[Rock Island]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping this tank will eventually be a red cherry shrimp colony (hence the jumbo prefilter). I'd like a black background in the near future and I know the spray bar is a little "in-your-face", but it's doing a good job of baffling the filter.

Equipment:
Tank- regular 10 gallon
Filter- [STRIKE]Fluval 206[/STRIKE] (switched to AquaClear 30)
Light- 20" Finnex Fugeray
Heater- 75W Eheim

Substrate:
-garnet blasting media

Fauna:
-red cherry shrimp
-[STRIKE]Albino cories x2[/STRIKE] (removed after cycling)
-[STRIKE]golden briggs [/STRIKE] (removed)
-malaysian trumpets
-ramshorns
-assassins

Flora:
-mini Xmas moss
-anubias nana petite
-[STRIKE]frogbit[/STRIKE]

PH: 7.4-7.6
Temp: 72F
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 20ish ppm
KH: 10
GH: 12
TDS: 220

I'm using my well water (KH 10, GH 12, TDS 220). Any thoughts on these parameters would be appreciated.

Well, thanks for looking. Please feel free to make comments and/or suggestions. Here's a few shots of the tank.

 

[tetra10]

keep the pics coming!

 

[ANBU]

Wow I love the view!

 

[rininger85]

I'd move your thermometer to the opposite side of the tank. If you're keeping it right next to your heater you might get a false reading since you'd read the heat coming off the heater and not necessarily be warm enough through the rest of the tank.

Tagging along because I'm looking for others with 10 gal tanks to get some ideas for a 10 gal work tank I'm setting up to have at my desk at work...

 

[GMYukonon24s]

I like your choice of substrate its different.

 

[Rock Island]

I'd move your thermometer to the opposite side of the tank. If you're keeping it right next to your heater you might get a false reading since you'd read the heat coming off the heater and not necessarily be warm enough through the rest of the tank.

Yeah, you're right. You can see in the third photo that it's been moved. I stuck it behind the prefilter for the reason you mention, but mostly because I didn't like looking at it.

I like your choice of substrate its different.

Thanks! I wasn't sure how I was going to like it because it's so purple and not very natural looking, but it's kind of growing on me. I really like the size and shape of it. Also, the price was right, I found a pile of it just sitting around. I was worried that it had been used in someones blasting cabinet and then they had emptied it out so it might be full of nasty stuff. On closer inspection it appeared that it was a stack of paper bags that had been left out in the weather so that the bags had mostly disappeared. I gave it a rinse and the result is what you see in the first photo. I ended up with two 5 gal buckets of the stuff, so well over 100#. If it works out, I may rescape my 29gal with it.

 

[CheyLillymama22]

I like it!
I wonder how well cherries will show up on that substrate though. I'd add some wood and lots of moss for them to contrast against for better viewing

 

[Rock Island]

Added some Red Cherries that I received from TPT user Msjinkzd. They're looking happy and thanks again!

Before anyone says it, I know I need moss, I'm working on it.

 

[Rock Island]

Added some mini xmas moss, nana petite, frogbit, and red root floater. Also added some alder cones and stacks of cholla wood for ambiance. I think it's an improvement, I'll be curious to see how it fills in.

All comments/critiques welcome.
Cheers,
Rock Island

 

[GMYukonon24s]

Your tank's coming along nicely!

 

[kubiztzar]

very nice. Love the minimalist approach.

what is the rock? maybe just my twisted sense of the macabre, but I'm digging the double-L out of those ghostly,apparitional faces screaming/staring back at me :icon_eek:

Also like how you placed the cholla. Seems so many times I see these placed almost haphazardly but the arrangement here seems to lends itself to some artistic thought. Not sure if that was your intention, but nevertheless...

 

[Rock Island]

what is the rock? maybe just my twisted sense of the macabre, but I'm digging the double-L out of those ghostly,apparitional faces screaming/staring back at me

I have no idea what kind of rock it is. Someone gave it to me awhile back and I just recently pulled it out of a box in my shop. I'd be curious to hear what other people think it might be. I'm really liking it and I can't figure out why I let it sit in a box or so long, I guess it was just waiting until the time was right.

Also like how you placed the cholla. Seems so many times I see these placed almost haphazardly but the arrangement here seems to lends itself to some artistic thought. Not sure if that was your intention, but nevertheless...

Hey thanks. I did spend quite a bit of time fiddling around with that cholla wood.

 

[Rock Island]

I added a black background today and I think I like it. The only downside is that it really makes that white spray bar "pop". Anyway, here's a few more photos.

 

[Rock Island]

So after my latest water test, this is where I'm at with my parameters. I think it seems ok, but does anyone have any suggestions on adjusting it to be more optimal for RCS? Thanks!

PH: 7.6-7.8
Temp: 72F
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 10 ppm
KH: 5-6
GH: 7

 

[mosspearl]

I like your garnet blasting grit. I wonder where one would find such stuff. Your tank is really coming together.

 

[bostoneric]

you could always put some moss on the spray bar. this will help it from looking so out of place.

otherwise, looks like you are off to a good start.
PH, KH, and GH are all a little high.

http://shrimpkeeping.com/water-params/

 

[Rock Island]

Just a quick update.

The frogbit is a little out of control and needs to be knocked back big time, but I'm dragging my feet because I like it so much. It's starting to block a lot of light from getting to the rest of the tank though, so I should probably get on with it. I took a photo of the mini x-mas moss while I was doing a water change the other day, I think it's filled in pretty nicely in the three weeks since I added it. I've got two berried lady shrimp, so I've got high hopes in that department!

 

[kcoscia]

I love my frog bit but I had the same problem! I took out about 2/3 knowing it would be back in no time

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk

 

[kwheeler91]

This is one of the best ten gallons I have seen. Very cool!

 

[GreenBliss]

Beautiful tank. I love all that frogbit.