# Marko's ADA 30C - Rili Shrimplets (8/30/13)



## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

So im doing a 30C, iwagumi layout, with shrimp. its all set up, except im not sure about the planting arrangement, and its got a bunch of growing in to do.
ill see if i can get some pics soon.

this tank, has shrimp. thats right, shrimp. i have 12 RCS in there.


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds interesting. Can't wait for the pictures


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

and here there are:

































the riccia will probably go out, idk. 
oh and yes, that is all 1 giant a. petite. i raised it in my terrarium from about 1/4 of that.


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## mithrius (Apr 28, 2009)

nice!  cant wait to see where this one goes.
your shrimps are *very* red!


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## ZooTycoonMaster (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow those are some red shrimp!


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## Outlawboss (Dec 30, 2008)

I was thinking the same thing. Unreal how red those shrimp are. That a. Nana looks really nice too. I have such a hard time keeping mine algae free.


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## ClPat (Apr 30, 2009)

Nice. I think the riccia should stay! And yes, those red cherries are at least 5 times redder than my reddest ones!


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Dang those shrimp are red!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

thanks all on your compliments on my shrimps' redness. i was very pleased when i saw them. but they arent all that red. the 2 you look the most at are the ones that stick out the most, the redest. they are 2 of my 3 females. the third is nicely colored too, but not quite as much. some of the younger males are almost clear, but they are still young so they should color up more. all in all, yeah, they are pretty amazing. i hope they do well in the tank.



> That a. Nana looks really nice too. I have such a hard time keeping mine algae free.


well i have shrimp, they help. plus before it was in here, it was in a terrarium for monthes. so all the GSA that used to dot its older leaves died off. hopefully i can keep it algae free though, but if it ever starts to get to algaefied, i plan on putting it back in the terrarium for a while for the algae to die (and plant to grow even more).



> Nice. I think the riccia should stay! And yes, those red cherries are at least 5 times redder than my reddest ones!


well im certainly considering the riccia, thats why its in there. but i want to see how it will grow along with the other plants. im a big fan of riccia, since i tried it the first time, i had some in every tank; but if it doesnt fit in well, **** it.
thanks about the shimp.  
these are pretty special. they arent as see-through as most RCS, they are more solid colored, like CRS.


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## jay973 (Feb 5, 2009)

Hey Marko are those the shrimp you got from me? If so, the young females are spotty and will get closer to a solid red like the others as they get older. The males will stay clear with red strips they aren't as colorful but a necessary evil :smile: for a breeding colony and they will never turn red.

If you haven't already done so I would also pick up a food high in calcium which is what I'd treat mine to a few times a week.

This is what I use.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+7927+4265&pcatid=4265

Cube looks good!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

yeah those are your shrimp. and even if they dont get any redder, i am extremely happy with them. you have really nice stock. 
i feed them the hikari shrimp food and algae wafers, it should hopefully be enough. 

my ph is low though, do you think i should add some baking soda or put a tiny bit of crushed coral to get it to 6.5 or so?

thanks, but my CO2 is low. i tried adding another bottle, ill see how that works.


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## jay973 (Feb 5, 2009)

Thanks. I'm glad your enjoying them. I think you might be able to get by with a lower PH if you are feeding them calcium rich foods. Most websites I've seen range between a 6-8. I keep them between 6.5 and 7.1 at a temp of 78-80 degrees.

Here's a link with general information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_shrimp

The plants you gave me are doing great, thanks again.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

tank is doing good. CO2 levels are good, i think the HC is starting to grow, and...
ive got baby shrimp!

i tried to zoom in on them, the pics are a bit blurry, but you can make them out.


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## jay973 (Feb 5, 2009)

Congrats! It was only a matter of time =)


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

here is an update. nothing new except i added some more HC from my emeressed setup, because it seems to be growing. and the baby shrimp are getting bigger.


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## chase127 (Jun 8, 2008)

that ricca ball is lookin good  wehn that e tenn gets huge this tank is gonna look epic


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

yeah, but i have to re-tie the riccia, or itll float up. plus the bottom is starting to rot. i actually like it better as a dense mat (about 2 weeks after i tie it is usually best) then as a loose clump.

yeah the e. tennelus is growing well, and sending runners. im hoping to get it really thick.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Very nice growth 
How has the hc been growing?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

the HC in the front is growing good. the one in the back and side are growing straight up. my guess is that there is considerably more floaters there, so there is less light there. yesterday, i removed all but 3 plantlets floating and replanted the HC so its on its side. hopefully now it will continue horizontal growth. 
well im happy no matter what. this is the first time i got HC to grow submerged.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

btw, my 2 uber-red RCS are both berried right now. and the runner-up is too. i have hopes for a couple similar shrimps in a few monthes. then ill weed out the least colored males, and the least colored females (ill try to keep a sex ratio of 1:3 males:females).


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

this tank looks nothing like it did 3 years ago. here are some new pics (btw that is the same anubias, its a MONSTER).

FTS from 2 sides

















2 new e. parkeri (the one on the left looks like its splitting)









new growth on p. helferi after trim









boraras

















RCS


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## gowfan05 (Feb 16, 2010)

very nice tank!! just out of my curiousity, are you running DIY CO2 or Pressurized?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

thank you
switched over to pressurized a year or so ago, run on a pH controller set to 6.6 with a kH of 5. thats approximately 37ppm, but its very inaccurate because there are other buffers in the tank besides carbonic acid and (bi)carbonate.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

hi marko
how are you
that anubias is awesome
great UG growth there


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

ikuzo said:


> hi marko
> how are you
> that anubias is awesome
> great UG growth there


hey, havent seen you (well, your posts) in years. 
pretty good, except i recently relapsed into multi-tank-syndrome. lol
thanks, im somewhat conflicted about it. on one hand, its too big. on the other, chopping it up is such a shame, as its magnificent.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

i know i swicthed to keeping cichlids as a hobby while maintaining just 1 tank for aquascape
multi tank syndrome relaps lol it happens

i would keep it the way it is, a huge one piece clump
don't tear it apart 
the left downoi is amazingly fat too

what's with the bald area of UG there?
it happened to me to with hairgrass
it just seem the plant won't grow there in my case


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

ikuzo said:


> i know i swicthed to keeping cichlids as a hobby while maintaining just 1 tank for aquascape
> multi tank syndrome relaps lol it happens
> 
> i would keep it the way it is, a huge one piece clump
> ...


i guess. honestly i probably couldnt bring myself to cut it.

thats where the food for the shrimp often falls from the feeder, so they root around there and unplanted the UG after the last replant. theres some underground runers now that are finally growing out in that patch, so it should fill in this week.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

got some cool macro shots:


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

I'm impressed this tank has been going for 3 years with basically the same inhabitants and layout.


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## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

Francis Xavier said:


> I'm impressed this tank has been going for 3 years with basically the same inhabitants and layout.


Haha me too. It seems like everyone changes things up every year at least. I really like the look of it. Great job.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

radioman said:


> Haha me too. It seems like everyone changes things up every year at least. I really like the look of it. Great job.


thank you. 
the anubias is starting to bug me a bit though. the nerite is doing an AMAZING job cleaning off the GSA thats on the older foilage (this is my first plant ever, so its been through a lot), but the thing is, the spots have been covered so long, the leaf directly underneath is yellow. so i traded green spots for yellow spots, which are more noticeable.
ill give it a few months to color back up. if it doesnt, ill use it in the betta barracks (dimmer lighting should make it less apparent) and put something else as a background in here.

anyway, i replanted the UG so heres some more pics:


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Nice tank, love the 2-angle design and hearing about it on the AB radio show. How many stems/crowns of Downoi did you start out with? Looks really good.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

thanks, bro.
i dont really remember anymore, but id guess 5 or fewer. i dont see myself spending over $15 on a single species of plant.


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Nice, I might hit you up for some soon :hihi:. Maybe a trade?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

sure, just pm me when you need it and well work something out.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

update pics:


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## FlyingGiraffes (Jan 30, 2011)

Looks really nice. Your diffuser is getting eaten.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Don't take that monster petite out! It must be pretty happy in there. I say trim off the leaves with yellow spots. It should spur more growth.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

took your advice and cleaned up the anubias instead of replacing it. still undecided, but for now im feeling happier about it. the UG really has been taking its time for some reason, so i bumped up the CO2 a touch, but now its almost grown back in.
some android cellphone pics of the tank:


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

Sweet tank!


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## Greedy (May 26, 2010)

Looking good! I really like the downoi.


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## ophiophagus (Mar 5, 2012)

Lookin good I'm diggin the UG downoi combo I gotta get some for my new tank. Great job


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

bitFUUL said:


> Sweet tank!


thanks:icon_cool



Greedy said:


> Looking good! I really like the downoi.


thanks.
me too. its been growing great for me ever since i got it.



ophiophagus said:


> Lookin good I'm diggin the UG downoi combo I gotta get some for my new tank. Great job


thanks. the thing i like most is that they are 2 significantly different shades of green. there are too many nano iwagumis with all 1 shade of green. i was initially considering e. belem instead, but then realized that its the same color as the downoi.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

just took some shots of my RCS, just cuz. thought i may as well share them.


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## frrok (May 22, 2011)

awesome tank man...love the scape... the contrast in plant color and texture is really unique.


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Nice shots, you got some decent DOF in there... What you shooting with?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

frrok said:


> awesome tank man...love the scape... the contrast in plant color and texture is really unique.


thank you. unique is probably one of the best compliments one can get when it comes to scaping, so that really means something to me. 




Geniusdudekiran said:


> Nice shots, you got some decent DOF in there... What you shooting with?


thanks.
Canon EOS Rebel (DS126191) with a Canon macro lens EF 100mm.
but shooting shrimp is easy, they tend to stay still. try shooting betta fry, takes me about 10 shots to get 1 good one when im taking pics of them. if you want to see some of those pics check out my spawn log here: http://www.ultimatebettas.com/index.php?showtopic=64936


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## AquaticAZ (Jun 15, 2012)

Awesome tank!!


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## angelsword (May 16, 2009)

This tank is amazing!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

AquaticAZ said:


> Awesome tank!!





angelsword said:


> This tank is amazing!


thanks guys.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

loving the UG and its placement, well done


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

CmLaracy said:


> loving the UG and its placement, well done


thanks bro. check out the following post, to see it when its perfectly manicured for a photoshoot.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i have entered this tank into aquabotanics nano aquascape contest (http://www.aquabotanic.com/?page_id=1917).
i replanted the ug a long while back, and then left it alone to let it grow in really nice and thick, and cleaned the a. petite as best as a could. then right before taking the photos i carefully manicured the ug so that all of it was at an even (and short) length, cleaned the surface, removed the hardware, and snapped these two awesome photos:

















and here are 2 shrimp shots and 1 of one of my e. parkeri cuz i already had the camera out:


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## meowschwitz (Sep 6, 2011)

That's one of the greenest tanks I've ever seen. Great job.


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

meowschwitz said:


> That's one of the greenest tanks I've ever seen. Great job.


+1, I love the green! The UG looks great as well. I like the corner oriented setup, it's probably too late but I think this scape would look even better if it was sloped more, higher where the anubias are ofc.


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## theblondskeleton (Aug 28, 2009)

Wow, that's excellent- especially considering how long it's been up! Well done, and best of luck!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

meowschwitz said:


> That's one of the greenest tanks I've ever seen. Great job.


thank you.



CmLaracy said:


> +1, I love the green! The UG looks great as well. I like the corner oriented setup, it's probably too late but I think this scape would look even better if it was sloped more, higher where the anubias are ofc.


thanks.
i absolutely agree. when i redid the tank 2 years back (replaced HC with UG, e. tenellus with a. petite) i also removed the substrate so i could put MTS under it. when i put it back it had a pretty good slope to it, but the substrate always levels out over time.



theblondskeleton said:


> Wow, that's excellent- especially considering how long it's been up! Well done, and best of luck!


thanks. actually, the fact that its been up so long makes it much easier, i know exactly what needs to be done for it to thrive, and doing that has become routine.


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## mcqueenesq (Aug 29, 2011)

Awesome! Good luck.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

heres two pics of my erio. im just absolutely in love with this plant. i want to get a slightly larger erio for a different tank. any suggestions?

















and here is one of my completely clean diffuser, cuz im a touch bored.


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## Francis Xavier (Oct 8, 2008)

Good luck in the contest Marko! It's looking great! Time for an Aquasky, no?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

Francis Xavier said:


> Good luck in the contest Marko! It's looking great! Time for an Aquasky, no?


thank you.
its tempting, but not $200 tempting. especially since my plants are doing ok with a $30 light (though one that doesnt look quite as AWESOME as the ada aquasky LED fisture.

just took some pics of the shrimp:


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## catfishbi (Jun 10, 2008)

I got Ericaulon sieboldianum should do it 




@[email protected] said:


> heres two pics of my erio. im just absolutely in love with this plant. i want to get a slightly larger erio for a different tank. any suggestions?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

I think that Eriocaulon cinereum 'Mini' would look neat! One of my favorites!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

ill look into that erio, thanks.

ok so the tank is getting slightly over grown. will trim in a week.
here are some pics:


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

my bulb died the other day, and i dont have a replacement. had to order one online. rigged up this in the meantime:








and then added some foil to keep my eyes alive:









its 32w instead of the 27w i had, but i cut my photoperiod, and my plants seem to love it:


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## wetbizquit (Jul 9, 2006)

holy hell, thats some pearling right there.... how do you get such great pearling? is that after a water change or dosing ferts??


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

wetbizquit said:


> holy hell, thats some pearling right there.... how do you get such great pearling? is that after a water change or dosing ferts??


yeah, didnt get that much with the old light.
nope, just high light, high CO2, and high surface agitation.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

got the replacement bulb. tanks survived ok, just some minor algae on some rocks:









plants are all doing nicely, as are the shrimp:


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

Looking great!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

thanks. 
i might do an update in a few days.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

everything is pearling like mad. since i bumped up CO2 during the week i went with 32w, and the shrimp acclimated, i kept it at that level. shrimp are still happy. 
took a few neat macro shots of pearling.


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## Stussi613 (Sep 14, 2010)

The bokeh on those macro shots is sublime...like a dream. 

Great tank and superb pics!!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

just replanted everything but the anubias (with the size of that thing, and how far its roots go throughout the tank, there is no moving it).
this tank has been slowly winding down. im noticing consistently less and less vigor. in the plant growth, and i think that the ADA AS and the MTS have run their course. 
i intend to take down this tank and redo it over winter break. not sure yet what i want to do, but ill likely stick to an iwagumi type layout. the giant petite will be moved to another tank most likely. its just too big for this tank, and while i have no issues cutting off small segments of rhizome for propagation, cutting it up entirely would be such a shame. 

here are the pics:


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## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

I think an iwagumi scape would be great. Can be hrd to pull off in a cube but can be done for sure.


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## ad3hybrid (Dec 11, 2011)

Love your tank! Mind sharing how you keep your Downoi healthy? Mine always melt..


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

Geniusdudekiran said:


> I think an iwagumi scape would be great. Can be hrd to pull off in a cube but can be done for sure.


would have a lot of open space. but thats not necessarily a bad look...
im pretty confident i want to incorporate some r. fluitans. i love the way it pearls. beyond that, no clue.

also, im tired of cherries. they are gone come december. ill use a different neocard, and try out some CRS to see how they do. i have an RO unit, so i should be able to tweak the kh and gh by mixing RO with tap. id rather if i could stay away from the expensive shrimp remineralizers.



ad3hybrid said:


> Love your tank! Mind sharing how you keep your Downoi healthy? Mine always melt..


thank you.
i wish i could give you some secret on how to make it thrive, but there isnt one.
just good light + CO2 + fertz. 
i never had any issues with it. i just put it in the tank, and it grew. they way i set my tanks up, there are very few plants that give me trouble. but it took a lot of time and dead plants to figure out how to do that. getting your CO2 right is usually the key to this.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

safe to say this tank has run its course. hasnt been doing as well as it used to for months now. substrate is kicked. it looks different, its just grey dust that roots nothing and has little nutrients so the plants grow slower. and then the power outage from sandy killed the filter, and thus the shrimp. now its gone a week without CO2.
here is the cumulative result:

















in a few weeks i will totally redo the tank.
right now im running it just to keep the a. petite happy (it becoming algae infested, but i dont think it minds, and a quick 2 min dilute bleach dip will clear it right up) as i figure out where to put it.


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## marioman72 (Jan 22, 2010)

too bad to see such a beautiful tank come to the end of its life. but thats just how aquascaping goes! you have any ideas as to what you want to do next?


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## parrottbay (May 14, 2012)

I am sorry to hear this!


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## greenman857 (Feb 25, 2012)

Trying for the silver lining...
It looks like you've got lots of plants that look pretty healthy to start over with!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

ug has been demolished, but i have a 2x2 pot in my emersed setup. downoi and e. parkeri are hanging in, but i dont really care, i have tons of both emersed and some in my 20 long.
anubias is covered in algae, but a quick bleach dip will fix that.

however none of these plants will be used in the next scape.
im thinking about hc, riccia, lileopsis, and s. repens. i might keep a small bit of downoi in there as an accent.


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## amphirion (Nov 13, 2008)

@marko: im looking to get rid of some of my lilaeopsis chinensis. let me know if you're interested.


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## parrottbay (May 14, 2012)

What is UG? I have read it a lot in posts lately and I am lost...


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

amphirion said:


> @marko: im looking to get rid of some of my lilaeopsis chinensis. let me know if you're interested.


sent you a pm about it.



parrottbay said:


> What is UG? I have read it a lot in posts lately and I am lost...


utricularia graminifolia
its the foreground plant i used for this tank. here is a link on it: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/m...cularia_graminiflora_Utricularia_graminiflora


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## parrottbay (May 14, 2012)

Thank you for explaining it again, It saddens me to see that this happened to your tank


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

dont be sad. every tank runs its course. now i will get to start over with a brand new scape, which is exciting.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

it's always sad to see a good tank end but gives you a chance to try something new! I usually get bored after a few months and tear down the tank anyhow


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

teardown:
the tank









deplanted and drained:









empty:









the anubias taking up an entire 3 gal bucket:









now i need my nylon CO2 seals to arrive from GLA, and then i can set the tank back up.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

alright, here is the redo - note: i used my droid camera, so the pics are crappy.
clean tank:









magic MTS and hardscape:









sand cap:









planted and filled:









you know, i missed HC:


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## karmen626 (Dec 29, 2012)

*Co2?*

How long do u have your co2 on? Does a pt like yours need co2? Awesome tank!!!!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

24/7 regulated by a pH controller. 
yup, a lot of the plants need CO2. and with this much light, if the tank did not have CO2 it would have serious algae.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

interestingly, i just realized that this tank has gone since setup with no CO2 and 24/7 lighting. fortunately, no algae (yet). the problem (CO2 nob needle valve was almost totally closed, and light timer was set to manual control) has been remedied.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

the tank is doing good. getting growth on all the plants, and no algae so far. i hope to add fish and shrimp in a week or so.
also switched the side the equipment is on.
pic:


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

well the scape you see in the post above failed. and failed speculatively.
SOMETHING was leeching carbonates into the water. i started with a kh of 4, and then a week later had a kh of 13. the endlers i put in, died. the ph controlled CO2 went too high as a result of the kh shift. 

anyway i tore it down, and attempted a dry start, using ADA amazonia. unfortunately during the last 2 weeks, it got kinda dry... but nothing died. i only see this tank once a week, so i cant correct problems as quick and easy as i can in my 20 gal or betta tank. but today i filled it up and hopefully it will do well.









ill let the HC fill in, and then add some more low-growers to it. an e. parkeri (i cant seem to do a tank without this plant - i absolutely love it), some riccia, maybe a few c. parva scattered here or there.


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## Patson (Mar 4, 2013)

Good luck! Have u figured out the source of carbonates? Is it one of the rocks?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

it was not the rocks. a carbonate based rock would have reacted with vinegar and fizzed (2H+ + CO3-- -> H2CO3 -> H2O + CO2), these did not. and just to be safe i put them in a bowl of RODI for a week. a week later the kh was still 0.
it was not the sand, i replaced that with white ADA sand, and my kh still went up. 
so i concluded it had to be the MTS, though neither i nor the seller understood why it would have a high carbonate content (i did not add dolomite). 

anyway, the ADA AS will pull carbonates out of the water, not leach them in. and the rock im positive were not the source. so problem fixed (i hope).


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

@[email protected] said:


> so i concluded it had to be the MTS, though neither i nor the seller understood why it would have a high carbonate content (i did not add dolomite).
> 
> anyway, the ADA AS will pull carbonates out of the water, not leach them in. and the rock im positive were not the source. so problem fixed (i hope).


I am not saying it's your MTS or not. I will say I will never use MTS or any other regular soil on a non-low tech tank. I actually gave up on MTS and will use about 1/8 of an inch of soil or so now, and only on low tech. I know some people have success but it has been very hit and miss for me, about 50/50 (not including the 1/8in of soil in a true low tech). Anyway, it's too iffy on high tech and probably even worse with a nano. Hope your next round goes better.


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## denske (Feb 20, 2013)

Whatever happened to that giant "petite"?


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

its sitting in a 3 gal bucket with water in it.
gonna go in the new betta sorority i want to set up.
dont worry, im not scarping that plant. im very attached to it.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

everything is growing in rather well. the HC is looking a bit less than perfect, but thats cuz the CO2 ran out for a while and was just replaced a week ago.
the tank is also fully cycled and livestock was added last week, and then some more today.
FTS:









endlers:









otos:









amano:









the l. mini is a bit too low, i hope it grows an inch or two taller, or ill replace it with something else.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

swapped out the endlers for 6 b. brigittae. the endlers are now in my 20 long - the move was a bit of a pain as the female gave birth to 9 babies and catching them wasnt easy.
but i love the b. brigittae. they are still smallish, and school very tightly.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

update - the HC isnt carpeting the way id hoped. not sure if i will try and get it to do so, or just replace it with something else (thinking R. fluitans at the moment).
also, i got some lovely rilis for the tank. im excited to see them grow up and start breeding.

FTS









oto


















one rili









two rili









third, not-so-pretty rili (but ill let em breed out for a while before i start culling)


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

Just a suggestion for the future- consider scaling your pictures down a bit. I'm currently stuck with slow internet and I can't view the pictures because they take way too long to load.


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## plecostomouse (Jun 9, 2011)

awesome thread loved the mighty anubias! but all things come to pass


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

it will be making a re-appearance in another tank very soon... 

this tank is doing very well considering how low the CO2 is. i swear, if i could i would increase the CO2 significantly. but my father is super paranoid about gassing the fish. he saw the fish gasp once when i did a WC (which raised the kh for a little while), and now thinks im gonna gas the fish. but admits he hasnt seen the CO2 on in the past 4 days. keeps telling me to measure kh cuz he is in love with the chart. i keep telling him, that i raise the CO2 til the fish gasp, and then back off. but no 'youre gonna kill the fish'. so im bumping the ph down (the CO2 is on a ph controller) by .1 a week, which is nothing considering the kh is <1. 
here are some pics:

















the rili shrimp are growing very nicely, but i couldnt get a pic cuz they wouldnt stand still.
had to post the second pic, cuz it shows the rock behind the amano in perfect definition, and the amano as a blur. this is what happens when i autofocus.


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## BittyB (Jul 6, 2013)

This thread has been a visual treat. Just had to compliment.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

thank you.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Glad to see your tank reborn.

Thanks for reminding me that S. repens is perfectly scaled for these cubes. 

Looking forward to seeing everything grow and develop.


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## TheFrenchOne (Apr 29, 2013)

It's looking great, keep up the good work.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

after 2 weeks out of the country, i came back to this:








not bad, IMO. though my dad was giving it top-offs, so that helped.

after a trim on the s. repens, and light trim on the HC (slowly but surely growing in  ), i took some more shots.

FTS:









prego female amano:

















male amano with some spirulina BS:









rili shrimp:

































b. brigittae:


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## Duck5003 (Oct 1, 2012)

Looking really good! Good looking rilis to, really nice color definition. How consistant do they breed for you? As far as keeping the distinct seperation of head and tail.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

they havent bred for me yet. these are all the original stock i got a month ago. they are growing nicely though, and should begin breeding soon


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## Jack Gilvey (Jun 16, 2008)

Awesome tank, awesome photos.


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Sweet job, Marko! I really like it. Very well maintained and a perfect shrimp tank......


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

thank you crazydaz!
i was actually worried for a bit cuz my HC was stagnating, but now its carpeting. still going along very slowly, but definitely going and no die off. so on one hand i wont be selling HC from this tank very often (if ever), but on the other hand this tank will be very VERY low maintenance. with the HC growing slowly, the s. repens being a slow grower and easy to trim anyway, the only thing that will actually need cutting down is the blyxa, and thats easy to trim.
added 4 more b. briggitae, after i only had 3 left. some jumped. but since the floaters spread a little, the remaining 3 havent been jumping, and seem very calm and content. now that i added the new ones from the same store (and likely the same shipment batch, since they are in the very back room in a bare tank with poor lighting, and i doubt many people notice them and get some); im seeing how much they are thriving. they are so much more colorful. the ones i just added are super skinny, one even has a concave belly, grey with some orange. the older ones are bigger, nice and plump, and bright orange with some red. 
one of my rili shrimp is saddled, and then another (the one thats essentially just a PFR - though likely a carrier of the rili gene) may be berried. but because how thick and blood red the exoskeleton is, im not sure. i just noticed something was darker around the swimmeretes. ill have to see from a different angle. 
no pics cuz i dont have my camera on me. next week.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

tank is looking good. the fish are looking good. and i have confirmed that the solid female is berried. and the saddled rili got berried yesterday or early today (she was still saddled friday). looks like ill have a colony in another month or 2.

FTS:









b. brigittae female (at this angle she looks less orange than usual):

















a different female:









male:









berried rili:









berried solid (but you cant see that she is berried, best photo i could get):









macro of an oto (female i think, but not positive):


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Looks amazing


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

Lovely tank!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

thanks guys.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

the solid red lady hatched her clutch sometime this week. i saw her no longer carrying eggs. and then managed to find some shrimplets. here they are:

























sorry the pics arent the best, but that greyish vertical bit in the last pic is the CO2 tubing, so thats a size reference for who tiny these guys are right now.


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## Vermino (Jun 14, 2012)

@[email protected] said:


>


dang - look at that little rili. making me want to switch over to rili's now!


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

the tank is swarming with little rilis. 
gonna let em grow and breed for a while longer, but im probably gonna cull some of them out in a month or so.


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