# First Attempt at Shrimp - 10 gal low tech



## calebkraft (Jan 3, 2012)

is your tank already cycled? 

What is your PH?

I don't see a heater, whats your water temp?

I am not a crs guru, just figured I'd ask questions I've seen popping up in other threads.


----------



## mjbn (Dec 14, 2011)

You'll need a pre-filter or sponge to keep the RCS from being sucked into the filter


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

The tank has been running for over 9 months so well cycled. With the hard water my pH stays near 7.8 or so and never waivers much. The heater is located behind the anubias and moss just right of center, I've tried to slant it so that it can't be seen so easily. I keep the heat in the tank around 75-77 F at all times.

And thanks for the questions. This is my first time starting a thread so it was inevitable for me to forget something. Thanks. And any other comments are always welcome.


----------



## mjbn (Dec 14, 2011)

Oh and wipe the water marks off the front glass, it'll look 10 times better


----------



## kcartwright856 (Jan 16, 2012)

I love the crazy moss in the back!

+1 on the sponge for the filter. If I were in your shoes, I would take one of the sponges out of your AC, do a bit of sculpting on it to fit the intake, and then put some filter floss in to replace the second sponge.

You can get proper filter floss, or you can just go and get some polyester craft batting (the fluffy stuff that you put in pillows!) to put a layer in there between your sponge and bio media. The floss is really awesome! It catches tiny, tiny particles that sponges will miss and makes water very clear. You do have to check, rinse/replace it more often than you would a sponge, since it catches and holds so much, but a bag will go a long way.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

I do have a sponge for the filter which wasn't on for that picture (I was trying to get as much room as possible to catch the previous residents of the tank) 

This was a second-hand tank and I've been trying to get rid of those water spots on the outside of the tank for months with only some success, which should give you an idea of how bad it was when I received it. Open to suggestions on ways to clean that up more. Tried vinegar, window cleaner, CLR, etc with limited results.

kcartwright856: The moss just kind of ended up there but was actually a good place for the platy fry to be so I've just left it. Glad there are others that don't mind it lol


----------



## kcartwright856 (Jan 16, 2012)

Try making a paste with the vinegar and some baking soda and put some real elbow grease into it.

Then, if you're careful, I'd take a razor blade and scrape the paste (and hopefully the spots) away.


----------



## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

Looks like you are in pretty good shape for a Red Cherry Shrimp tank.

A well established tank with plenty of plants is a real good starting point.

Maybe add some more moss to something when you can get some more or the moss that you already have grows out a bit.

Having moss and well established plants will help provide the infusoria and other micro-fauna that shrimp fry will feast on when they are little and not quite ready to compete for the food that the adults eat.

The biggest thing that I would suggest is to be really careful on over-feeding them.

Feed every other day and remember that the whole batch of shrimp is likely to eat less food than even one or two platys would eat.

BTW, is Curtis just a bit north of McCook?


----------



## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

Also, if you have trouble keeping the nitrates lower (your plant growth will suck up some of the nitrates) then I would strongly suggest a floating plant like frogbit.

Floating plants are able to reproduce rapidly (they have better access to CO2 via the atmosphere and they are closer to the light source as well) and are good at sucking nitrates and other nutrients out of the water to help keep the tank water clean. Frogbit has an added bonus of having hanging roots that the shrimp seem to love to play around on and pick at.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

Madness: Thanks for the advice and help. I have some more java moss in the aquarium at work and had thought about thinning it a little to have a little more in this tank. Might even let it carpet as much of the foreground as possible.

I do have some duckweed but it never really does much but sustain itself. I would love to have some frogbit but haven't had any luck finding it and hate paying shipping to my location for only one bunch of plants. Guess I might have to break down and get some though.

And you have no idea of how surprised I am that anyone would know this town lol  It is about halfway between McCook and North Platte. Just about the middle of nowhere


----------



## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

dlanderson said:


> Madness: Thanks for the advice and help. I have some more java moss in the aquarium at work and had thought about thinning it a little to have a little more in this tank. Might even let it carpet as much of the foreground as possible.
> 
> I do have some duckweed but it never really does much but sustain itself. I would love to have some frogbit but haven't had any luck finding it and hate paying shipping to my location for only one bunch of plants. Guess I might have to break down and get some though.
> 
> And you have no idea of how surprised I am that anyone would know this town lol  It is about halfway between McCook and North Platte. Just about the middle of nowhere


I don't know Curtis. I had to look it up.

My dad hunts pheasant in McCook every year though I haven't been there myself. Have a family friend who lives in Kearney though I haven't been there either. Family in Atwood (Kansas) as well.

Spent quite a bit of time in Bayard though when my grandfather ran the sugar factory there.

I always give my father a hard time and tell him that must be the only person in the world to voluntarily have visited most of the towns in western Kansas and western Nebraska.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

I would have to agree that there really isn't much of an attraction for most people in western Nebraska and Kansas. Pheasant and turkey hunting isn't too bad though.

I think I'm one of the few people that actually enjoys the scenery... grassland stretching on for as far as you can see appeals to me.

And for everyone else, I've worked a bit on the water spots and hope to have a picture of the tank uploaded tonight (not that much else has changed). Should have the shrimp in a day or two. Anything I should do to make sure the tank is ready? Hasn't changed much aside from the addition of more java moss.


----------



## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

I have had it suggested to me that it can be useful to do a pretty good water change the day before shrimp arrive. Gets the water clean and gives the tank enough time to stabilize again before the shrimp are added.

For neocaridinas (which are hardy) I wouldn't worry about this type of stuff though unless you see an actual problem in the water readings.

What acclimation method do you plan to use?

I use something similar to this:

http://www.planetinverts.com/Acclimating New Shrimp.html

There are complicated chemical processes going on (gas exchange, ammonia build-up, etc.) that result in a focus on getting the shrimp in to the tank water in a relatively speedy fashion after opening the shipping bag.

With neocaridina there is quite a bit of wiggle room but it is worth reading that article, IMO, just to cover the basics. Even if you use a different acclimation method it will still give you a reminder on a few basics to help you avoid a 'doh' kind of moment.

----

You also won't want to feed the shrimp the first day. They likely won't want to eat until they adjust to the new tank and you don't want to add any more organic waste to the tank while they are still adjusting to it.

Your well established plants/moss/tank will actually provide a ton of mature bio-film and micro-fauna for them to eat and graze upon so they can survive a while on what is in the tank anyways.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

madness: Thanks for the info. I had something like that in mind as far as acclimation as it seems fairly straight forward.

Originally I had thought of putting them in my 5.5 gal tank at work but with the glowlight tetras and the small size I didn't want to stress them. Below is my 5.5 gal office tank.










Thanks for all of the help.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

So a quick update since I'm expecting my shrimp tomorrow or at least the day after.

I've added the sponge to the filter intake, added moss to the left foreground and attempted to clean the glass and hopefully things look a little better.










Also up for any suggestions on aquascaping or any rearrangements people feel would make the tank better.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

Shrimp came yesterday. Seemed to do pretty well. I'm sure it will take me some time to figure out what is normal as far as their behavior goes. They seem to swim a bit just after the lights come on but settle down shortly after and then are content to sift through the top of the substrate and clean the leaves of the plants.

The tank, being low tech, hasn't changed. The yarn they sent the shrimp with is still in the tank as I thought I would let them get accustomed to the tank before I take it out today.


----------



## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

A couple of weeks ago I got some peewee sized shrimp delivered and the package had a similar strand of yarn included for them to cling to and I could not get them to shake loose of the darn thing so I ended up dumping it in the tank as well. This reminds me that I need to see if I can get it free of the little buggers now that they have dispersed throughout the tank and remove it.

Glad to hear that they arrived alive.

The shrimp are grazers and tend to climb on things rather than free swim in the water column.

Not a lot of extreme movement can be expected from them which is why it is usually nice to have a decent sized group of them - so you can always find a few doing something interesting.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

*Not much has changed...*

So it has been a long time since I've posted but I thought I would ask for more thoughts on this and get some advice. Most of the plants have remained the same but the moss was becoming overrun with hair algae so I went to pellia instead and the shrimp haven't seemed to mind. The population has grown well and is continuing to breed. I would guess the number to be around 100 or more by now as I can always see about 50-75 at any given time.

The only issue I'm having at the moment is the GSA that is all over my anubias. I have tried to break up the photoperiod with a two hour break but it hasn't seemed to do the trick. I was thinking of starting to does with P but would need some help for a good source and correct dosing. If anyone has a though on that or if certain plants would be better let me know. I'm always open to suggestion.

And yes, I am overrun with MTS in this tank no matter how little I feed.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

Pictures


----------



## STS_1OO (Nov 28, 2012)

I would begin by shortening your photo period and either feeding or ferting less. Your plants will outlive the alage. Make sure you're performing regular water changes to keep your nitrates in check. And finally, it may be that your light is just too much for the tank. Injecting CO2 may help knock the tank into balance.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

STS_1OO said:


> I would begin by shortening your photo period and either feeding or ferting less. Your plants will outlive the alage. Make sure you're performing regular water changes to keep your nitrates in check. And finally, it may be that your light is just too much for the tank. Injecting CO2 may help knock the tank into balance.


Thanks STS 100, right now I have a two hour break in the middle of the day. It runs for about 3 hours before and after this. While the lighting might be higher than it should be for a small tank (2 13w CFLs) I also have duckweed covering the entire surface now. I'm hoping this helps.

Along with this I am thinking of starting DIY CO2 for the tank but would also like input on another direction I might pursue. I was thinking of starting the PPS dosing regime that I found on this forum. This tank is in my science classroom and I don't have a chance to really test this tank and thought this would be a way to fertilize without having to check often for the ppm of each input. If anyone has experience with this please let me know. The junior high science and high school biology students enjoy the tank and don't notice the GSA but I'm really tired of it after seeing so many great images on this site.

I want to keep it as low maintenance as possible but need to balance that against the aesthetic appeal. Any advice is welcome.


----------



## naturelady (Dec 14, 2009)

I know where Curtis is! Believe it or not, we actually went there last summer. Family reunion 

As far as your tank, I find it very hard to combat algae in low tech tanks because you basically just have to wait for the new algae-free leaves to grow, then you can trim out the old leaves. Did I miss it before- what fertilization regime are you currently using??

I use a longer siesta period for my plants, the lights are off for about 4 hours in the middle of the day. I can understand, though, if that wouldn't work well for your classroom. Some people find that the siesta period helps their tank a lot, and some don't find much of a difference. I heard one explanation for this that makes a lot of sense: If the plant growth in your tank is primarily limited by CO2 (not enough CO2 in the tank) then a siesta period should benefit the plants because it allows CO2 to replenish. If something else is the primary limiting factor for the plant growth in your tank, then adding a break in the lights and a split photoperiod will not have much effect on the plant growth.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

That is impressive that anyone knows where Curtis is. I have since moved to North Platte so I'll have to change that. 

I have not been dosing any fertilizer up to now but would like to know if the PPS dosing regime has worked for anyone with low tech tanks. I was hoping not to move to CO2 but will if needed. With any luck the duckweed on the top of the tank will keep things in check along with dosing and the 2 hour break.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

*Revival*

I haven't posted here in some time but I thought I'd say so far things are going well and I've really been enjoying this tank. It still has the shrimp, as you can see from the pictures below. I have added some from time to time to ensure the infusion of some new genes but other than that it has been a self-sustaining population with almost no care whatsoever. My classes all seem to enjoy them and it is great as there is almost no maintenance since I have added the duckweed to the top to cut down on light. Also added some hairgrass to give more texture and will snap a new picture of the full tank soon but I need to get the back covered so it isn't so distracting first. Let me know if you can think of any low light small plants I could add. The anubia varieties have all done well along with the mini pelia and the hairgrass seems to be hanging on if not growing extremely slowly.


----------



## ctaylor3737 (Nov 14, 2013)

Good luck! Your tank should do well with the shrimps. Get a few and they will thrive! Look for some deals on the forum here if they are not cheap in your area. LFS tend to charge alot even for plain old cherries.


----------



## pinkman (May 16, 2013)

this is great, i just got my first few shrimp the other day, pretty excited about it.
enjoy threads like this.


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

Thanks pinkman and ctaylor3737, always nice to hear. I've had good luck getting some RCS on aquabid since I either can't find them or don't want to pay $3+ a piece for them.

Pinkman, they are so much fun to watch and they really are so low maintenance I can't believe that more people don't have them. A bit hit in my junior high science room.

Things have been going well with very little input. I probably feed more than most but it seems to maintain higher numbers that way and with my assassin snails it keeps my MTS from going crazy.

I'm curious if anyone here has had experience growing hairgrass in low tech. If anyone had I would appreciate any pointers as I love the way it looks. I think it is doing well in part because some of it can reach the surface and get the CO2 it needs.


----------



## ctaylor3737 (Nov 14, 2013)

There is some rcs for $1 a piece in the wtb section

-Chris


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

*Hairgrass in low tech?*

Thanks for the tip Chris. I will keep a look out on here the next time I might need to get a few new ones. I always look for a price around there. So far the population has been pretty good and I haven't seen any drop.

Still curious if anyone has had experience with hairgrass in a low tech tank. So far there hasn't been much growth but no real die back either. The top does float on the top of the water so I think this is helping with CO2 but we'll see in the long term. If any members have had any experience or have any ideas of other plants for a low tech tank like this let me know. Thanks.


----------



## ctaylor3737 (Nov 14, 2013)

You'll, need co2 if you want to grow a lot. Without it will be slow. I have grown it in a low tech before. Diy would do great

A tip to with the cherries once they start breeding add some new ones every few months keeps them from inbreeding to much.

-Chris


----------



## dlanderson (Mar 29, 2009)

Thanks for the advice Chris. I'm not too worried about growth rate of the hairgrass. Was just hoping that it would at least live and grow a little. I like the contrast in texture against the anubias, parviflorus swords and pelia.

Recommendations on any other plants that would look good? I have that open area towards the left side and I'm wondering what might work well and add to the aesthetics.


----------

