# Lopez_316us 5.5g Tank Journal...



## ohyeahcrx (Mar 21, 2008)

Someone is an intense gamer! Haha better hope no water gets on any of them. thats kinda what im afraid of with putting my nano on my desk, it gettting on the computer.

I wish i could answer some of your questions but im still learning forsure, so i wouldnt want to give you false information when someone else can give you the right information.

Good Luck!!


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## midnightk (Sep 24, 2008)

hehe and manga otaku =) i like 5.5 perfect lil size. i do think youll need more light tho. maybe scrap the hoodfixture for a simple resun or tglo ?? the hampton bay lamp is sweet too for the price.

also your prolly gonna have load of flow with that filter right. get strong plants imo =) whispers were adjustable?? i thought not but yea..........
like the black bottom nice start keep it up!!

oh btw co2 is plus =) i woke up to find my hc pearling all over. diy'd a bottle lastnight.


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Yeah my wife and me love video games and manga!! lol!!

And thanks for the opinions!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

So I decided to go with Amazonia 1, but I haven't decide the lights yet.

Please leave me some opinions!!!!!!


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## fastfreddie (Sep 10, 2008)

Cool tank! I always find they do best in spots where you see them all the time, so this should be perfect. 

If you need stay with the same incandescent lighting fixture to meet your budget, I would at least swap the bulb to a screw-in mini compact flourescent. I've had quite a few and the 10 w is like a 50 watt and they will blast a little tank full of light. I think Marineland has one for less than $10 and coralife makes one for about $15.

Also, as far as filter flow on your whisper, I notice the Top Fin BIO 3 cartridges slowed my flow dramatically from the traditional Whisper bio bags most people use. You can also stuff a small piece of sponge in the intake tube, but you have to remember to clean it. 

I really dig the Hagen DIY CO2, but I'm a beginner so .... take my advice for what its worth. 

Thanks for the post and good luck! Keep the pictures coming.

Guess you're not superstitious with the black cat!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

fastfreddie said:


> Cool tank! I always find they do best in spots where you see them all the time, so this should be perfect.
> 
> If you need stay with the same incandescent lighting fixture to meet your budget, I would at least swap the bulb to a screw-in mini compact flourescent. I've had quite a few and the 10 w is like a 50 watt and they will blast a little tank full of light. I think Marineland has one for less than $10 and coralife makes one for about $15.
> 
> ...



Thanks men! 

I'm going to look the lights suggestions that you mentioned... As far as the Whisper 40 it has a flow regulator which I setup in the lowest flow. Also, I already got the sponge for it. 

At this point I'm waiting for the substrate to come and going to look for the light this weekend. I will keep you guys update! 


thanks!


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

Any update? What kind of shrimp are you getting? 

Personally, I think that with amazonia and DIY CO2, you're taking this thing away from the low-tech setup you initially said you wanted. Mosses and anubias don't really require either of those, so you may just be overcomplicating things with the CO2. Unless you want really, really lush moss, of course.  What kind of groundcover were u thinking off?


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

FrostyNYC said:


> Any update? What kind of shrimp are you getting?
> 
> Personally, I think that with amazonia and DIY CO2, you're taking this thing away from the low-tech setup you initially said you wanted. Mosses and anubias don't really require either of those, so you may just be overcomplicating things with the CO2. Unless you want really, really lush moss, of course.  What kind of groundcover were u thinking off?


I know I'm complicating things and getting over my budget..

At this point I haven't done much to the tank. I got the filter running with gravel from my 60g tank to speed the cycle. I'm still getting the same readings from my 60g in my 5.5. 
This week is going to be big. I decided to go with Eco-complete because the Amazonia Soil is going to take too long to arrive. As far as the light I'm deviating on those Home depot desk lamps (which I haven't found yet) or this light fixture 

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...3410/cl0/coralifefreshwater9miniaqualight2x9w 

or a desk lamp and use this...

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...996/cl0/coralifeminicompactcolormaxlamp20watt

I couldn't fine anything cheaper than the coral life fixture. I looked online for the H.D 27w Desk Lamp but didn't found it. People told me that they only have it at the store, Which I'm going this weekend to check it out. If is cheaper than the Coral life fixture I'm going to buy it, If not I'm going to buy the Coral Life.....

For fauna I'm looking into RCS shrimp. 

Please help me with this one!! 

Thanks!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

*Update!*

Ok here we go!!

So, I took a final decision and decided to go with:

Substrate: Eco-Complete 
Lighting: Lamp desk 27w 
Excel for CO2 (for the moment, I going to try DYI CO2)

For fauna..

Red Cristal Shrimp and Cherry Shrimp.

For flora 

Nana Anubias 
Java Moss
Heir Grass
Amazon sword (temporally)
One pink plant in the middle (Not sure the ID yet) 

Here are the pic...Suggestions are welcome!! 














































Shrimp......


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Very nice beginings. What grade CRS is it?


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Thanks!

Well I got 5 grade S, 4 grade A or B "I thing" and one CBS...


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

Updates?


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Well.... How to start......

This tank fail:icon_cry::icon_cry::icon_cry::icon_cry:

All my shrimp die........I'm not sure why but CRS and CRS die.

Plant and SNAILS are doing really good. Actually, plants looks better than my 60g tank. I don't doze fertz and WC every two weeks. I don't understand how I don't care much for this tank and plants are doing really good. I have left the light on for more than 18 hours and I don't have algae problems or any other problems. Nitrites are 5pps, Amonia 0pps, Ph 6.8 to 7.4. 

Anyway, I'm getting new stuff for this tank. I just got a Paintball Co2 system and some other things. Also, I got mosuda food and some other things from Japan for the CRS. I hope that with new filter, pressurized CO2 system and good food the CRS are going to be happy and healthy.

Stay tune! 

Thanks for looking!


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## boltp777 (Jan 16, 2009)

well shrimp need to be added to a well cycled tank and when i mean well cycled i mean like 5 to 6 months and i would suggest doing drip acclimnation when adding the shrimp also helps. crystal red shrimp are really sensitive. btw though great tank =)


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## SkYwAlKeR (Feb 27, 2009)

shrimps are very sensitive to water parameters changes... always cycle your tank long enough before adding in shrimps... my nano tank is 1 month old but yet not cycled long enough to be suitable for my amano shrimps and cherry shrimps... 

18 hours of photo period daily is too much... try reduce to 5 to 6 hours of photo period...


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Hola amigos,

It's been awhile since I update this thread. Like a said all shrimp die and since than I haven't put any livestock in the tank, but plants are doing really good. The only addition was pressurize Co2.

Here are some pictures of whats going on......





































It's a little messy, but I'm planing to work on him soon...
:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Can't wait to see some new pics. Especially the shrimp. I hope it got a haircut by now.


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

*CPOs Update!*

Hi guys,

It's been awhile since I update this thread, but nothing was going on until now. I been keeping Neocardinals wild tape in this tank for about 4 month with great result. they been reproducing like crazy and now I have over 1000000000:icon_eek::icon_eek::icon_eek:. 

I move as many as I could in to the 60 gallon tank to make room for my new CPOs!!! I got 4 last friday and until now they are loking really good and healthy!!Also, I add 6 CRS grade A~SS. I couldn't resist to buy them when I saw them in the store. Will see How they in this tank...

The current parameters in this tank is 

Nitrites 5ppm 
PH 7.2~7.6
Temp 78~82F

I'm using reverse osmosis system for this tank and change the filtration system to a canister filter (Ehiem 2213). 

Here are some pictures...


















































































Thanks for looking!


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Very nice. I wish I picked up a few. But please clean the clado! lol


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! 

I will!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

*More pictures!*

Hi guys, 

So I got a better lens and here are more pictures......








































































































































What do you guys thing? 

:bounce::bounce::bounce:


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

What are those shrimp? They look cool. 
I've never really been jealous of shrimp but those crs are very pretty.


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

garuf said:


> What are those shrimp? They look cool.
> I've never really been jealous of shrimp but those crs are very pretty.


Well if you are talking about the orange, they are not shrimp. They are crayfish (CPOs). The red,white are Cristal red Shrimp and the other one are Neocardinals wild tape.


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

I love the one with the CPO looking right at the camera!

Where did you get your CRS? They are fabulous!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

Phoenix-cry said:


> I love the one with the CPO looking right at the camera!
> 
> Where did you get your CRS? They are fabulous!


I got them at my LFS...


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## crimsonbull57 (Jan 7, 2009)

Can we get a FTS? Nice CPOs btw!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

crimsonbull57 said:


> Can we get a FTS? Nice CPOs btw!


What's FTS? :confused1:


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

Full Tank Shot.


I must come to NY!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

I'm taking more shoots now.... I'll post them later or tomorrow!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

monishakoirala said:


> shrimps are very sensitive to water parameters changes... always cycle your _tank_ long enough before adding in shrimps... my nano _tank_ is 1 month old.



??????


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

*Recap...*

Hi guys,

It's been six days since I got them and it seems that the CPOs are doing really good. There is not much information about them, so here is how I keeping them. They are suppose to be in hard water, but I'm keeping them in relative soft water. I feeding them blood worms and crushed snails. They seems to love more the snails than the worms and I hope they would start to hunt some snails. I haven't see them trying to catch a snail, but as soon as I crush one they all come and eat them in 3 secondsroud:roud:. 

As far as the tank goes, I'm really not doing anything spacial. I don't dose any fertz or monitor any parameters. I recentrly check the water parameter before acclimating to CPOs and the readings were....

Ammonia 0ppms
Nitrites 0~5ppms
PH 7.2~7.4
Temp 78~82f

As fart as EQ..
5.5g All glass ...
Eco-Complete
Ehiem 2213 With ADA Biomas filter media
Rever Osmosis system 
27w desk lamp for 10~12 hours

I perform 50% water changes once a week, with super soft water from the reverse osmosis system. Aster a day or two the PH goes back up....

For Flora:
Java most
Naja sp
Anubias barteri 
Ludwigia Glandulosa

Fauna:
4 Cambarellus Patzcuarensis sp. orange
6 Cristal Red Shrimp
100000 Neocardinals Wild tape......

I'm been moving all the wild tape shrimp, but I still find more and more babys everyday:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire oh well!!

Here are some recent shots...

Full tank! 









































































roud:roud:roud:


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Beautiful shrimp there! The one in the 3rd pic is especially interesting. Very nice!


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

clwatkins10 said:


> Beautiful shrimp there! The one in the 3rd pic is especially interesting. Very nice!


Thanks man! But the 3rd pic is a crayfish (Cambarellus Patzcuarensis sp. orange)
:fish::fish:


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## chris.rivera3 (Apr 15, 2008)

Your "pink plant" looks like sunset hygro...grow pinkish under high light...its a stem plant and should be in soil



lopez_316us said:


> Ok here we go!!
> 
> So, I took a final decision and decided to go with:
> 
> ...


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

You keep CRS with CPO's? Do the CPO's eat any of the shrimp?


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

ZooTycoonMaster said:


> You keep CRS with CPO's? Do the CPO's eat any of the shrimp?


Nop, They live happily together! No problems so far.


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## dr.tran (Oct 8, 2007)

Hey jose, I was wondering where did u get that light?


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## lopez_316us (Jan 25, 2008)

dr.tran said:


> Hey jose, I was wondering where did u get that light?


Home Depot my friend!


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Update?


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