[@[email protected]]

after a few months of preparation, i finally set up a tank intended to breed crystal shrimp.
just finished planting it earlier today - except for one patch that i dont know what i want to put in. here is what i have so far.

FTS:

e. parviflorus dwarf:

baby b. sekadau:

m. pteporus threadleaf:

 

[GMYukonon24s]

You have a nice start, I like the way you but in the different substrates.

 

[MABJ]

Markos ADA30C Shrimpery

Nice start. I wish the sponge was black, but this will come along well.

This looks about 8 gallons?

 

[@[email protected]]

You have a nice start, I like the way you but in the different substrates.

thanks. ive always wanted to try a sand foreground.
too bad it will take forever to fill in.

Nice start. I wish the sponge was black, but this will come along well.

This looks about 8 gallons?

me too. but i will likely swap it out with a stainless steel intake cover. though just having a sponge prefilter is pretty useful for more than just keeping shrimp out.

yep. its a 30C cube, just under 8 gal.
i know that preferably a 20 gal should be used for stability, but im think if i do a 1 gal WC every other day, that should make the water chemistry pretty stable.

 

[MABJ]

Markos ADA30C Shrimpery

Actually I think this should be perfect. I'd consider some Salvinia minima to suck up excess nutrients, but past that, I've actually got CRS thriving -- but not breeding -- in a 2 gal.

I do not do water changes. I find they bother them more than anything.

Mine really aren't breeding because the space is too small, but you should be golden.

 

[@[email protected]]

Actually I think this should be perfect. I'd consider some Salvinia minima to suck up excess nutrients, but past that, I've actually got CRS thriving -- but not breeding -- in a 2 gal.

I do not do water changes. I find they bother them more than anything.

Mine really aren't breeding because the space is too small, but you should be golden.

thats great news
i havent bothered checking my nitrogenous, and dont even have a TDS meter yet. no need while im waiting for the tank to cycle. ill probably check on ammonia and nitrates in a week. and im just using tap to cycle the tank. ill swap it out for remineralized RODI before i add the shrimp.

on the plus side, my plants are actually pearling. and the CO2 is set low (about 1bps), but it seems to be plenty for em:

 

[h4n]

Re: Markos ADA30C Shrimpery

Ya you need a ss filter guard

-Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"

 

[@[email protected]]

tanks progressing nicely. still have nitrites though... once they drop ill add a few otos. then when i can keep the temps lower, ill invest in some cool shrimp

h4n, do you make stainless steel intake strainers?

 

[@[email protected]]

the growth in this tank is excellent - particularly since im using next to no CO2, and most of the plants are supposed to be slow growers anyway. there was at one point diatoms, and for a few days a single tuft of BBA, but now the tank is spotless. the best part is i next to never do water changes (since im not dosing anything), and only need to drop in a zucchini slice once a week to make sure the otos are happy.

FTS:

Otos munching on zucchini:

this one prefers to work for his food and keep the tank clean:

m. pteporus 'threadleaf' and f. fontanus:

f. fontanus has grown in very nicely, and fast:

new buce:

e. parviflorus 'dwarf' - a new favorite of mine:

ramshorn racing to get to the zuc:

 

[@[email protected]]

the TBs are in! got 5 from speedie, and they are absolutely amazing. got a panda, shadow panda, king kong, wine red, and blue bolt. i only managed to get shots of the king kong, wine red, and shadow panda. i love how shiny their carapaces look.
king kong:

shadow panda:

wine red:

pics of the blue bolt to come when i see him.

 

[@[email protected]]

got a shot of the blue bolt

 

[Duck5003]

Ahhhh i'm so jealous! I cant wait to get a TB tank set up. Awesome shrimp Marko!!

 

[@[email protected]]

thanks.
they are so awesome looking. im really hopeful that they start breeding for me (once they reach adult size - they are about .75" right now).
im kinda concerned about my kh being 2 today, a little bit higher than preferred, not sure why, since i have ADA AS and use RO water. ill have to test my RO water (maybe i need to change my membrane), and then test it after remineralizing (though the mosura mineral plus ultra says it does not affect KH). if both are dont have carbonates, then ill assume its the ADA sand i used as a foreground that has some carbonate in it. if thats the case ill just wait and see if the shrimp can breed at the kh. if not, then ill go through the pain of removing the sand.

 

[somewhatshocked]

The Wine Red is gorgeous!

Thanks for always posting such great pictures.

 

[dbot]

I dig the layout and the fauna. So friggin sweet. Good luck breeding!

 

[bostoneric]

since you want a black sponge, pick up one of the filter sponges for a fluval edge. they work perfectly on smaller eheim intakes!

 

[@[email protected]]

The Wine Red is gorgeous!

Thanks for always posting such great pictures.

i love him/her. cant decide whos better looking, the ruby or the blue bolt.

not always. the king kong and blue bolt are blurry - part out of focus, part shakiness (no tripod).

I dig the layout and the fauna. So friggin sweet. Good luck breeding!

thank you.
just got to get the remaining BBA out that popped up from 2 weeks with no CO2 (the tank gets very light CO2 - .5bps - so far it doesnt seem to bother the shrimp in the least, they are all walking all around and picking at stuff). im using H2O2 spot treatments and never use more than .4ml a day, with one day between treatments. shrimp dont seem to notice.
im keeping a journal with all the tanks params, and anything done, so if i notice the shrimp acting weird i can look and see what it might have been.

since you want a black sponge, pick up one of the filter sponges for a fluval edge. they work perfectly on smaller eheim intakes!

not bothering with a sponge. got myself an SS filter guard. works great.

 

[@[email protected]]

added some blue diamond neos from soothing shrimp yesterday. they are looking awesome. the males have a gorgeous deep blue tone to them, and the majority of the females are a jet black. im hoping to start culling after a few months to try and get the females to be only black-dark blue, and only dark blue males, instead of having some brown females and some grey males.

ruby red:

BKK:

blue diamond male:

 

[Duck5003]

Great addition. The blue diamonds do have an elegant look about them and throw some cool patterns and colors. Thats a great mix of shrimp, really hope they all start breeding for you!!

 

[iano7000]

Great looking tank. Good photos too, what type of camera are you using?