[gregpxc]

So a couple days ago I decided to get rid of my Brevis Cichlids (they literally never came out of their shells... very boring for me!) Well my LFS doesn't see them through there too often so they gave me $2 a piece (what I paid!) for them. So with that I decided to wash off the sand, get some plants, go down to the river for some driftwood, and start a new tank with shrimp (I love my 5g shrimp tank)

So to start I have:

- Anubias nana (should this be under less light than I have it under??)
- Crypt (will edit the name when I find it again =P) oops! lost the ID, can someone help?
- Cardinal Plant (Lobelia cardinalis)
- mixed mosses, looks like some java and some xmas (from my mixed moss heap in my 5g)
- Marsilea minuta

Fauna:

- a few RCS from my 5g to cycle the tank (even though they will probably live since I've never lost one due to cycling. tough little dudes)
- need help with some choices! more on that in a minute

Right now I have two 26w CFLs running in worklights that are right above the water. From my reading this is too much, too close and my nana may be in danger!? The light is shining through a glass top (a little dirty) and there's a black seam where it folds that blocks some light. I don't plan on doing a high tech setup so no CO2. at most just excel when I get the funds to buy it in a couple weeks. Help me out here! This is a low cost setup so think CFL. I have two 15w CFLs that I could trade out. That may be better...

Back to the fish, I could use some suggestions. I am looking for something that won't eat my shrimp (preferably not babies either) and is fairly active, but not hyperactive. I don't really want a live bearer as they tend to be hyper but if you know of one that isn't then I may be interested! I was looking at Gertrude's Rainbows, how many of those could I put in here? They seem nice and pretty too.

I will edit this with pictures in the next hour or so. Pics Added!

Marsilea minuta from my 5g

Cardinal Plant

Crypt in question. Can you identify? Thanks!

Mixed moss tied to driftwood (loosely...)

FTS - sorry about the cloudiness, I just shifted some plants. I will take more soon.

what do you guys think of the layout? I like it but I wasn't sure if it looks too cluttered... I can post a better FTS if this one isn't too good.

 

[Coursair]

Chili Rasboras
Otos
Celestial Pearl Danios
Threadfin (Featherfin) Rainbows
Ember Tetras ? ( I hear mixed reviews. Some say Tetras are all Shrimp hunters?)

After you get a huge colony of shrimp look at Dario Dario. They will eat babies but are fine with adult Shrimp.
Shy, but very cute.

I have CPDs in with my Shrimp. Love them.

Yes less light !!
my 10g Shrimp jungle

CPD

TF Rainbows (color not true, silver shimmer w some red at tail and other iridescent colors as they get bigger)

My male Dario Dario aka Scarlet Badis

My tank is 2 10w screw in CFLs
Sand w root tabs n liquid ferts 1x weekly. No CO2

 

[gregpxc]

Chili Rasboras
Otos
Celestial Pearl Danios
Threadfin (Featherfin) Rainbows
Ember Tetras ? ( I hear mixed reviews. Some say Tetras are all Shrimp hunters?)

After you get a huge colony of shrimp look at Dario Dario. They will eat babies but are fine with adult Shrimp.
Shy, but very cute.

I have CPDs in with my Shrimp. Love them.

Thanks for the reply! let me know what you think about my pics. I have the lights off now so tomorrow I'll switch to the 15watts before I turn them back on. The anubias is on wood kinda close to the light, should I go lower even than that you think??

I will look into those fish, I forgot about CPDs I have always liked them, although I thought they may be shrimp hunters? I would like babies so I'd prefer something that doesn't even eat them =P

P.S. I forgot to add that the rock in the FTS is just for weight until the wood sinks on it's own. I'm regretting not boiling it but this should be fine and I really don't feel like starting over =/ unless of course you all think the scape isn't too good, then I may as well ha

 

[Coursair]

So far my CPDs do not appear to be hunting Shrimp at all. YMMV. I have about 100 RCS ? So a few here or there, I can spare.

I am cycling another 10g with my Betta for the CPDs and D Dario. I will add RCS once the plants grow more.
This tank uses LEDs and is sand w root tabs.

Feeding time

 

[gregpxc]

What do you feed?

 

[gregpxc]

Couple updates (will add pics when I get off work)

I went to a swap meet today and picked up 6 H. Formosa (least killifish) to satisfy my need for a small, active, peaceful fish.

Also got about a lb of java moss (you can imagine how much moss that is lol)

And 3 assassin snails for one of my other tanks that has an issue.

Also picked up some more excel so I can start dozing this tank.

I'll post pics but I got all the plants and fish in, I also lost the cardinal plant (after some research I'm not surprised)

I also put in 2-15w bulbs however I'm trying to track down some 10w bulbs to lower the light more. I also lowered my anubias away from the light and got some duckweed for extra cover

 

[gregpxc]

Alright so here are the updates. I usually edit my photos but since I don't have Photoshop at the moment it'll be crappy pics for now. So lets start!

RCS - Dark shot, but closest I could get!

One of my new additions Least Killifish - H. Formosa

Another 2 of the 6 that I got

Left Side

FTS - Like I said, I got about a pound of Java moss, that covered every inch lol and I still had too much. It was only $5!

My sadly poor setup, but it gets stuff done =]

 

[gregpxc]

So I am debating on adding some green shrimp to this tank as well. I believe they are caridina then I shouldn't have any issues with cross breeding right?

I have heard neocaridina can be a bit overbearing if you have both but I am willing to give it a shot. I think I have enough room for everyone in here.

What do you guys think?? Would they be okay together with the Least Killies?

 

[gregpxc]

Alright guys I have new pictures and tons of new plants. Thanks to a couple kind people here (and my overabundance of cherry shrimp) I was able to acquire about 15 new plants for this tank. Most are crypts that are hard to see in the pics because right now they are short! But education tells me that most of them will get tall enough to be back/mid ground plants. Anywho, I don't know the name of.. well, any of them. But I do know that I got some Java fern and Windelov as well (which is awesome looking, why didn't anyone tell me?) So here we go with the pics (excuse the blur, it's a bad camera again.)

Right Side

Left Side (and actual left side)

FTS

 

[gregpxc]

P.S. is it okay if the rhizome of a plant is covered by moss??