]

Oh, and the tank is still lit up with an 18 inch 50/50 Reef Sun fluorescent.

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