# Welcome to the 20gal ShrimpMania!



## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Alright, tank has been set up now... That was exciting and exhausting, but i got it done... Unfortunately 2 of the driftwood pieces are floaters right now, destroyed my aquascape but i guess they will sink eventually, if not i gotta work on that...

Details

20 Gallon Standard
Light: (Standard Light, nothing fancy)
Substrate: (about 35 pounds of Black Diamond Blasting Sand 20/40
Filter: TopFin 75 gallon HOB with prefilter sponge to save shrimps and shrimplets

Decoration:
3 pieces of Driftwood (2 mopanis)
several River Stones
2 half Coconut Houses

Flora:
Anubias Nana
Dwarf Hairgrass
Anubias Afzeli
Java Fern attached to wood and coconut house
Christmas Moss (attached to cocnut house
Hornwort (floating atm)

and Bulbs Aponogeton, Water Onion and Water Lily

Added several root tabs and a dose of Flourish Excel as some Prime.

That's about it so far... Of course it looks horrible right now, filter is runnung and we will see when it will start to clear up.

I didnt soak the driftwood prior because i don't plan on adding Shrimps to the tank within the next month, so it has time to cycle and to get rid of tannings...

Here some pictures 

If you have any suggestions, tips and so on, let me know


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## hambone870 (Feb 13, 2013)

Floating wood isn't fun but you can wait it out or weight it down. Congrats on your new adventure.

I'd break up your dhg into smaller plugs of two or three blades with a root section. It will help it grow and spread


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

No it's not fun at all... How long may it take to sink by itself? Would it help to drill some holes?

Thank you for the hint with the hair grass, i will do that tomorrow... So what you think, separate the portions i have right now into quarters?


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Alright, took a few minutes and separated the hair grass... That should work now... If i make smaller pieces it doesn't stick nice in the sand


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

How long should I give the wood to sink by itself?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Sometimes boiling the wood will help it become water-logged. Otherwise, it could take days or weeks. One thing you could do is weight it down with a heavy rock.

A tip for Dwarf Hair Grass: If you break it up into tiny clumps - 3-4 strands per clump - and plant it in a checkerboard pattern, it will fill in more quickly.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I will think about that, kinda like the bushy look


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Would it help to drill holes into the wood to help it sink? If yes how many and where? Or doesn't matter? I don't really have a chance of boiling it or getting heavy stones


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## water-kitties (Mar 19, 2013)

Sinking wood is a bit of a waiting game honestly. It might have an air pocket that can be drilled but who knows where. I would just boil and try to sink it in a bucket or the tank for a bit. I tied a rock to one in my 10 gal and it still has not sunk after three months! :hihi:


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

That is some great looking chunky driftwood!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

75g hob for 20g? Overkill?


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## Coldwater King (Jul 23, 2013)

My driftwood sank in about 6 days and it was willow. My other piece sank in 3 days it was birch.


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## Coldwater King (Jul 23, 2013)

The funny part is some people wait months and their wood doesn't sink but it took me a week.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Well, I pulled it out the day after I set the tank up, so 4 days ago and have it in a bucket. Keys see how long its gonna take. Yesterday the tank wad much clearer, but white mold everywhere which is normal I guess? Should I just leave it alone? I changed 25% of the water, nothing else. Will upload another picture later when I'm home. And my test kit arrived yesterday so I will have some parameters too


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Readings are 
Ph 7.6
Ammonia 2 ppm
Nitrite 0-0.25ppm
Nitrate 0
Kh 4 drops
Gh 10 drops


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Here more pictures from Day 4, 5 and 6 (day 6 is today)


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Picture from day 8. I added a heater 2 days ago, because in my opinion he water was freezing when i was working inside the tank.

How long should i expect the white mold to be around? And since i have 2 more driftwood pieces i will add as soon as they sink or as soon as i get them attached to something heavy, do i have to expect more molding coming from them? Does that happen because it is a new tank? Never had that happening in my 55 gal

And if i want to get Slate Tiles for the wood, where would be a good place to buy them and do i have to soak them first or just rinse them off good enough?


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## hambone870 (Feb 13, 2013)

My wood snotted that white fungus for a few weeks. I threw in a few ramshorn snail and Amano shrimp and they helped the process along. Be patient, not sure if it makes a difference as my wood was manzanita.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I have Mopani...

Right now i don't think i should put anything in there to speed it up, doesn't seem safe lol... It has been up for 8 days now, so it is still brand new...

But thanks for the input how long you had been dealing with the fungus, since i had no idea at all how long it might take and if there is anything i can do to get rid of it faster without destroying the cycling process... I rinsed the wood a few days ago, now it is almost all grown back again and i just swiped over it with my hand before doing a water change today so i could get rid of some stuff...


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## hambone870 (Feb 13, 2013)

From my understanding it is totally safe and to just let it run its course.

Don't worry about it cause it will go away on its own. 

As a side note: I wouldn't be concerned for the snails throwing em in a non cycled tank. I've had good luck with them early on in a tanks "life" and are good for helping develop bb. But, if your trying to maintain snail free, that's a totally different story.

My most recent 3 tanks have all been dirt and have waited weeks or more to added fish, typically after the soil stops leaching.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I don't really know yet if i want to go snail free or not. So far i have been lucky that i never got any snails, even tho i saw a few baby snails a few days ago, but they disappeared since in my 55 gal.

I am still debating if i should put some in with the shrimps or not, but that will be decided in time. If it is a benefit for the shrimp and the tank itself, i might consider getting some.

Right now i am just waiting for the tank to clear up and clean up and for the other 2 wooden pieces to finally sink 

Thank you for your infos, i really appreciate that!


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

How often would you guys recommend a water change right now and how much? Tank has been set up for 11 days now...


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Don't do water changes as you're cycling your tank.

Since it will be for shrimp, even once the tank is cycled, you'll want to continue adding ammonia for a week or two to allow time for a nice biofilm build up. 4-6 weeks of total "cycling" time is usually a great idea for shrimp.

Snails are a good thing in shrimp tanks. Babies eat the goodies left behind/that grow on snail slime trails, snails eat leftover food, they clean the glass.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

how many snails and what kind would you recommend for that tank? And when should I add them roughly? How often should I test the water?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

While you're 'cycling' - you may have to test every day to see how much ammonia you'll need to add in order to continue building up bacteria. 

Snails are up to you. Could go with Ramshorns, Pond Snails, Apple Snails, Bladder Snails, Nerites, et al. If you're currently adding ammonia for the cycle, I wouldn't add them until your tank is ready for shrimp.


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## RedseaReefer (Aug 21, 2012)

i think the mold is common if you don't boil the wood before scaping with it. My driftwood never showed any kind of mold or fungus but it has recently grown some deep seeded algae >.<

Good luck, looks good so far! keep up the pics!!!


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I'm not adding any ammonia, wanted to let the tank run for about 4 weeks before I do anything. Any snail choice better for shrimp than other? I kinda like the nerites
Testing the water daily seems like a waste of the water test or am I wrong? I mean I know its not ready yet anyways..


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## johnson18 (Apr 29, 2011)

Dina-Angel said:


> I'm not adding any ammonia, wanted to let the tank run for about 4 weeks before I do anything. Any snail choice better for shrimp than other? I kinda like the nerites
> Testing the water daily seems like a waste of the water test or am I wrong? I mean I know its not ready yet anyways..


You've got a good start here! Any thought about the shrimp you would like to eventually add? 
I think the snail choice is personal. I also agree that testing daily is a waste of your test kit. I'd let the tank run its course, no need trying to rush things.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

i will start with red cherries since they are more forgiving to possibleistakes and because I really like their bright coloration. I know all shrimp are sensitive, that's why I want to give the tank time to cycle to prevent further problems if possible. Since I can't boil the wood, I guessi have to wait for the mold to leave ny itself. The other 2 pieces are still in a bucket and still not sinking, considering now the slate...


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## RedseaReefer (Aug 21, 2012)

Dina-Angel said:


> i will start with red cherries since they are more forgiving to possibleistakes and because I really like their bright coloration. I know all shrimp are sensitive, that's why I want to give the tank time to cycle to prevent further problems if possible. Since I can't boil the wood, I guessi have to wait for the mold to leave ny itself. The other 2 pieces are still in a bucket and still not sinking, considering now the slate...


I'm excited for you getting shrimps!!  

if you can't boil the wood.. Do what I did. I literally just put my driftwood in my bathtub and blasted the hottest water I could on it and filled the tub about 1/2 way to try to cover some of the wood. OR boil water and dump it on the wood while its on the tub. Either way should help the mold situation. Especially good that your tank has no inhabitants currently.  best of luck


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## BoxxerBoyDrew (Oct 16, 2005)

Don't worry about the white mold/fungus! It will go away by itself. 

AS for snails I would do Rams Horn and Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS). The rams horn will do wonders for the white junk, and will eat algae on the glass, wood and plants, and they won't hurt good living leaves on the plants. They will go after leaves that are dying, so they help with tank maintenance. The MTS stay in the substrate and will keep it aerated and stir up the top 3/4". They will reproduce quickly depending on the amount of extra food in the tank. BUT I found if your feed your fish/shrimp the correct amount the MTS will tend to keep their numbers in check! 

Pond and bladder snails have a BAD rep for overpopulating the tanks they are kept in, so use them at your own risk! I try to keep them out of my tanks for that reason! People also dislike MTS for the same reason, but like I said before, I have had good luck with controlling them with the amount of food you feed! Since this is going to be a shrimp tank you will be watching the amount of food anyway, so I would throw in some Rams horn and a few MTS and let them clean the tank for you!

When you can add the snails is pretty much up to you, but I have added them in my tanks anytime during the cycle and I have not ever had a problem. You might want to wait till the ammonia isn't very high to give them the best chance. 

As for the Nerite snails I have never used them in Freshwater! They will live in freshwater ok, but they will lay small white eggs all over the tank, and the eggs won't hatch in freshwater, so you have to remove them by hand! To much of a pain for me! 

For the wood sinking monapy usually sinks pretty fast, or at least it has for me! If you are going to leave it in the bucket, just make sure to have a rock or something on top of it so it is TOTALLY UNDERWATER! If not it will take longer! Boiling it will help it to sink faster and will also help leach out extra tannins faster, but it is hard to boil sometimes due to the size of the pieces and not having a big enough pot! I use my Turkey Fryer/propane cooker to boil mine, and it has worked very well! Then after I am done I soak it in some bleach water to make sure the fry pot is ready to cook in later on! I don't want a wooden taste in my fried turkeys!!!  You can also do as RedseaReefer said above and pour boiling water over the wood in the bath tub, then fill the bathtub up enough to cover the wood and let it get soaked in it! It is easier to drain off the tannin stained water and replace with clean water in the tub! Just MAKE SURE there is NO KIND OF TUB CLEANER OR SOAP in the tub before starting! 

Lastly on the whole cycle thing. If you are not keeping a food source for the bacteria to continue to grow while you are waiting to add the shrimp, you truly not going to cycle the tank completely. Really what I am trying to say is that you need to add some kind of food for the bacteria to eat and grow yourself a good colony! The little amount of bio film that will develop on the plants, wood, glass, and substrate won't be much with out something living in the tank or adding ammonia to "fishless cycle" the aquarium! I have NEVER done the "fishless cycle" myself! I at least start with a few hardy fish and snails. Since this is going to be a shrimp only tank I would only add snails! Then feed them just a small bit of food ever day to every other day, till your ammonia readings peak then fall, then your nitrites will do the same, and finally the nitrates will rise when the nitrites start to fall. When your are reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, usually after about 4 weeks you will be shrimp ready. 

You may have already have know all of this, but I didn't want to see you add your beautiful shrimp and have them suffer through any kind of ammonia spike! 

I hope this helps ya out,
Drew


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Thank you all for the advice!

Tried to drill some holes into the wood today and they look like cheese now  Which is okay, since i have more choices now to stick mosses in the holes to cover it up. They still don't sink tho, so i put them again in hot water and hope they will sink since water comes through the holes... Last resort will be the slate or i might try the boiling thing with the turkey pot (hidden from my hubby, he wouldn't be too happy about that lol)

I've got now by an accident a few snails in my 55 gallon, i guess they are pond snails (?), little round brownish ones and i pulled 2 out and tossed them into the shrimp tank. I also added a pinch of flake food or algae wafer since last week in there, don't know if that really speeds up the cycling? Thought it might... Guess i will check the water in a few days and see, what types of snails i can find around here and add some. Or i just go with the little ones i have and keep the population under control... I will see how it goes... The plants seem to be ok, saw some getting tiny new leaves, so i assume they are happy. Tried to pull some of the mold of today, it looks much better now


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Weeeee! I got wood number 2 sinking now and added it to the tank. 1 more to go. I also ran some tests again, here the readings compared to the last time

*Readings (7-23-13)*

*pH* 7.6
*Ammonia* 2 ppm
*Nitrite* 0-0.25 ppm
*Nitrate* 0 ppm
*KH* 4 drops
*GH* 10 drops

*Readings today (8-6-13)*

*pH* 7.6
*Ammonia* 0.25 ppm
*Nitrite* 5 ppm
*Nitrate* 5 ppm
*KH* 3 drops
*GH* 10 drops

I also added some more Hornwort to the shrimp-tank, stuck it into some of the drilled holes in the wood, let's see how that will turn out.

It still needs big filling plants and more moss, but unfortunately i don't have the budget right now, so i still keep an eye on RAOK's and just wait.

Here a new picture as of today, Day 19:


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Looks like things are coming along nicely. 

You'll definitely want to keep adding ammonia. Since you'll only be stocking shrimp, you could aim for 1.5-2PPM daily. I.E., your tank should be able to process that much ammonia in a 24-hour period.

That allows you to build a strong bacterial colony to process waste and to develop lots of goodies for the eventual shrimp that will inhabit your tank.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> Looks like things are coming along nicely.
> 
> You'll definitely want to keep adding ammonia. Since you'll only be stocking shrimp, you could aim for 1.5-2PPM daily. I.E., your tank should be able to process that much ammonia in a 24-hour period.
> 
> That allows you to build a strong bacterial colony to process waste and to develop lots of goodies for the eventual shrimp that will inhabit your tank.


Stupid question from my side: How do i add ammonia? Never did such a thing, so that is completely new to me. Was thinking about to move some of my Ghost Shrimp over, but i guess with those water parameters they would be doomed to die right now, right?

I could move some fish from my 55 over if that would help to speed up the process? And then i could move them back when ever the tank is ready for the shrimp?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

You use plain ammonia, no surfactants. Typically the janitorial strength stuff from Ace Hardware. (search the forum for "fishless cycle")


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Ok, i will take that into consideration! And if i would decide to go without that, it would just mean that the cycling progress will take longer, do I understand that right?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Not exactly. Go here to read what the fishless cycle is.

You have to provide a food source (ammonia) in order to develop bacteria that "cycle" your tank. Once the tank can process X amount of ammonia within 24 hours with ammonia dropping to 0, nitrite being at 0 and having at least some sort of nitrate reading, then your tank is ready. But read that link above.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I will certainly do that, thank you again


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Would it be safe to move my zebra danios from my 55 g over? To help the tank cycling instead of adding ammonia?


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Well, with the Nitrite being that high it is out of question i guess...

Got the last piece of wood in, now i just need more background plants and i think i am done for now


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

He will say no 

Using fish to cycle is mean

Lookin good, is your dhg not doing so hot?


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

What is dhg? Sigh lol

And i don't want to bring my fish into a death trap... just tried to avoid adding ammonia but i guess that is what i have to do


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Dhg is dwarf hair grass.

Adding ammonia is actually way easier than keeping uo with constant large water cjanges to avoid killing the fish youre using to cycle.

I love your wood! Looking great.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

^^^^^Yeah what she said


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm always afraid of harming fish when putting them into tanks that aren't cycled. Many consider it cruel. But you may be able to do it.

Just usually easier to add a few drops of ammonia each day until your tank is ready.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

somewhatshocked said:


> I'm always afraid of harming fish when putting them into tanks that aren't cycled. Many consider it cruel. But you may be able to do it.
> 
> Just usually easier to add a few drops of ammonia each day until your tank is ready.


Yes, it does seem cruel and will be therefore out of question. Ammonia drops it will be 

And about the dhg, its actually doing ok, still has some moldy stuff on it, but I saw some new leaves coming, so I guess its alright?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Yep! Sometimes it takes a while for DHG to do its thing but it eventually will - even in low light.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

That's what i thought... If i pull the stuff off the leaves, i can see a healthy bright green how it is supposed to be, so time will tell... Got 2 more plants today as a filler in between the stones, Pogostemon helferi and Telanthera reineckii (not sure if it will survive), but i got them from somebody for free and thought it will be worth a shot.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

When the time comes for me to give you some Cherry Shrimp, I'll also give you some nicer mosses that you can spread throughout the tank or glue to wood.

Looking great so far.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Thank you  I spent a lot of time on this tank and now i really hope everything will fall into it's place once the plants are growing...

And i surely will appreciate the moss! I have so many holes in the wood now that i was planning on using them to stick it in, lay it out, so it can attach to the wood. That should work, or am i mistaken?


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

The dhg just looked pale in the last picture when everything looked good, was just wondering 

I love the xmas moss i got from somewhatshocked... Just fyi  (better than my other 2 mosses)


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Yes, it does look pale right now, but i think it is just from the mold. Definitely not easy to get it off atm 

Here is a picture, hope it is good enough to see


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Have you tried using an old toothbrush to remove that stuff?

Usually works pretty well.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

No, I did not. Will try that out, thank you


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Did another round of testing today, readings are:

Ammonia 0.25 ppm
Nitrite 0.25 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm

I did not add Ammonia yet, still need to buy that stuff...

What would you say, is the tank on the right way with its cycling? Inhabitants are only a few pond snails (i think that is what they are, pulled them from my 55 g) and nothing else


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

When can I do a water change? It's been really dark with the tannings and I would like to make a small change but don't want to interrupt the cycling


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Technically I guess when your readings are 0 then its cycled... but that doesnt mean you will have a big colony because theres so little ammonia right now to cycle with

make sense? It might cycle itself now but that doesnt mean the system wont be shocked and cycle again once you add more inhabitants


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Readings today:

Ammonia 0.25-0.5 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 5 ppm

All wood is finally soaked and in position, plants are growing moderate. The water is just still Brown from the wood


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I understand it right that Ammonia and Nitrite should be 0 before adding the shrimp, right? How about Nitrate? Under 20 or even lower?


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

looks like a great start. Only thing i can suggest is to put a prefilter on the intake of the hob. i finally mounted a new one after trying 2 different ones, two of which were DYI stainless steel versions which repeatedly clogged and drove me bonkers. The ATI Filter Max III works perfectly on my AC110 and AC70 on my 20g high tanks.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

The prefilter lays on the ground right now and has been in the tank since day 1. Just took it off because there is still some junk so its gets ducked up better  so far the filter works fine, might just need to replace the carbon to help clearing up the water


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Little Update:

Found some white little "worms" in the tank, any idea what they could be?


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Could be planaria.
Maybe detritus worms. Get some dewormer. I used fenbendazole with great success


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

2nd that^


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## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Great start! Looking forward to updates


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Their head is definitely not triangle shaped. I made a few water changes and they are less now.

I moved my Zebra Danios into the 20 gal yesterday to get it finally cycled. The readings were safe for fish, and i feel a little bit better with that than adding Ammonia. Now it just needs to get ready for the shrimplets...

Made another water change today and it looks pretty good, all cleared up and all... Will add another picture later 

What type of fenbendazole should I use? Safe-guard? Can you guys recommend this or another one and a dosage and for how long? If I read that right, it won't harm fish or plants, right?


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

That was the last thing i needed 

Now i gotta transfer everything into my 10 gal and trade the 20 in for a new one and start all over again  So sad


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

What happened!?!


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I have no clue. Made a water change and saw this all of a sudden. It wasn't there before last week, that is for sure. Maybe there was already i tiny crack and it got bigger over the time, not sure. It is not leaking yet but i don't trust it at all... So now i gotta get everything moved...


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Updated picture 

It is really filling in nice i think...


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Plants are growing decent, bulbs are coming in as well... Will be ready for the shrimp soon


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

The tank got reorganized and has the first inhabitants in since 2 days ago... It is so exciting


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Well, this thread can be closed since there are no replies coming anymore and nobody is interested. Don't want to waste mine and your time with that 

Thank you everybody for the help i got here


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## harsaphes (Oct 10, 2005)

Well. I just stumbled upon this and really like the look and how its going. Sometimes it takes a few for people to respond.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Yeah i guess so... And there are soooo many posts out with pictures about tanks... Just did not expect it would be that slow... 

And thank you!


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Checked my water parameters today, anything to worry about?

PH 7.6
Ammonia 0.25 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 5 ppm
GH 9
KH 4

Doing right now 20% water change weekly. Too much or not enough? Touching up once a week and adding Prime afterwards.

Anything i can do better? Shrimp seem to be fine, but i saw one swimming around like it was drunk, but as soon as it sat down somewhere it seemed fine. Found 1 molt today, no dead ones so far, but never see all 7, tough to find these little guys


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

yeah youll want to get that ammonia down


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Any suggestion for a safe way for the shrimp?


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## tizzite (Mar 28, 2010)

How fun- cute shrimp condos ahaha


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Should I make more than one water change weekly or stay with one and fo more than 20%?
Just did another 20 % water change and will check Ammonia tomorrow again


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I hardly ever do water changes on my 10gal. maybe once a month... and something like 10%. 

Wheres the ammonia coming from is what I'd be trying to figure out.

How did you have this on day 4?
"Readings are
Ph 7.6
Ammonia 2 ppm
Nitrite 0-0.25ppm
Nitrate 0
Kh 4 drops
Gh 10 drops"

how are you cycling? im very confused here lol


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I was doing a fishless cycle for about 6 weeks and then I added 4 zebra danios for about 2 weeks to help the cycle... Ammonia was 0 when I added the shrimp, which was 1 week ago


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Just an update! All 6 shrimp are doing great and i found the first shrimplet a few days ago 

Plants are growing awesome too


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

Everything is doing great with the shrimp, from the 6 I initially started with I have about 50-60 roaming around from hatchlings up to almost fully grown ones. So happy everything is doing so great


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## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

Looks great . For water changes, I used to do a 50% once a week on a 5.5 gallon shrimp tank, then realized that was too much. So I just tuned it down to a 30% water change every 2 weeks. They're doing better now and I've gotten two sets of babies from the shrimp since I've had the tank a month ago.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

I have too many shrimp to count in there now and the plants are doing really well. Very proud of my first shrimp tank I set up myself and all with live plants.


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## Dina-Angel (Jun 20, 2013)

That is what it looks like now after we moved 3 months ago


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