# 7 Gallon Red Cherry Shrimp Cube (56k)



## Drift Monkey (Mar 26, 2012)

Yes, this setup is much cleaner than the other, nice job!

I really liked the first piece of driftwood you used...you should reconsider using it! The slimy white mold that builds up is typical of driftwood and nearly every piece will develop it after a period of time. It does go away though...and I've even seen my shrimp picking at it!


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks  It's going to be very mossy I hope!

Ahh that piece of wood, I really like it too, but I spent weeks doing WCs with in a bucket before the tannins came out, then it just leached mold and that started to get everywhere. 

It did calm down but still came out of some holes on the side and I got fed up with it and threw it away!!

I thought I was being patient with it, but maybe not!!


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## Drift Monkey (Mar 26, 2012)

Jedi_Pizza said:


> Thanks  It's going to be very mossy I hope!
> 
> Ahh that piece of wood, I really like it too, but I spent weeks doing WCs with in a bucket before the tannins came out, then it just leached mold and that started to get everywhere.
> 
> ...


Maybe you could boil it? Might help. Either way...this is off to a great start!


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

I did boil it aswell 

Thanks again. I'll be adding some more photos when this light finally turns up, and when I find a stand for it. I did order some Java Fern yesterday so I will plant them when they arrive.


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Well I finally moved the shrimp to their new home. I bought a unit for the tank to sit on that's at a good height for viewing and drilled holes in that so everything (filter, heater etc) could fit inside - I'm really pleased with how uncluttered it all is.

I'm still waiting for the light to turn up, so this lamp will be changed. 

I lost an adult the day before I moved them :/ and I lost a juvenile about 2 days after I moved them over. 

They have been in there about a week now and appear to be very happy. There are lots of places for them to graze and chill out.

The water is amazingly clear and the greens are super green. I'm planning on letting it grow out for a bit and will probably add a new moss at some point. I will maybe add something to the left-back corner to balance it a bit, but I'm not sure - I kinda like marimo moss corner, but it could do with some height.









I finally got to count how many shrimplets there were - 27. I still have two adult females, so all in all, 29 shrimp made it into the new tank. Hmm minus one juvenile means there are 28 in total now. Here they are in the bucket, while I move their water over and get things ready!









FTS. I'm really happy how this is looking. The plants are nice and green, the flow is good for the shrimp and there are a few different places for them to hang out. I sit and watch them for ages 









Feeding bowl in, spinach time 









As the tank was running for months before the shrimp went in, algae build up on the cholla wood...









24 hours later and they had eaten it all. Om nom!

Here are some more shots...













































This photo makes me 









Aww look, it's the special one! It still didn't grow like it's siblings. Always good to see him/her though  




























Thanks for looking


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

What a gorgeous little tank!

You've done a terrific job.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Looks great! As for the white mold that was growing on the DW, was it fuzzy like cotton? If so, that's safe for shrimp. In fact, they would have enjoyed eating that mold. As long as you boiled the wood, THEN the mold came out, it would have been safe!

Either way that new scape looks really nice !


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

What a cool tank... man that looks fab!


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks for the kind comments guys, I'm really pleased with it. I don't think it would look anything like this if it wasn't for the forum, I've read and learnt so much here.

Fingers crossed that it stays green and that the shrimp thrive.

Diwu, it was kind of a white flat jelly. It started covering the wood where it was cut, then came out from the insect bore holes it had. Then it just started to get everywhere. I read up on it and I think it was just water mold, but as I didn't have anything in the tank to eat it, it was just going to spread. 

I still have a tiny bit on the suckers that hold the spraybar and filter input, I think the shrimp will deal with that once they find it. 

Cheers though, I will bear it in mind for the future


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## FisheriesOmen (Jan 14, 2012)

Jedi_Pizza said:


>


What's that moss in the back-left part of the tank? It looks AMAZING.

Love your tank so far :fish:


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

There are just 3 largish marimo moss balls packed together and some much smaller ones stuffed in around them.

Thanks for your kind comment


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## tinkerpuppet (Feb 13, 2010)

I really liked your first tank, but love this one! What a great job!


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks alot Tinkerpuppet, it worked out pretty good.

Good luck again with your tank re-sort


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## microw (Jun 30, 2012)

I like it, where can I get a cube like that?


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks Microw 

I bought it from pets-at-home of all places. They are sold as cold water tanks. It came with a filter but this wasn't very good. The tank and the glass are lovely though. It's 5mm ultra glass (whatever that is!) and has a lid and a sponge base too.

Best bit is that it was only £24! I went back and bought another one after I saw it set up. 

I would phone ahead if you have any stores in your area, I think its proper name is just 25litre cube aquarium.

Cheers


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## microw (Jun 30, 2012)

Never heard of them. They seem awesome just by a couple of clicks on their website. Hope there is a store near me, think I want a couple of cubes for my bettas.

Thanks for the info. : )

Edit: Maybe I've never heard of them because I've never been to the UK.


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Ooops, I somehow read your location as Moore, UK 

I think these tanks are only available in Europe.


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Time for a photo update? Yes!

The tank's been ticking along ok. Well, apart from the 2 shrimp I lost last week. And one a couple of days ago  

Two of them had that strange gap in their shell, I think it's from a bad molt. I am feeding spinach at least twice a week. Hopefully that will stop. 

My water is all within parameters, except TDS which is around 250. I started using distilled water from the supermarket a month or so ago. That's made life easier but I think I preferred mixing RO. I'll see if I get any more fatalities.

As you will see, the rest of the shrimp seem to be happy with the conditions..

Ok, photos..









Here is a young Java fern coming through. In fact I have few growing now. I have a question... The tops don't look healthy, are the shrimps nibbling at them when they first start to grow, or is it something else? 

Ok, no more questions..









As I feed spinach regularly, I wanted a better way to feed them than sticking my hand in, and weighing down the spinach with gravel. So I made this. It's a piece of fishing line, with a some gravel glued to the end. I then cook the spinach and thread it onto the line. I make a loop above it, as sometimes it floats up. 

They really like it as there are lots of angles for them to feed, and I like it because I don't get my hands wet and I can drop it at front of the tank for better viewing. 









Yumm



















Here is a male saying hello! (In a moody sort of way!)









Chilling like a boss 









Here is the special one. It hasn't grown. Aww. Still cool though!


I know that a lot of people like these type of photos.. 




























Haha, we see you!




































Hellooooo 

And finally..










I spotted my first berried shrimp a day or two ago! This is my first berried shrimp, so I am rather happy about this 

Also, I did a water change yesterday, and within 20 mins I saw a molt. Then a few hours later I saw a male go up the female and they totally get it on! They started on top of the driftwood, but fell off, locked together. Obviously I have never seen this before. I did take a few pics but I will spare you! 

So by last night I had two berried shrimp!

I think I am going to make a cull tank. In the main tank I have one male that is hardly red at all and then there is the special one. So I might move them out into another tank and any others in the future that don't look so red. I will still look after them the same though 

Thanks for looking!


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

That leaf does look like some type of vitamin deficiency. I can't say what exactly but I definitely have had to dose ferts in my shrimp tanks, as their poo just doesn't cut it.

As for your pictures, this one is my favorite!








very epic!

And great idea on that spinach hook ! I don't like having my hands get dirty all the time either! You shouldn't feed everyday though. Maybe feed 3 times a week.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Beautiful and congrats on the berried shrimp


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Glad you like the pic diwu  

All my young java ferns have this problem, just at the tips, then they are fine. I don't really mind too much. I don't know anything about ferts, if there is an easy one that's definitely shrimp safe I might have a go. 

Thanks GMYukonon24s  I now have 3 that are berried. It's going to get quite busy in there if they all make it.


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## Thanks (Oct 9, 2004)

The java fern are completely fine. That's just how they grow.


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## deleted_user_17 (Jun 14, 2012)

Oh ok, do they repair themselves when they are older or something? 

Cheers


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