[logi-cat]

hi everyone, im going to start a java moss tank, but i was wondering what is the ideal fish/shrimp i should keep to maintain the tank.
i know fish like the Siamese algae eater (SAE) will most probably eat the moss because i have had previous experience of that happening.

Any ideas?

 

[smp]

Are you sure you had a SAE? I have 2 in my tanks which I was told were, but they aren't. Seems most stores call the Chinese a Siamese. I'm still trying to find the "real" thing.

Amano Shrimp would be a good addition to your tank.

 

[logi-cat]

hi, it is definately a SAE, i picked it out myself.

 

[Wasserpest]

From a moss maintenance view, algae eating shrimp like Cherries and Amanos would be your best bet, perhaps along with a few small livebearers.

 

[logi-cat]

ok guys, thanks for the idea. cos i'm not actually happy with the setup i have at the moment. i was thinking of getting rid of all the gravel and just have a piece of driftwood in the centre covered in moss and maybe a couple of large pebbles covered in moss as well. what do you think?

 

[Wasserpest]

Not knowing your current setup that you are unhappy with, I'd say it's a novel idea!

 

[logi-cat]

i know it a simple idea, but i'll probably be keeping celestial pearl danios in it and a crew of amano shrimps. It would probably be more ideal as a bredding tank for the pearl danios.

 

[Frogmanx82]

You could go with the cherry shrimp and breed them. Even better, get a high grade group of crystal red shrimp and breed them. Amanos will not reproduce in a fresh water tank. They need access to salt water.

Everything in my tank reproduces. I have guppies, cherry shrimp and malaysian trumpet snails. No need for any other algae eaters.

 

[logi-cat]

thanks frogmanx82, thats sounds like a plan. ill have a look in to it.

 

[Frogmanx82]

What size tank are you working on? A pic would be helpful.

Regarding removing the gravel, are you going to a bare bottom tank then? If you decide you want to add some rooted plants you won't have that option. I have a fluorite/pebble substrate in a low light (150 watts on a 55 gallon tank) no CO2, and grow mainly java moss, cryptocoryne and hair algae. There are also several tall lucky bamboo plants growing out the back. I control the hair algae with the guppies and shrimp and adjust the light cycles if it starts to get out of balance. Since I have a number of critters that eat hair algae (guppies do eat it) it is not entirely the bad thing people make it out to be.

 

[elihanover]

I would say scavengers and bottom dwellers to keep lost food in check. Amano shrimp are a plus...oto's as well.

 

[logi-cat]

I have a 60 litre (13 gallons) tetra aquaart tank. i have upgraded the filter to a eheim aquaball 2210. The lighting is a standard 15w T8 tube but i have also modified the hood to house an arcadio arc pod 11w. i probably wont go back to stem plants if this scape works.