# Confused journey of another nano



## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Hey guys! 

This will officially be my first journal here. You can skip the story and just look at pictures at the end if you like, but I'll be sure to keep a current picture, along with updating the confusing story as I go!

I've wanted another tank for a long while, but I didn't know exactly where to drop money. Well I saw the very first fish tank I ever bought dusty in my garage shortly before the semester began, and I decided it would be the perfect place to reinvest. 

It is a vanilla looking 2.5 gallon tank, ripe with potential. Potential that is fermenting, as I can't come up with ideas for it! I already know its inhabitants. They will be 4 red cherry shrimp, two small CPO crayfish and possibly -- maybe -- someday a trio of H. Formosa (Least Killifish). I do have a few things I know I want for the tank. I want it to use its entire top and bottom area with a scape, but I don't want to delve into the high tech arena. I don't do CO2 yet, so high lighting is out. 

-- More story time! -- 

So I was very unhappy with the way the tank looked, also that many of my things either weren't shipping, or shipped wrong. So I decided to change everything up. Admittedly, I borrowed from a few other people's ideas, but they all will get their credit! 

-After getting sick of the standard 2.5, I fell in LOVE with Somewhatshocked's new nano: a 2.5ish gallon Deep Blue Professional tank that is a whopping 18" long, 6" deep and 7" high. It is an impressive footprint for anything I may put in this tank. I've got a lot of possible ideas, but I'll give my little CPO's their shot first . Needless to say, I found a good deal online, and I got it for $32 shipped. 
-I got screwed on a light purchase from Dr.Fosters&Smith, but they took a return, so after searching around, Somewhatshocked gets credit again. He helped me pick out a mounted 300 lumen LED unit, which puts my tank right on the low-mid light line. Just what I wanted. The light will cost $35 shipped, but with a RAOK won gift card from l8nite, it will cost me $10 shipped. 
-When visiting a friend's apartment, I fell in love with the sandstone he had in his tank. Bananariot gets credit for pointing me in the direction of Bartohog who sold me the sandstone for $32 shipped. I got to pick and choose the stones, which they both guaranteed haven't, and wont, leech into my water. Fresh from a mountain in Arkansas, they needed cleaning. I fixed them up and plopped a few in. I've still got a TON of stone left, so this was definitely a great purchase. The amount of stone in this tank will get a price tag of $11, as I'll be using the other stone for a long time to come. 
-I got screwed on aquabid, but in a futile attempt to save some of my plants, DogFish kindly shipped me a package of plants which currently are they makeup of my tank. They desperately need permanent homes for their roots and that light, so I hope it all works out soon. Final cost? ($7 shipped)
-I've added a black background to the tank, I think it looks awesome, but I'm open to changing the color. I've rescaped a few of the plants. 

Everything is coming together, but it doesn't mean I don't still have goals!

Goals for this tank:
*Improve on aquascape
*Try my hand at keeping a lower PH around 7.0, keeping KH around 5
*Possibly breeding my cute little CPO rulers of the tank.
*Possibly attempt a moss wall
*Keep it low budget -- possibly under 100 for tank only use

As I want to keep it low budget, I'll mark where my money has gone this far. 

Expenditures: 
15 watt heater, which probably won't get used on the tank -- $8 shipped.
Azoo Palm HOB filter, which I will hopefully insta cycle with media from my up-and-running Spec -- $12 shipped.
300 Lumen light fixture -- $10 (Normal cost of $35) shipped 
Half bag of Fuval Shrimp Stratum -- $6 shipped (I got a whole bag, but it was split between two tanks)
1/3 box of amazing sandstone -- $11 shipped (I'll use the other 2/3 on other tanks)
Plant package RAOK -- ($7 shipped)
Tank itself -- $32 shipped

Total budget: Roughly $100
Total spent on this tank to date: $86 

--

I've recently bought things for my tank which truly aren't necessary, but I decided I wanted them anyways!

I purchased a second filter, a black background, Tom Barr driftwood and a shipment of H4n plants!

A quick thank you to Acitydweller, DogFish, l8nite, bananariot, bartohog, somewhatshocked, H4N and my friends from other forums who also registered here, along with many others who have taken time to help me out.

Current tank picture:


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Okay, here's some beginning photos. 

Full tank, just planted a few things.. Not their permanent homes..









Shot from the top.. This is my driftwood I took from a trip to Puerto Rico, so probably palm wood. 









And a shot of some of the critters who will soon hopefully inhabit the tank. 









Game time: can you pick out the 6 inverts?  

--

The driftwood is slowly sinking, it barely dipped into the water a few days ago, but it's soaking quicker and quicker. 

Any suggestions thus far?!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Azoo filter in! This thing is SO cute. 

I also put in a tetra heater, which keeps the temp around 78. Necessary since it is so cold. 

I stuck an adjustable heater in my spec, so I'm happy about that because I wanted the temp around 72 in there. I'd like to try some different shrimp. 

I'll keep this posted  Praying for an instant cycle!


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## EnigmaticGuppy92 (Jan 31, 2012)

this looks promising what plants are you thinking of??
nice dw


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks! 

I am not thinking of much! It's a confused tank  Lol. 

I've got anubias nana, bacopa, a variety of other stem plants and some moss. 

I want to do something simple, so I may just do driftwood, moss and anubias. 

I'll put my stems in my spec  

I'm getting some more / different driftwood for the tank from Tom Barr. 

I know I would like a moss wall


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## EnigmaticGuppy92 (Jan 31, 2012)

a moss wall would be cool


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## c_gwinner (Mar 23, 2012)

You gonna keep those cherry shrimp (what they look like to me) with your CPO? Not worried about the CPO snacking on them and attaching them. 

Nice looking tank by the way. Hope your driftwood becomes sedentary and sinks for you soon haha. Will look nice and clean and not like an Ark is in there.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

c_gwinner said:


> You gonna keep those cherry shrimp (what they look like to me) with your CPO? Not worried about the CPO snacking on them and attaching them.
> 
> Nice looking tank by the way. Hope your driftwood becomes sedentary and sinks for you soon haha. Will look nice and clean and not like an Ark is in there.


LOL an Ark. It is sinking a lot. More and more, and I bet the higher temp will help. 

Yes. They're all going to be good friends. They inhabit a tank now, with only a little give and chase. I think since there's so few, they should be OK. But the Crays certainly are meat eaters lol. 

And yeah I just haven't decided what moss to use yet lol. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Ok my light should get here Friday or Thursday. 

I've also got driftwood on the way from Tom Barr  so I'm very excited about that. 

About the light: it is a 9W 50/50 CFL clip on. The price was 11.99 and it was part of a JBJ picotope set. Dr. Foster & Smith offered it separately though. 

I plan on testing this light out, however I know one half of it is blue hued and the other half is 10k acintic. The light is 2 pronged, so I believe I can get a replacement. 

I've spotted a few 50/50s that are 6700k 9W. Should I be doing this swap?

Thanks all 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Wow. I feel screwed over by fosters and smith. They said they were selling a 9W lamp... They sent me a lightbulb. I will not be buying from them ever again. Return package out. 

Next up? Does anybody have a light they recommend for this tank? I'm looking on amazon for a few lights. I see a ray light I like, but it says it only is compatible with 1/8inch acrylic aquariums.. Mine is glass with a rim. 

Hey I warned that this was a confusing one lol. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## CPD (Feb 7, 2012)

I managed to get a dymax LED onto my 2.5g


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

CPD said:


> I managed to get a dymax LED onto my 2.5g
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Do you have a link? Do you know the kelvin, wattage and lumens?


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## CPD (Feb 7, 2012)

MABJ said:


> Do you have a link? Do you know the kelvin, wattage and lumens?
> 
> 
> From MABJ's iPhone
> 2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004K7ZKLI/ref=aw_d_detail?pd=1 but I couldn't find the kelvin, wattage or lumens


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

CPD said:


> http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004K7ZKLI/ref=aw_d_detail?pd=1 but I couldn't find the kelvin, wattage or lumens
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks very much  I'll let you know what I think when I get to a computer. I'll post all the lights I'm considering. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Small update -- 

I'm officially replacing the tank. The standard 2.5 was not doing it for me. 

I've got a brand new 18 inch long Deep Blue Professional tank. Only 2.3 gallons, but such a big footprint. So I'm happy. 

I've got sandstone coming from bartohog on Tuesday, and I'm ready to start this thing off. Not sure if I'll do moss as a majority yet. Still experimenting. 

I do have nematodes already, if that doesn't tell you something lol. So hopefully it means I'm getting a decent biofilm started. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Some things should definitely come together soon. I'll need some help with aquascaping and plant choice . 

I got rock today. Wow it is beautiful. Bartohog did a great job with packing and shipping. It is a very porous sandstone. I'm giving it a good warm bath, soak, brush and RO soak and then I'll be sticking it in my tank. Wish me luck! It is extremely heavy, but it should be worth it. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

OK. I have finished aqua scaping for now, but I'm waiting on my light. After that, all I need is purchased. I'm under budget! Yay. 

So I updated the story in the original post thread. But I'll still take you guys through what I did. 

I don't have a spot picked out yet, but the tank was packaged well. 









Empty, trying to figure out what I wanted to do first.









Working on one step of my three step cleaning process for my new rock!









And after I cleaned it, placed the substrate, moved some plants around, placed some rock, this is what I've got now. 









I'll take better pictures when the real light arrives 

Thanks for looking!


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I this morning tested my parameters.. While it is an API test strip.. I think it is showing some decent results. 

It said PH 7, 
GH
KH
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 40 

I'm 99% sure my cycle is near its end. Thank you transferring media from tank to tank LOL. 

I'll be adding my CPOs within 5 days time. 

Any comments up to this point?


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Okay. Time for an update. The cycle finished up, and I added shrimp, and I added a little food for them. 

The tank is infested with planaria babies and I see the first hydra I've ever seen. 









I'll be dog deworming this tank very soon. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## AquariumNoob (Aug 18, 2010)

I Hate hydra.
Watch out with the dog dewormer! Not sure if that stuff is safe for inverts. Youd be better off trying to spray boiling water on em'. Adding water to a fish tank cant cause any damage. Some poison, on the other hand.. who knows :Z
Beautiful tank ! I want something like that but literally have nowhere to put it. Got a 75G ~3 years ago in my room, and recently bought two 20L Tanks... Literally threw out my dresser and replaced it with fish tanks :Z haha. If i ever have an office of my own to decorate, definitely going to get something like that. I Love those tanks that are really big looking but in reality are extremely tiny. It lets you do so much when it comes to aquascaping in such a small tank.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks so much!!! It really does give some options. I'm debating adding driftwood or not when a package of it comes in from Tom Barr.

And I'm 100% positive it is OK for shrimp. Snails, they're iffy. My Copepod colonies suffer, but overall it is good. Thank you for your concern though  I actually was excited to see one. The tank is a work in progress and I was relatively sure I was going to have to nuke it. They're jellyfish relatives and I've wanted to snap a picture of them for myself and watch them in action. 

I'll keep this updated! What do you think about driftwood?


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## AquariumNoob (Aug 18, 2010)

Personally, im not much of a fan of mixing stone and driftwood together. I'd stick to either a rock scape, or DW scape. Only place id mix em is in BIG tanks (i didnt even mix in my 75G. Im taking like 100G+ tanks where you have a ridiculous amount of room to scape and cant get by with only putting rocks, haha).
In the tank youve got id say stick with the rocks. Not too much Driftwood that would really fit in there, anyways, i dont think. If it DID fit, it would probably take up too much space and make it look either cluttered or youd end up having to remove a ton of rocks to make space for it 
Just my .02.. Love the way it looks right now.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks so much! I'll have to do just that then. I'd be remiss if I didn't try in at least one tank, so I guess itll be my spec. This scape truly is a work in progress, and I firmly believe I'll need another azoo palm filter, which I don't mind. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Yay the new light is here. I LOVE IT. 

Thank you, Jake. This was a wonderful suggestion. With the filter, it gets pushed forward a little, but it's ok. 

I may be adding another azoo palm. 

Also, I'm starting to use RO water, do any of you have suggestions on remineralizers that are sold on amazon?

Thanks as always!


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## BeachBum2012 (Jan 16, 2010)

Those are some very cool rocks. I like it.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks so much! The shrimp love it lol. I will rescape a little.. But I'm not quite sure how yet lol. 


From MABJ's iPhone
2G Fluval Spec ~ fauna and flora in the works!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Updates.. 

*I added a black background to the tank
*Moved the IAL a little
*Cut some plants up
*Moved several plants

Enjoy


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## thesawguy (Dec 26, 2011)

I have a shelf in my bathroom that I would love to have a little tank like this on. What kind of light is that that you ended up with?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

thesawguy said:


> I have a shelf in my bathroom that I would love to have a little tank like this on. What kind of light is that that you ended up with?


If you can get this tank, I'd definitely recommend it  It is only like $35 when shipped. So it certainly is expensive, but it is crafted well! It has black silicone, and I've never felt a more stable tank. It doesn't wobble at all when you're holding it half full of water. 

This is a 17-24" Beamswork light fixture. It sets this tank at the lower end of medium light. It is a cheaper light, especially compared to competitive fixtures. I don't think I can post links, as per what I've been told, but it is on ebay under the seller topdogsellers with free shipping.


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## Silmarwen (Sep 21, 2012)

This is a gorgeous little tank. I love the hardscape!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Update: I purchased a second azoo palm filter to get flow moving on the other side of the tank. I almost wish I didn't have to Stick my dwarf Crays in here. This tank would be perfect for Pygmy cories. 

Everything is going normally. I'm getting some small nitrate spikes, but I'm doing water changes as I see them. I'll be moving 2 Crays over here soon enough  they're fighting too much in the Spec to leave them there. 

I would like to stick a nerite in here, but I'm not sure about it with the Crays. They like to pick at ramshorns, but I hope the nerite is too big?





Silmarwen said:


> This is a gorgeous little tank. I love the hardscape!


Well thank you so much!!!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Small update!! 
Just received a great order of plants from H4n. 

Picked up some mini pellia, mini christmas moss and Anubis nana petite. 


I have three questions that I would love people to answer:

1.) What does everybody think about pulling all stem plants from the aquarium?

2.) Where would the best place for moss to be in here?

3.) Would a carpet of mini Xmas or mini pellia look good and would they grow well as a carpet?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Ok well nobody responded :/. 

But I went ahead and did a few things. I added a driftwood piece, I put in some of H4N's awesome mosses. 

Here are some shots, I'll be trying to move the stuff around a little. Mostly getting the wood to sit where I want it. 

Here you go!

Everything should fill in and I hope the anubias grows on the rock cliff. 

Full tank, will be cleaning the glass soon. 







Left side 







Right side 







Added some moss to the filter. Hopefully it sticks and grows there 











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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

looks good man!
told you that superglue can go crazy!

it should grow on the filter also!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

This is going to look terrific once all the moss grows in!

Love that tank footprint, as well. Picked up my third one today.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

H4n,

Yeah, I can't wait for it to grow in, but thanks for these amazing mosses to grow in. I love the anubias nana petite, will it grow a longer rhizome?

Somewhatshocked,

I'm excited to have as many tanks as you do. This really is probably the best tank of this size. I'm considering retiring my Fluval spec for it. 

I will definitely keep this posted..

Does anybody have an idea at the growth rate of these mosses, and Jake, do you think they'll be OK in this light?


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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

I like the footprint as well! Do you have any upclose shots of the CPO?

That little light I see there, is that for the HOB?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Green_Flash said:


> I like the footprint as well! Do you have any upclose shots of the CPO?
> 
> That little light I see there, is that for the HOB?


That's a Fluval Spec light actually. I am reworking it now. 
He's hiding so I don't have a true up-close.


















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## Green_Flash (Apr 15, 2012)

Oh very cute, nice setup as well!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

There he is hehe


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

Ya the rhizmoe will grow with each new leave it shots out.

The mosses will grow at a decent rate.
I said mid.
Mini will grow a bit slower.
I think all my minis grow a bit slower.


-Sent from my Samsung Note, a "Phablet"


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks 

Can't wait to see everything fill in. It is nice to finally have an aquarium I'm really really proud of. I just wish I could put my crystal reds in 


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## andrewss (Oct 17, 2012)

CPO's are so cool 

nice setup


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## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

My mosses grow in near darkness lol, the mini fiss in my betta tank is growing and you can see the new fronds.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks @andrewss! Appreciate it. It only takes a few minutes to do aquascaping. 

I know! You're so lucky. I have no clue how to get mini fiss to grow. Mine died. But it was from a controversial seller lol. 



Bananariot said:


> My mosses grow in near darkness lol, the mini fiss in my betta tank is growing and you can see the new fronds.





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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sorry I haven't updated this in so long!

I keep forgetting to. Well I did a little change up of where certain things are. 

The moss is doing pretty well. It is filling in nice on the log, on the rock in the front. It is even starting t to grow from the filter outflow. So I'm just waiting for this to become moss heaven. 

My CPOs mated. But I'm afraid the mate didn't go fruitfully. I have yet to see eggs. But I do have pictures of a rarely documented thing  















The best is for last. Sorry for the finicky photos!








And a recent FTS. Not sure if it looks too different. 










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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

And I'm worried about these guys here. But they're cute as the dickens. Id love to stick some in my Fluval spec but I think the flow on low is too much 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Forgot the pic. 
2 male 2 female 









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## dougolasjr (Mar 3, 2010)

What light is that? Are those Least Killfish?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

dougolasjr said:


> What light is that? Are those Least Killfish?


Hello dougolas! You commented on my 'help' thread. 

The light was mentioned on the first page I think,

But it is a a $30 beamsworks light. It probably would only effectively work for 'long' tanks. They're really nice for this tank. Somewhatshocked has one on his tank. 

Yep they're H. Formosa! I hope they do well. I'd actually rather have them than my Crays. So my Crays better watch out. 


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## dougolasjr (Mar 3, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Hello dougolas! You commented on my 'help' thread.
> 
> The light was mentioned on the first page I think,
> 
> ...


Sorry didn't see it was mentioned. Its actually Douglas which no one calls me. It looks great for 30 dollars. Most of my tanks are long as I have inverts in them all except one. Did you get them off ebay, Amazon, or direct.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Heh thanks for the correction. 

It does look nice in my opinion too. 

I got it off topdogsellers on eBay. The shipping was even free. Scary good deal and he has plenty. 

Depending on the length you'll only get low-medium light out of these units


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## dougolasjr (Mar 3, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Heh thanks for the correction.
> 
> It does look nice in my opinion too.
> 
> ...



Good to know I only really do low to medium light plants. Will def check them out.


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## FORREST3320 (Sep 9, 2011)

looks great


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks very much! I'll continue to update this. 

But I'd love some opinions.. I would consider selling my crays as they aren't my favorite members of the tank, but I wonder if I could do a more peaceful tank without them?

What do you all think?


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## biogenetic40379 (Jan 19, 2012)

i had 3 cpo's at one point, they fought alot (1 male 2 female). I kept them separate from other inverts, while my buddy has them with a thriving 29g cherry shrimp colony. His CPO's are breeding too, so he is getting a fair amount of them


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Idk. I'd love to do other things with this tank. I would be worried about my shipping skills. Hmmmmm. 

If someone would like to give me a reasonable offer for a breeding pair, I'd ship to them! I'll think about a for sale thread. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

An update:

Well I left for thanksgiving break, nervous about leaving the tank with no lights other than window light and not much food, but five days later I find not only did I not lose anything, I have a new member of the tank greeting me 




























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## Barbgirl (Feb 24, 2012)

Woohoo!

That is one tiny baby! That's a cherry in the last photo right?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Barbgirl said:


> Woohoo!
> 
> That is one tiny baby! That's a cherry in the last photo right?


That it is! I'm excited. I was going to put a filter cover on the intakes, but I guess I don't need to. I watched the baby swim near it with little difficulty. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Just looking around -- found at least one more baby, maybe two... How fast do these guys drop babies?

I was figuring two a week in a few weeks, but I'm shocked to have two+ within 6 days of purchase lol.


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Holy crap you must love to type as much as you talk  Congrats on the lil fishy babies! If you're thinking about moving the cpo why not set them up in the tank you tore down? What's one more tank? lol


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> Holy crap you must love to type as much as you talk  Congrats on the lil fishy babies! If you're thinking about moving the cpo why not set them up in the tank you tore down? What's one more tank? lol


I actually didn't remove a tank for them! I just redid the tank. It was my old Spec! 

Yeah I've always been a talker lol. 

Great to see you, bud! Hope all is well and health is excellent during this awesome holiday season. 


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Yeah everything is okay as can be expected, talking bout open heart surgery fun fun lol. Not to steal your thread but up to 103 cherries (sure I missed a few lol) and 60 assassin snails (probably missed a few of those to lol) tank kind of went to hell once I got a girl lol imagine that! Getting ready to move them from the 10 gallon to the 29 gallon in a few weeks  Last but not least.....Imma be a baby daddy....she's 11 weeks pregnant now  Anyhow loving the tank more pics! Glad to see you're fitting in here well, I'll be around more now.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Wow!! Congrats! Time to slap a ring on that finger. Glad surgery went well. And no worries at all on the threadstealing. You should make your own build thread though, with 100+ cherries in a 10 gal, it'd be a fun sight to see. 

You already have the 29 gal?

You certainly have a lot of assassin snails. I'm shocked. I remember when we were psyched at your little square eggs hatching. What do your snails eat? 




Sake said:


> Yeah everything is okay as can be expected, talking bout open heart surgery fun fun lol. Not to steal your thread but up to 103 cherries (sure I missed a few lol) and 60 assassin snails (probably missed a few of those to lol) tank kind of went to hell once I got a girl lol imagine that! Getting ready to move them from the 10 gallon to the 29 gallon in a few weeks  Last but not least.....Imma be a baby daddy....she's 11 weeks pregnant now  Anyhow loving the tank more pics! Glad to see you're fitting in here well, I'll be around more now.





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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Well if you recall I have a 29 gallon community tank full of tetras/danio/MTS, they are being upgraded to a 55 gallon (already have it and most equipment), then the shrimp will be upgraded to the 29 gallon, not entirely sure what I'll do with the 10 gallon yet I'm thinking snail only tank to feed my assassins. Then I have another 10 gallon I'm going to set up to grow plants only. Yeah it was pretty cool figuring out the square eggs and then finding lil baby sin's  They eat....algae wafers lmao! I have yet to see them eat a snail but they sure do go after them wafers. I tossed a frozen bloodworm cube in there the other day, it was kind of amusing to watch a shimp and an assassin play tug of war with it lol. In the end they kind of ate like the dogs in lady and the tramp


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

That's really funny! I hope the stories of assassins eating shrimp aren't true for your tank!

But with 100+ of them I'm sure it'd be hard to tell. 

Since the shrimp are getting such a big tank, you definitely should do a dynamic scape. Lots of tall driftwood, dense mosses and hidey holey rocks!


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

> I hope the stories of assassins eating shrimp aren't true for your tank!


You know I seen an empty shrimp shell in the tank yesterday, pretty sure the assassins got to it. Looked like a molt only still had red spots inside. Even if the assassins did eat it more than likely it was sick or already dead. I've seen shrimp riding the assassins, eating with the assassins, grazing on the assassins, never have seen an assassin attack a snail though. I was going driftwood hunting down at the park today but my niece is sick so it's babysitting duty for me (or practice as my sister calls it...). Anyhow we better get back on subject, your tanks or the mods will yell at us! ~.O


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> You know I seen an empty shrimp shell in the tank yesterday, pretty sure the assassins got to it. Looked like a molt only still had red spots inside. Even if the assassins did eat it more than likely it was sick or already dead. I've seen shrimp riding the assassins, eating with the assassins, grazing on the assassins, never have seen an assassin attack a snail though. I was going driftwood hunting down at the park today but my niece is sick so it's babysitting duty for me (or practice as my sister calls it...). Anyhow we better get back on subject, your tanks or the mods will yell at us! ~.O


Actually, this isn't true here. If a thread goes one way, it is OK. As there's something to be learned from every course of discussion. But it's nice your tank is harmonious. 

Get lots of practice, as it'll be a shock to have a kid lol. 

Over your sins, I'm nervous bout the crays. They do like to take nips out of their tank mates. 


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

> Actually, this isn't true here. If a thread goes one way, it is OK.


 Yeah I know it was a joke....Watch out here comes the thread nazi! lol Yeah as far as CPO's I've heard they could be a bit aggressive. What are you keeping them with again? I know cherry shrimp, but even if they eat a few of them the reproduction rate should be higher than the amount they eat?? Unless they're just pigs lol


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I'll post a picture soon, but my H. Formosa have developed a beautiful orange color on their dorsal fin. It really is beautiful, and they certainly are smart and interesting fish. 






Sake said:


> Yeah I know it was a joke....Watch out here comes the thread nazi! lol Yeah as far as CPO's I've heard they could be a bit aggressive. What are you keeping them with again? I know cherry shrimp, but even if they eat a few of them the reproduction rate should be higher than the amount they eat?? Unless they're just pigs lol


That was my original thought, but I only have female cherries >______<. A friend is giving me a mix of fire reds, cherries and rillis soon, so maybe I'll get a little breeding action. 

Theyre with snails, Shrimp and least killifish.


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

So your shrimp never really took off huh? Well when is your friend sending them to ya? Hopefully soon I'll be getting everything set up for my 29 gallon, that's when I'll be doing some culling I could send ya a few males even females, not culls, the higher grade ones, culls are going in the 55 gallon want to see how they do with my fish. Maybe we can work a deal out or something, still have some colored ramshorns? Would love to get my hands on a few red and blues lol.

H. Formosa? That is mosquito fish or is it least killifish? I didn't think either had any reds? Thought you posted a pic of it earlier, I'm going to look


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> So your shrimp never really took off huh? Well when is your friend sending them to ya? Hopefully soon I'll be getting everything set up for my 29 gallon, that's when I'll be doing some culling I could send ya a few males even females, not culls, the higher grade ones, culls are going in the 55 gallon want to see how they do with my fish. Maybe we can work a deal out or something, still have some colored ramshorns? Would love to get my hands on a few red and blues lol.
> 
> H. Formosa? That is mosquito fish or is it least killifish? I didn't think either had any reds? Thought you posted a pic of it earlier, I'm going to look


Yeah I thought they were mostly grey too! Yeah H. Formosa is also named Least Killifish, mosquito fish and a few others. But it seems all mine have that orange, so ill try to get a good shot of it. 

Unfortunately no, they never quite took off. I really am sad about that. I can't exactly figure out why, but I have since torn down their tank, rebuilt it, and I'm planning on putting SS+ CRS in it. 


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

It's strange that your's didn't take off considering we had fairly similar set ups as far as stock you got yours from Msjinkzd didn't ya? Also you were way more meticulous about your parameters and what you were putting in there. Me, I just dumped plants/snails from local ponds in there  Perhaps it was the volume of water that made a difference?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> It's strange that your's didn't take off considering we had fairly similar set ups as far as stock you got yours from Msjinkzd didn't ya? Also you were way more meticulous about your parameters and what you were putting in there. Me, I just dumped plants/snails from local ponds in there  Perhaps it was the volume of water that made a difference?


I doubt it was water volume, as they had plenty of space. I couldn't quite say what it was. I know I made some mistakes for sure. No I regrettably got them from a guy marketing them as amazing pure fire red cherries on AB they were very red, and I had a few amazing females, but not much. 

I think being so careful and nitpicky was what screwed me over. I'm careful still, but I'm educated careful. I put in a varied diet, I give them what they need and I know they can handle a beating. 


Also--- when my little guys bred, which they did.. I realized all the babies got sucked down into the filter intake slit and never made it back out. I'm sure it happened with adults too, as I had a nightmare when all of them disappeared with no bodies to show for them. 

I popped out the back filter, and sure enough all of them flopped out all over the desk. They all got saved though. Tough buggers. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Here we go with an update! 

A really nice guy named Edward and I spoke about my breeding pair of CPOs, and he agreed to purchase them. 

No sooner than the evening we spoke... They exhibited breeding behavior, but the male went way too far. When we separated them, I put the male in the spec I've been working on cycling. 

The poor female lost: one eating claw, her long antennae and her two short antennae. (Antennae is probably the wrong word, but their feelers) 
She looks like an alien, and she is hiding like crazy, even afraid of the harmless, confused fish that swim by. 

I don't have a picture, as she has done real well at hiding herself. I do believe she will recover within a molt and she should be good to go.. Maybe she will even be berried. 

In lighter news, the hydra seem to be slowly disappearing on their own, and there don't seem to be any planaria. 

I do see some kind of planaria-like worm on my glass from time to time, but I never see anything with an arrowhead shape or adult planaria size. Any ideas? I know they aren't nematodes, but they do crawl around and change direction.

In other fauna news: my shrimp shells have never looked healthier in this tank. They're shiny, glossy and so sexy. 

















My least killifish are reproducing babies like crazy. There are at least 5 little ones running around. And I haven't covered up my filter intake tubes either, so they must be good swimmers. 

The adults look healthy 
















-this female is getting ready to contribute to population expansion!


























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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Tank is looking great so far.

Nice to see the H. formosa, as well.

Have they been giving you any trouble on the shrimp/shrimplet front?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> Tank is looking great so far.
> 
> Nice to see the H. formosa, as well.
> 
> Have they been giving you any trouble on the shrimp/shrimplet front?


Thanks! That means a lot. 

They're an interesting fish. When I first introduced them, they were schooling tighter than most tetras do in their lives. But they've since become quite comfortable. 

They seem very intelligent, as they're becoming used to my face and hands, whereas a week ago they would jolt at my appearance. 

As for the shrimplet front, I can foresee some pecking issues in the future, but I don't think they will seek out to eat them. I currently have only female shrimp, but a friend is giving me some awesome shrimpies in exchange for some of the fish. 

I'll definitely be documenting it when I get babies. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Hey guys! I rescaped a little. I ACTUALLY do not mind the water lettuce when it is towards the sides. That's pretty cool. 

I added a DIY prefilter as I checked in my filter cartridges today, and I found a dead baby H. Formosa fry :/ so that was REALLY sad. 

The fry and adults got their feeding today, but I believe I overfed by a little. It all got eaten quickly. But their bellies bulged a little. 

I finally snapped a picture of the injured cray, she's feeling better, as she chased my face in the tank a little. You can see her missing parts :/

Here are some pictures of the whole thing. 










































DEFINITELY give me some feedback on the 
1: DWL
2: DIY prefilter
3: The cray 

Thanks for looking. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Oh and here is a picture of the shrimp and the largest/most aggressive female fish getting along lol. I swear the shrimp will clean them a little xD


















Also a picture of the oldest baby. 











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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Lookin good! Wow those fish are tiny, I read that they are something like the 7th smallest fish in the world O.O


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> Lookin good! Wow those fish are tiny, I read that they are something like the 7th smallest fish in the world O.O


They are! I think I read that in an Aquarium Advice sticky... Before I was banned for being an outlaw 8) 

They're also the smallest livebearer. 

Do you have any interest in them? They seem to be shrimp safe and they're really intelligent. They remind me of dwarf puffers, but not quite. 


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

I've always wanted to dabble with live bearers. Was thinking about endler's but one day I may have to get a few of these once I get my 29g set up for shrimp. Doing a side job on Wed. so I can get enough cash to finish what I've started so far. Doctor isn't gonna be happy but I will XD

Yeah Aquarium Advice, and the thread nazi hahaa! Boy she cracked me up. I think I would of been kicked out if I didn't leave first lol. I think she yelled at me almost as much as she yelled at me XD


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

Very nice! I love the whimsical look of the plants hanging down from the surface. When that moss fills in all the way WHOAH! You have done a good job with your tank. I really like that light too!


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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

Love the tank!!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Amandas tank said:


> Very nice! I love the whimsical look of the plants hanging down from the surface. When that moss fills in all the way WHOAH! You have done a good job with your tank. I really like that light too!


Thank you very much!!! I can't wait for the moss to fill in! I want green mountains! Hehe. 

I didn't spend too much on this tank, so I'm really happy with how it turned out


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> I've always wanted to dabble with live bearers. Was thinking about endler's but one day I may have to get a few of these once I get my 29g set up for shrimp. Doing a side job on Wed. so I can get enough cash to finish what I've started so far. Doctor isn't gonna be happy but I will XD
> 
> Yeah Aquarium Advice, and the thread nazi hahaa! Boy she cracked me up. I think I would of been kicked out if I didn't leave first lol. I think she yelled at me almost as much as she yelled at me XD


Well come spring, I'd give you some for shipping. I'll do some RAOKs once the weather is perfect and my stock is up. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

zoragen said:


> Love the tank!!


Thanks! It's got a ways to go still. 


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## Computer Science (Sep 20, 2012)

That is a very nice tank! Do you know where I can buy that 18" tank?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Computer Science said:


> That is a very nice tank! Do you know where I can buy that 18" tank?


Hmmmmm the vendor recently started selling on amazon. I have been keeping tabs on it as I may pick up another. 

Ill try to post links soon. 


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## Computer Science (Sep 20, 2012)

I just found it on amazon. Thanks! I might grab one since the holidays are coming soon =P


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Computer Science said:


> I just found it on amazon. Thanks! I might grab one since the holidays are coming soon =P


Not a problem! Make sure your price doesn't come to more than like $32 overall.



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## mr2 (Jul 31, 2010)

Looks good, Im loving those limestone rocks. I don think I've ever seen a tank with those dimensions, very cool.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

mr2 said:


> Looks good, Im loving those limestone rocks. I don think I've ever seen a tank with those dimensions, very cool.


Thanks very much! 

Do you think they're limestone? I actually have no clue of their chemical composition, I just know I was told they were sandstone. They've yet to leach TDS on me. 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Feeding time! Sorry if these all look like the same pic. I see the big differences lol. 










































The fish were actually having a hard time eating, but the shrimp and fish actually formed kinda a symbiotic relationship. The shrimp tore food up, ate some, and the rest went in the air. 

This actually produced food for all the fish, babies and snails. 








And as always, I have to attach a baby pic. I have a bunch. But idk if they're thriving. 











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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

Hi mark, nice work with the tank. Besides the micro rasboras, I am really loving these least killis. Mine like with the crystal shrimp, cherries, hillstream loaches, pygmae cories, and three species of micro rasboras in a 20g high tank. They seem to be curious but haven't been aggressive with any shrimp I've seen. They have a sort of spaceship hovering way about em as they move throughout the tank. I have collected these from three sources, two having a stripe down the middle and one having near tiger like vertical striping. Very interesting fish whi also do not eat their own young...


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

acitydweller said:


> Hi mark, nice work with the tank. Besides the micro rasboras, I am really loving these least killis. Mine like with the crystal shrimp, cherries, hillstream loaches, pygmae cories, and three species of micro rasboras in a 20g high tank. They seem to be curious but haven't been aggressive with any shrimp I've seen. They have a sort of spaceship hovering way about em as they move throughout the tank. I have collected these from three sources, two having a stripe down the middle and one having near tiger like vertical striping. Very interesting fish whi also do not eat their own young...


Hey Albert! I've also enjoyed this experience with H.Formosa. 

--I'm not sure which microrasbora you're mentioning. I don't have one in my tank, but maybe you're mentioning yours? Either way I'd like to hear about it. 

--The spaceship thing. YES lol. They completely remind me of some spaceship/submarine. But really, the fish they remind me of the most is the Dwarf Puffer. They swim alike and eat alike and they seem to have similar intelligence levels. 

-- I'd love to have a picture of your tiger stripes. I would selective breed the heck out of that trait. All my babies do get tiger stripes but I think it disappears when they become adults. 

-- I'm also intrigued by the not eating their young thing. I've seen them take 'nips' but I know the nips aren't vicious, because they'd simply eat the babies if they wanted to. 
--You're right, I've NEVER seen them take a lunge at a shrimp. Not even a shrimp leg. Have you observed an adult with a baby shrimp?





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## mr2 (Jul 31, 2010)

Where do you get those killis? I'm thinking those would be perfect for one of the tanks on my 5x my nano project.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

mr2 said:


> Where do you get those killis? I'm thinking those would be perfect for one of the tanks on my 5x my nano project.


Got them in a Buffalo fish store. I've never seen them elsewhere. 

I do know Rachel sells them. And a few other hobbyists keep them. 

I'm documenting how long it takes for them to become adults. I'll eventually be raoking and selling them myself. 


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## Computer Science (Sep 20, 2012)

Do those kilis ever harass your shrimps?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Computer Science said:


> Do those kilis ever harass your shrimps?


Just a few posts up, Albert and I discussed this. 

I've never seen it. They seem to be very very peaceful!


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## hydrosparky (May 1, 2012)

Wonderful! The shrimp look nice and the least killies look cute! How often do these guys breed?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

hydrosparky said:


> Wonderful! The shrimp look nice and the least killies look cute! How often do these guys breed?


Not sure! I know the females keep them inside, then slowly release like one baby every few days. 

I have several babies running around, I don't know if they're thriving though. I think I'm going to isolate them to keep an eye on them. 

Thanks for the compliment!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

My largest baby. I think he's growing well. I need to keep a journal. 









Can you say mirror image?  Sharing is caring!!










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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

some sad news. I had to move home from college for winter break, so I drained half the water from my two tanks, put them in respective bins, sealed the tops and shoved off. 

I got back home an hour and a half down the road, and my Fluval spec made it amazingly. My long tank? Not so much. 

I had decided just to leave everybody in the tanks, but everything got wrecked during the drive. I pretty much had to do a total rescape. 

I'll take a picture soon. 


Some good news:

My friend here at St. Bonaventure gave me some shrimp, and I gave him my most pregnant least killifish. 

I originally thought I'd just get neos, but he so kindly gave me at least 5 tangerine tigers, and 25 more shrimp overall. 

So there are maybe 4 adults in the tank and 23 juvies ranging from newborn to near adult status. 

I now have fire red blood, rilli blood and tangerine tigers in here with a wounded crayfish. 

I've also got 2 nerite snails, which I'm moving soon, three adult killis and maybe 5-6 babies. 

Needless to say I was very worried about the trip up. 

Luckily, the tank looks under stocked still, seeing as most the species in here are micro, and the crayfish isn't permanent. She mostly just runs around and steals shrimp molts. She's afraid of the shrimp even . Kinda sad she doesn't chase them anymore. 




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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

How is that bad news? Look at the bright side, you get the fun adventure of rescaping your tank! As long as everybody made it safe, I'd put that in the win column. Quick question, how long is winter break (being a dumb hick I ain't never been on one of them there fancy arsed winter breaks), was it really long enough to warrant a move?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> How is that bad news? Look at the bright side, you get the fun adventure of rescaping your tank! As long as everybody made it safe, I'd put that in the win column. Quick question, how long is winter break (being a dumb hick I ain't never been on one of them there fancy arsed winter breaks), was it really long enough to warrant a move?


LOL very funny. 

I wish I didn't have to move everything. But it is 4 weeks long and they turn power off in the dorms. 

It is kinda sad cause when everything moved around I guarantee someone got crushed or sick and will die  it always happens. 

The rocks uprooted and wether I squished a snail or a shrimpie, it makes me sad. 



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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

You know with a pair of bolt cutters I'm pretty sure we could turn that power back on  Unless it's the box with a built in lock, then you'll need a hammer and chisel. Btw if you get caught I promise to bail you out of jail


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> You know with a pair of bolt cutters I'm pretty sure we could turn that power back on  Unless it's the box with a built in lock, then you'll need a hammer and chisel. Btw if you get caught I promise to bail you out of jail


Oh if only I could. But I need the month away from school lol. 

I did learn some things. 

I'll be putting all floaters in a cup and maybe putting all my inhabitants in a cup. Either that, or I'll put the movable objects in a cup then reassemble.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Damnitall. Woke up this morning to 3 shrimp in my filter. I have NO clue how they get in there. 

I could understand if they were getting into the filter with the moss hanging down, but they aren't!!!!!!! 

All three were Tangerine Tigers, but I rescued 2 of them. One was dead already. 










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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I'm trying to drop the TDS a little for the TTs. I'm at about 200 right now. Or is that decent? 

The good news is things are kind of calm otherwise. 

Here are the other pics I promised. 


































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## zzrguy (Jul 11, 2012)

look goog where did you get the tank


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

It is called deep blue professional! They're a cool little company that doesn't realize a bunch of people love using their tanks for freshwater. 


Thanks lol 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Hey y'all  time for a little update. 

More or less there is no update, but everything is running so well. 

Big shout out to H4N for really getting me a quick solution to my former problem. If you have a filter that needs a prefilter on the intake, I recommend his. They're sleek. 

My old problem was shrimp somehow kept finding their way into the backs of my azoo palm filters. Well naturally, they got back there, discovered it wasn't paradise, and they tried to escape. It was too late for escape, however, and they got sucked into the impeller and chopped to bits. 

I lost a total of three shrimp getting into the one filter, and I believe they were just climbing up the water stream. 

In other news, the parameters are perfect, and everybody is doing well. 

I guesstimate I have 10 little least killifish babies running around, and one is nearing adulthood. 

I really enjoy watching this tank; it's nice having a tank where I know the inhabitants are happy. 

Next post will include pictures 


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

So I decided to do little shots of the focuses of my tank. 


This rock brings the two sides of the tank together, and it features some nicely filling in mini pellia!









This is the palm tree perch, where lots of shrimpies have a time share. They love to sit under here and on the cool little cliff. This is Anubias nana petite. 








This is the mountain on the left, it has mini Xmas moss creeping up it, and it houses a little resort on a cliff for shrimp to hide in . 








Ahh the big prehistoric fern lol. This is a nice crypt. It is filling in nice, but the damn thing won't stay rooted. 








This is the big crypt's little brother. 








Here we see the moss bridge, which so conveniently links the two mountains. It features nice Xmas moss, but you can also see a nice shrimp flying to work past it. 








Thanks to H4N, I can get rid of the nylon that was so out of place. 








So no shrimp try to go to the oasis trap, we have outflow guards, too. Also you can see my nice healthy floaters 








As always I like to include a full tank shot. I hope you enjoyed the tour!










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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Tank is looking great, I'm glad everything is going good. Are you going to have to move it again soon?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> Tank is looking great, I'm glad everything is going good. Are you going to have to move it again soon?


2 weeks 


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Well hopefully things will go better this time. I am about 80% ready to start transferring stuff into my new tanks, think I should start a journal?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Sake said:


> Well hopefully things will go better this time. I am about 80% ready to start transferring stuff into my new tanks, think I should start a journal?


Do shrimp flying through water make you smile?!? Yes start a journal. 

I hope things go better, too. The spec is easy to move as it is taller, but this is a nightmare. Especially since I don't gravel vac, the debris gets kicked up lol. 


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## Kinection (Dec 1, 2012)

That's a huge almond leaf! Tank looks nice though.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

AquaticStory said:


> That's a huge almond leaf! Tank looks nice though.


You might think that, but it actually is just normal sized! This tank looks way bigger than it actually is 


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Well at work when we move large amounts of water across rough terrain we usually put floating stuff in the barrels to dampen the waves. Helps out alot when you're going across gravel and such to toss in a few 2X4 scraps. Now I know you can't just toss anything in your tank, but you're a semi smart fellow you can figure something out lol.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Haha thanks! I'll take that as a compliment. 

Good idea though. I'll start scrounging around. No wood or sticks or anything like that. I'm thinking buoyant plastic specifically for this. 

AH HAH. I figured it out already. I'll make a floating "plank" 

I'll post a pic when done. 


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

> Haha thanks! I'll take that as a compliment.


 Lol you know I can't post in your threads without giving ya a bit of trouble, but it truly was a compliment, perhaps a bit of a sideways one but a compliment none the less. BTW how much did that prefilter cost. I've looked at materials to make them myself.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Haha trust me I'll return the favor. 

Well... I know it was 30 for two of them, two filter guards, and a bunch of plants + shipping. 

It is a high grade stainless steel. You'd probably save money doing it on your own, but I'm no handiman, as sad as I am to admit it lol. 


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

THAT IS THE TANK I WAS ABOUT TO BUY! 

I love it (should have gotten it) my LFS had it (got the 8x8x8 instead *head bang*)

how's it going with 2 palm filters (i have that and i think it's a bit under powered for a planted with a betta) i'm thinking of trying a turtle 501

the Least Killifish are cute...

my shrimp LOVE to swim up the filter intake.. i had to put a fluval prefilter on it nothing else kept them out (lost a blue due to that) .. i was wondering how the H2N filter guards were... 

where did you get the outflow covers!

plastic floating stuff = needle point plastic (50-90 cents) from a craft store (if you just need a small piece i may have it.. i used it for my rock walls/moss (with a rock under it)

i LOVE your rocks.. i was looking for that exact rock! .. i may have to come and steal your tank!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

laqu said:


> THAT IS THE TANK I WAS ABOUT TO BUY!
> 
> I love it (should have gotten it) my LFS had it (got the 8x8x8 instead *head bang*)
> 
> ...


Haha you'll have to pry the tank from my cold lifeless fingers  I love this tank. I'm so happy with it. 

You still should get it. It works nicely, and I get told often it looks much bigger than it is. 

The azoo palms work perfect. They do a good job filtering and the flow is perfect. 

These prefilters and filter guards are made by H4N. 

He also grows some good moss 

I like the SS mesh as it keeps these shrimp out. If you read through the journal, I went through the same issue, and I fixed it short term with some nylon stockings over the intakes. It worked OK, but they kept getting back there. They were climbing in!! The filter guard fixed it. 

These rocks, (towards the front of the journal) are all bartohog. He finds em in the mountains. They come with fresh lichens on them hah. 

Thanks for the kind words. Hope you follow along and give input .


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

And feeding frenzy!

Again, I'm amazed how these fish use the shrimp as their feeders. The shrimp toss extra food up into the water, and the fish now wait patiently for them to do it. 









There's a little tail nipping by the dominant female during feeding time, and I think it probably is normal. 










These guys were smart. They found the piece of food the fish weren't after. But the snails got to it first! You can see my own breed of leopard snails well here. 









All the fish just wait for food to fly. 









Enjoy!


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

> Haha you'll have to pry the tank from my cold lifeless fingers


 You know for a small fee (will take HQ shrimp) that can be arranged. 



> I get told often it looks much bigger than it is


 Lol I bet you get told that all the time ~.O

Sorry had to lol. Anyhow I've got 99.9% of my plants in today, just received a some from bartohog today, waiting on h4n's floaters to arrive then all plants are in, then i can start setting up my tank and journal and you can repay me for all these jabs lol.

Are you going to post a few pics of the tank before you go back to college? I do love seeing your tank, it has really come together since the AA forums days. How are you fry doing btw? Getting all growed up yet?


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Lol figures you post pics as I was typing.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

LOL I unknowingly set myself up bad. 

That's too funny. Can't wait to see your tank bud! Did bart send any of his stone?

The fry seem to be doing OK. I'm hoping I have enough to do RAOKs soon. 

One is a Juvie now. But they take a few months to mature I suppose. 

I've got 10-15 fry running around lol


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

> Did bart send any of his stone?


 No, I went to the landscape yard and picked out a few from there. 18 lbs of rock for 2 bucks lol. Think this tank is going to be mostly driftwood, went to the river and found a few nice pieces, one will stick out of the tank and I think I may put terrestrial moss on it and vines.



> One is a Juvie now. But they take a few months to mature I suppose.
> 
> I've got 10-15 fry running around lol


 Holy crap you better hope they take a bit to mature or you're not going to get rid of them quick enough lol. BTW incredibly cute pics love how the fish wait for the food.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I know! They're all less than the diamater of my pinky nail right now, so everything is kosher. 

Nice deal on the rock, hope you found some jagged pieces. 

Your driftwood you find is second to none. I really like it! I'll help you scape the tank, as that's one of my favorite parts of new tanks!


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

love the yellow shrimp...

with 2 palms i guess you can get enough stuff in the filter mine is STUFFED

hmm.. rrroooccckkkss...

if i find a place to put it i'll pick it up next time i'm in town.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

They're actually orange. I have two lighter orange and one darker orange. Tangerine Tigers! I really love them. They quickly beat out fire reds as my favorite shrimp. Very active. 

I've cleaned my filter compartments out a little, but I'm not big on it. That stuff breaks down eventually. Idk. Maybe I should more.


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Hijacking your thread for a minute haha! 

Give you an idea of the plants I'll be working with and the amount....I've got to get a 55, 29, and 10 gallons worth out of these plants lol. Oh I am doing some emersed also so a few more than what I'll be posting.















Can you believe it's been a year and that stupid big piece of wood still hasn't sunk @[email protected] Btw Ignore the haphazard way it's looking just storing the plants lol.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

That's a lotta green! 

Did you boil the wood?

I like to lay out everything I'm working with in front of the tank first.


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Yeah boiling wasn't an option I could barely fit it in a dishwasher lol.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Well all right! I have three or more berried cherries, so that is nice. 

I don't see any saddles on my tigers, so I am growing more positive they are all males. I'll keep you posted with that though. 

I've never had neos survive on me, to be honest. I know the mechanics and I have all the knowledge, but when I finally gathered all the knowledge, I only had female shrimp left. 

I'm definitely ready for the Cardinia plunge, so I'm getting SSS CRS for my other aquarium after I get everything perfect on it.


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## stu3796 (Jan 1, 2013)

Maybe I missed it in this thread, but the only tank I see for sale that is similar to yours is divided into 5 compartments for bettas. Was this what yours was? If so how difficult was it to remove the dividers? Thanks!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Yep! That's this tank. If you read DBP's description of it (Their product PDF is fun to look at) you'll see their divider tanks are all removable. They're neat.

I just picked up a little 1 gal tall, but I'll keep the divider for two crayfish 

They make a 1.5 gal long and this -- using the volume formula to disprove my old volume number -- 3 gal long tank.


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## we4wieners (Oct 9, 2010)

Do you like the 18" 3g tank. Mine should be here today. Gonna make some concrete banks to form a sort of mock riverbede of sand. Then surround it by soil and moss.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

we4wieners said:


> Do you like the 18" 3g tank. Mine should be here today. Gonna make some concrete banks to form a sort of mock riverbede of sand. Then surround it by soil and moss.


wait... we can use concrete in AQ?

i am STILL mad i didn't get this one... i was "THIS" close.. the rim did it for me... went rimless wish i didn't love the 3g L 

*looking around for a spot for another tank*


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

we4wieners said:


> Do you like the 18" 3g tank. Mine should be here today. Gonna make some concrete banks to form a sort of mock riverbede of sand. Then surround it by soil and moss.


That sounds neat. I'd love to see it when done. Yes I love mine. They're easy to scape and make dynamic.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

For some reason, I love the rim on this. I don't always love rims, but with the nice black seal, it all looks great.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

i know... i know... i know....

keep rubbing it in...

and i bet it's SOOO easy to get your hand into, and stuff fits, and that bit of extra room probably really helps the cycle... and my betta would be SO happy in it... 

i know...


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

oh about that concrete... really? details ... details...


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Get another one! Lol it is affordable fortunately. I'd use it for shrimp tho hehe.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

if i can figure out where to put it i would... i could put my babies in it.. and i have enough 'trimmings' to fill it... and i have plenty of substrate ... and... my LFS has them on the shelf like $12 ... if i had somewhere to put it ...

i STILL need a stand for my 6 gallon (it needs to come off the dinner table) ...


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

laqu said:


> if i can figure out where to put it i would... i could put my babies in it.. and i have enough 'trimmings' to fill it... and i have plenty of substrate ... and... my LFS has them on the shelf like $12 ... if i had somewhere to put it ...
> 
> i STILL need a stand for my 6 gallon (it needs to come off the dinner table) ...


Bah worry bout where you're gonna put it later! lol


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

and THUS the reason my 6 gallon is on the table!
with wine bottle lights no less!
(okay so that was an upgrade to finnex fugeray lights that weren't cutting it).. but at least my wine bottles NOW match... fixed that issue this week!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Hmmm I have a question for my peeps. 

Would I be OK to add an inch or so of substrate?

Would I need to do anythin special to add more Fluval Shrimp Stratum?


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

People add, remove, and replace substrate all the time. As long as your substrate doesn't leach anything into the tank, and you take your time so you don't smother a shrimp, I wouldn't see any issues with it. I'd watch your parameters for a bit afterwards just in case it causes a mini cycle, but other than that go for it.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Alrighty :/ the tank got wrecked in travel again. I'll spend hours cleaning up. 

I think part of the problem is light/not enough substrate.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

MABJ... only warning is shrimp get a bit annoyed when you burry them...
...
i'm not saying how i know this or anything... it's not like i redo tanks all the time because i'm just THAT fickle... or that i would just randomly pour in shrimp sand because i noticed it's a 'bit off' and burry a shrimp .... nope... not saying that at all... 

-- oh, and snails are too dumb to climb out if you burry them (at least mine are) ... not that i have any experience with that either..


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Hahaha! Well I'll be careful if I add any. I'll add Netfulls of pre-rinsed FSS. 

Should you rinse this substrate?

I'd add a pic of how wrecked the tank got but I'm embarrassed.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

don't be embarrassed... PHOTOS. Then you can be proud of before and after!


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

How bad is it this time? Surely can't be too bad. As always post pics I love seeing your tanks, destroyed and restored


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I did rinse and add maybe two netfulls of FSS. I may add more to the left side. I like a higher substrate line I think. 

I also think I need some more tangerine tigers. I really would like them to breed and be the only shrimp in this tank. 

On the move note... No shrimp were harmed, but when everything got screwed up from the move, one tangerine tiger got trapped under a rock. 

I moved the rock, out pops a TT lol. White as a ghost shrimp, but he's ok now. 

I have an extra portion of moss I'm not using. Any idea what I should do with it? It is too small for a RAOK, I think.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I didn't see your requests for before pictures, but the stones were upside down unfortunately. I got to work and everything is better now I think hehe.


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Why not put a bit of moss on the right side that rock doesn't look like it's got any. Can't hardly see it because of the roots though <3 those. Or just put some on some mesh and let it grow on the floor?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

You like the roots? :O Just today I was considering removing them. Glad someone said something lol. 

The 'needles' get everywhere when the lights are off for a day >:\.

They just get into my substrate and decompose. I'd consider putting some moss on there. Idunno if I'd superglue anymore though. I'd have to think about it. 

I like my shrimp colony, but I'd prefer one uniform shrimp colony. Either all red or all orange.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

And just a pic of a berry and my poor recovering cray. 


















The moss grew out well on the log, but it never truly attached.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

On an odd and sad (for me) note... I keep all my trimmings and clippings in little water bowls. Tupperware, lids, whatever. So I decided I was done with the half gone floaters, I went to throw it out, as most of them had died over winter break, and I found a dead RCS in there :|. What the heck?

Ah well. It was only one. I just feel bad I never noticed it for all the times I looked at it..


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

I'm sorry ...


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Shrimp can definitely hard to see, lil buggers are great at hiding. Guess that goes with being the low man on the totem pole in the food chain @[email protected]


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Yeah. It's ok. You would think they might stink, but they don't.

Anyways. I do think they need to hide as they are defenseless. I wish over time they learned I'm not going to hurt them tho


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

mine don't have any tank mates and they run around like crazy... from top to bottom... 

that said i'm getting them 'friends' but TINY ones... 

love the rocks and stuff looks great... my tank is just a rock and plants.. not much room for anything else ... but i do have a 'shrimp arch' over their tubes .. sort of just 'happened' then i made it more formal (could be why they breed so much) LOL

looks great...

any tricks to moving a tank.. in the fall i have to send my daughter off with one.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I always forget to take pictures of my crazy methods. 

Longer tanks are harder to move than taller tanks. 

My advice is drain 60% of the water or more, plastic wrap the top, plastic wrap the HoB filter(water still in it) and plastic wrap the lid onto the tank if there is one. 

Wrap a towel around whatever you are transporting, then put it in some type of box/bin. I do Sterlite containers. They work well for me. 

I'm always amazed at how well my Fluval spec transports. If I was going to permanently travel in my life and never own a place for more than a few months at a time, all my tanks would be specs. 

Here's a pic of how I move my spec + my 1gal tank. They both go in there.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Some pics of my inhabitants!

My cray in her cave.








Daddy and baby fishy. 








One of my favorite spots in the tank.. Just love the moss and the Anubias.








This is apparently TT land. LOL. Btw does anybody know of someone who sells TTs on the forum?








Not sure what to do with this... Do I smell RAOK? Lol.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

This is a fun little setup. I haven't checked out this journal thread in a while. What kind of stone is that?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

hydrophyte said:


> This is a fun little setup. I haven't checked out this journal thread in a while. What kind of stone is that?


Well thanks for checking in! 

I believe it is sandstone. Bartohog collects it from a mountain in Colorado I believe? Err that might not be the right state. I believe I talk about it in my first post to the second page. Somewhere in there. 

I do agree. I spend a lot of time watching this daily


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## bluestems (Feb 7, 2012)

I love your shrimp tank, especially the roots hanging down!


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

thanks... so you like the spec?

what spec is it? i have to start planing my daughter's tank ... LOL


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

bluestems said:


> I love your shrimp tank, especially the roots hanging down!


Nice!! Thanks very much. The roots are hard to maintain. Their needles make a mess, but it is worth it.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

laqu said:


> thanks... so you like the spec?
> 
> what spec is it? i have to start planing my daughter's tank ... LOL


One in my signature.


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

bluestems said:


> I love your shrimp tank, especially the roots hanging down!


He was gonna get rid of the roots till I set him straight! lol 



> You like the roots? :O Just today I was considering removing them. Glad someone said something lol.
> 
> The 'needles' get everywhere when the lights are off for a day >:\.


Me and you need to keep an eye on him Blue, or he may revert back to the removal stage


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Lol  thanks, dude. 

My crayfish molted in front of me yesterday. I was on my computer and missed it. 

I didn't miss her flipping out after. She was backpedaling through the water white as a ghost. I have a picture of it when it just happened. 

Seeing as she is hurt, I'll be paying close attention.


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## Sake (Mar 30, 2012)

Wonder how long it'll take her to grow her claws back, any idea?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Great question.. Wish I knew. It seems like her antennae are finally growing more with each molt. I haven't been able to fully inspect her tho yet. I'll update with her status this mornin as she was hiding while soft. 

Not that she needs to. The shrimp don't hide anymore. There are no predators. And the fish don't even nip at legs


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Sweet tank! Where the heck are you guys getting these 3 gallon long aquariums though lol


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I had to do extensive research to find mine. As far as I know, somewhatshocked was the first person to have it. I loved it. So I did a lot of research and learned that an aquarium dealer named allpet sells DBP products relatively cheaply.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks for the compliment though


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

your welcome. so pretty much your saying this is not sold by an actual company but a private seller?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I do believe Deep Blue Professional produces and sells their products through distributors. Like it is for many companies in America, I'm sure that is an effective way of getting their product out. They may have some outlet in which you can purchase their products from, but my research was to find the most cost effective equipment possible. I break down my expenditures on the first page. 

The tank was the cheapest I could find anywhere.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I found them on amazon. thanks!  might have to purchase one of these 18 long tanks. pretty sweet!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Yeah. They're really neat. Nearly the dimensions of a 10g tank cut in half haha. 

They had just gone on amazon when I found them but they didn't ship to PO boxes so it was down to another seller.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Female cray doesn't look great. She's gone from orange to almost yellow in a few days. She's eating, but she looks weak and fears the shrimp.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Update: The Salvinia Minima took off. I just did a major thinning of it. It reproduces so fast for its size. 

The cray is doing better for sure.. She has a weird thing going on with what looks like gills outside of her body's shell. 

The mosses are all doing well. I fall more in love with the mini Xmas moss every time I look at it lol. 

















































I see a crazy amount of babies. Even though you can't necessarily see them, they're in every picture. 

If they all make it to adulthood, I'll be needing to learn to sell and ship lol.


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## Silmarwen (Sep 21, 2012)

Looks incredible! The water lettuce kind of makes this for me, though the mosses look fantastic. And congratulations on baby shrimpies! Means you're doing something very right


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

Wow! Love your tank. It's awesome.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Ooh there are a slight few shrimplets, but not from me specifically. They hitchiked here when I got the shrimp colony in the tank. 









That lil fella is one of them. 

Thanks for your compliment! I'm glad I haven't taken the lettuce out then. It seems like most people like it . 

These are the babies I'm talking about!








Top right of the photo. There are tons of them 

And this is Ms. Cray!









You can kinda see her injuries all in one. Missing a feeding claw, missing her antennae and the whitish things coming out of her side. 









And just for fun


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

GreenBliss said:


> Wow! Love your tank. It's awesome.


Thank you!!!  I appreciate it. Glad to have you along.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Seems as if my moss is flowering? I can't exactly tell what it is doing....... But it is neat looking. 









The lines coming out of the Mini Xmas moss are attached to the stem of the moss. 









There are little bulbs at the end of them. 

So. Do you know what they are?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

A little research told me I was very wrong for even thinking my moss was flowering. But it isn't 100% of the time wrong to call it a 'bloom'. 

http://www.aquamoss.net/images/Moss-Sporophyte-02.jpg

This is a picture of a Sporophyte on some moss. Apparently, this is how moss spreads. A little more in depth view on moss reproduction. Some people may be curious, I knew I was.

The green leafy ground cover of mosses that we are familiar with is the haploid gametophyte. The gametophyte develops sex organs, a male antheridium and a female archegonium on the same or different plants. The antheridium produces flagellated sperm cells that swim to the egg cells in the archegonium. After fertilization, the zygote grows into a diploid sporophyte. The sporophyte consists of a foot, stalk, and capsule. It remains attached to the gametophyte. Cells in the capsule undergo meiosis and develop into haploid spores. When released, spores grow into gametophytes with rootlike, leaflike and stemlike parts.


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## Silmarwen (Sep 21, 2012)

So... that's... a delivery-room picture of baby mosses.

Eewww

.....Cooooolllll.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Yeah! Haha. It was interesting to learn


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

How have I not read this tank journal thread before?

Now I really want one of those tanks...  Only $25 on amazon too... sheesh.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

l8nite said:


> How have I not read this tank journal thread before?
> 
> Now I really want one of those tanks...  Only $25 on amazon too... sheesh.


 I'm very happy with how the journal and the thread have turned out. There's a post thanking you in here somewhere  you helped get me the light!

Thanks for checking in!!! 

The tank was a great purchase. I spend so much time watching it. For a college kid, it has been a money pit, but I'd rather spend money on it than booze lol. At $100, this has been a really achievable tank for anybody looking to do something similar. 

One thing I learned from it is I CAN'T WAIT to get a 33g long and a 12g long tank!


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

MABJ said:


> I'm very happy with how the journal and the thread have turned out. There's a post thanking you in here somewhere  you helped get me the light!


I saw that, thanks!. I'm glad I'm contributing to the awesomeness in that tank


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## poppyseed (Feb 23, 2010)

MABJ said:


> Nice!! Thanks very much. The roots are hard to maintain. Their needles make a mess, but it is worth it.


I'm also loving the roots.. it gives it such a jungle feel! What kind of a floater is it?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

It is kinda a jungle feel 0.o you're very right. Thanks for bringing that perspective. 

It is Dwarf Water Lettuce (Thanks, DogFish) and Salvinia minima (Thanks, bananariot)


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

A few pics. I think a moss wall might look nice, but I'm not sure if the tank is too small, nor would I know how to start it. 








Fish pic








Just a different shot a few seconds later. 








This is another baby moss spore! That's two.. And lots of shoots to boot.


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

After dreaming about your tank all night long I ordered one today. How am I going to explain this to my wife...

I have a spare Finnex Ray 2 DS 24" light... I was kind of hoping for a 24" long tank to put it on though.

I see that Deep Blue makes a 12x6x6 tank. Maybe I'll put two of them end-to-end and make two different scapes... 

Uggggh I don't have time for this!


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## Silmarwen (Sep 21, 2012)

I dunno about a moss wall...? You could give it a shot, I guess, but I don't see much of the back of the tank myself, do you? Maybe I'm not paying attention, haha


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

l8nite said:


> After dreaming about your tank all night long I ordered one today. How am I going to explain this to my wife...
> 
> I have a spare Finnex Ray 2 DS 24" light... I was kind of hoping for a 24" long tank to put it on though.
> 
> ...


LOL welcome to the DBP club. It is vast and glorious . 

This is 18", so I'm assuming suspended, it'd work over this. Or you could do the 2 next to each other.

I will say since these are so squat, you have to be careful about lighting. It is easy to put too much lighting on the tanks.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Silmarwen said:


> I dunno about a moss wall...? You could give it a shot, I guess, but I don't see much of the back of the tank myself, do you? Maybe I'm not paying attention, haha


True. You don't see much of the back at all. + I need an Indian almond leaf in there. So I'll hold off. A moss wall is in my dreams tho!


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## Silmarwen (Sep 21, 2012)

MABJ said:


> True. You don't see much of the back at all. + I need an Indian almond leaf in there. So I'll hold off. A moss wall is in my dreams tho!


I actually bought some of the plastic canvas that people attach moss walls to; I'm thinking I might pick out the few bits of still-living java moss I have in my tank and various buckets, and stitch them on and throw the whole mess in my 10 gallon, haha... We'll see... I love the look of moss walls, but making sure the whole thing lives is daunting.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

It can be.. But the whole thing is worth it. 

The cautions I have heard: 

-shrimp will get stuck behind it
-you have to be careful what mesh you use, plastic floats and metal can corrode. 
-with java you have to trim and prune it.


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## Silmarwen (Sep 21, 2012)

Yeah.. I was gonna stitch those long plant weights to the bottom, and I don't actually have shrimp at the moment, so I think I'm okay on that front... And the trimming dosen't bother me, I don't think. *THINK...* haha. Thanks for the tips, though. I'm not jumping into this anytime soon. It involves sorting dead from not-quite-dead mosses, so it's for when I've got the energy haha


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I'm pretty sure shrimp are dying here and there. I no longer see 2/4 tangerine tigers. 

Granted there are lots of places to hide, everybody is out for feeding... And I am seeing less I believe. Several berried mamas dropped their eggs. I believe it is because they're new mamas, however. 

Perhaps I should consider removing the least Killies, as much as I love them. 

The males are smaller than my smallest shrimp. I probably could keep males only. Put females in with my crayfish? Not a bad idea TBH. I'll remove fry as I see them, sell the new adult females. 

Hmm. 

Anyways here's a little update. 







my oldest shrimp. She's a berried  

I kinda miss having only fire reds. I may change things up in the spring months. 









Everybody loves Jake's foods


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

Awww, I hope they're just hiding! Nice pictures


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Hi, just checking in to see if you don't think your CPO eats shrimp babies!?! I am thinking mine do.

Like your tank. I saw the pic of you old Cherry shrimp!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

AutumnSky said:


> Hi, just checking in to see if you don't think your CPO eats shrimp babies!?! I am thinking mine do.
> 
> Like your tank. I saw the pic of you old Cherry shrimp!


Hey there! Long time no see. Good to hear from you. 

I know  they're cuties. But they'll most likely pass away soon. At least they'll be passing their genes on. That's all any organism wants to do. 

And the CPO probably does eat what shrimp/shrimplets she can catch. She's rampaging a little because she finally feels better after being very injured for over a month. She's getting a new tank as soon as its cycled.


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

Big box arrived on my porch today... can't wait to copy your tank ;P

Make sure you enter my RAOK


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

l8nite said:


> Big box arrived on my porch today... can't wait to copy your tank ;P
> 
> Make sure you enter my RAOK


Woah what an epic RAOK!! I'm just sorry so many people can't read lol. You'll put your own spin on that tank, and I'll be following along. 

Thanks for the flattering link!!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I've been super busy lately. I just applied to the journalist team at the Buffalo Bills and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I even have a package I need to send out I'm a week late on :/ but school and jobs come first. 

Anyways. I saw some of the berried mamas resurface. So I think there are just tons of hiding spots in this tank. 

And as I usually post a picture, how about a shrimpcrobat

























He's not trying to escape. More likely getting at the brown goodies on the mesh. And even more likely trying to get to the thriving moss in the compartment in the back.


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

That is some crazy daredevil shrimp


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I know right!

Ok guys. So call me crazy, and I may just be super fickle, but I feel like the 'community' vibe isn't doing it for me. 

Three questions for everybody:

1: Would you get rid of the fish? I like them, but I feel like in moving and such, they would be better off elsewhere. I would consider keeping just males. 

2: I would like to keep a uniform shrimp color kinda.. Would it be ridiculous to move neos elsewhere and start a uniform colony here?

3: What color would be best in a very green tank? Orange, yellow, pure red or blue.


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

MABJ said:


> So call me crazy


You're crazy.  That said, I guess do what keeps you happy/interested in the tank. I like the idea of mono-species tanks (even with plants...), though I'm not sure I have the self-discipline required to do so.










Good complimentary colors follow the lines straight across. So, for green you're looking at pink, red, or blue


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

l8nite said:


> You're crazy.  That said, I guess do what keeps you happy/interested in the tank. I like the idea of mono-species tanks (even with plants...), though I'm not sure I have the self-discipline required to do so.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Red it is then!! Thanks for that color wheel. Although I loved my TTs. They just didn't make it when they decided to visit impeller land over and over


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

good luck on the Bill job. If I remember right your at Rutgers. My dd is looking at Rowan (along with others) how did you like going to a state school.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

laqu said:


> good luck on the Bill job. If I remember right your at Rutgers. My dd is looking at Rowan (along with others) how did you like going to a state school.


While I did attend a state college in my senior year of high school, I am at a private institute now called St. Bonaventure. 

I like Rutgers just fine, and I've got friends at that school. 

As per state schools in general? Lots of students, larger classes, less professional professors, far more 'diverse' professors. As in barely speaking English lol. 

That was my take on them after a year at one and several visits when selecting a permanent school!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I should add there are benefits of state schools as well. Relatively healthy budgets, low price, diverse friendships, sprawling campuses and large communities usually around them.


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## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

What light fixture do you have on ur tank again?
I might get it.

Btw we should meet up soon again since you're like 2 min away lol.
I got some extra floaters if you want some, 3 different kinds: Amazon frogbit, slavinia or RRF. 

I had to take out the adult least killies cause they were eating the baby shrimp lol.....But I have like 30 now lol........


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

MABJ said:


> While I did attend a state college in my senior year of high school, I am at a private institute now called St. Bonaventure.
> 
> I like Rutgers just fine, and I've got friends at that school.
> 
> ...


thanks... it's a hard choice free vs. 40K a year. Rowan is smaller then Rutgers but.. still... thanks for your honesty.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Bananariot said:


> What light fixture do you have on ur tank again?
> I might get it.
> 
> Btw we should meet up soon again since you're like 2 min away lol.
> ...


Lol I definitely agree we should. I'm about to put in a shrimp order, so if you want anything you can always hop in on my shipping. 

I just was gifted some red root floaters, but I've never tried frog bit. 

On the Killies, I love the males, but the females are out of my taste. I was going to see if you wanted the other 2 adult females I have. Dunno what I'm going to do with my 30 babies LOL.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

laqu said:


> thanks... it's a hard choice free vs. 40K a year. Rowan is smaller then Rutgers but.. still... thanks for your honesty.


It is hard. I made my choice because of my J/MC major. 

If I was an education major, I'd have picked SUNY Fredonia. All kinda depends on what you want to do


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

MABJ said:


> Lol I definitely agree we should. I'm about to put in a shrimp order, so if you want anything you can always hop in on my shipping.
> 
> I just was gifted some red root floaters, but I've never tried frog bit.
> 
> On the Killies, I love the males, but the females are out of my taste. I was going to see if you wanted the other 2 adult females I have. Dunno what I'm going to do with my 30 babies LOL.


I'll take some


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I would be more than happy to do that. I don't know about shipping tho. We can definitely talk more.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Hey let's do a small update shall we? My shrimp have always gone crazy for every food. But shrimp, fish crayfish, snail and the like go crazy for Om Nom Nom. 

I noticed a squabble for the food and immediately started snapping pictures. I had to grab a little outside lighting as the lighting in the tank with floaters is not the brightest. 

Here the cray has found and stolen the food, run into a cave where she can't be hounded from all angles for it. 








Allow me to shine a little light on the matter lol. 








The package has been dropped, I repeat the package has been dropped! Secure the package!!








Swarm!!!








Where'd it go?!








The world may never know.


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## jarury (Aug 6, 2012)

^ made me :hihi:


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

jarury said:


> ^ made me :hihi:


Lol I'm glad


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Well I have something confusing. It does seem to me like the shrimp population is decreasing here. And I can no longer find my 4 happy tigers anymore. 

The tigers are getting almost yellow then passing away, I think. Which worries me. All the neos are fine. I know some died due to old age. But there are berried shrimp and their shells are phenomenal. I just thinned out floaters today. I've been crazy busy lately unfortunately. 

Also -- the crayfish is officially gone. I've moved it to my segregated tank  

Here's a shot of how many floaters you can remove and still have nearly 70% of your surface still covered.


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

Is that salvinia minima? Mine doesn't seem to grow that densely. Also, that's a lot of floaters! 

Sorry to hear about your shrimp - wish I had advice.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

l8nite said:


> Is that salvinia minima? Mine doesn't seem to grow that densely. Also, that's a lot of floaters!
> 
> Sorry to hear about your shrimp - wish I had advice.


Yeah it is Salvinia minima actually. Nice eye. It grows really densely in my tanks. When I thin it I get a ton out. If you ever want some just hit me up.

-Edit. It just occurred to me you have some already. Lol. Sorry. 

And it's ok. I will be watching the neos very carefully. And I'll be watching the babies to see what happens to them. 

I've seen no cloudy neos, and trust me I know what a cloudy neo looks like. These orange ones may be cloudy. I don't know if there's such thing as a tiger-only infection :/ nor do I know how I'd get one in my tank


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## M4ndy (Dec 26, 2012)

I must of missed it but what fishes are in there?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

M4ndy said:


> I must of missed it but what fishes are in there?


That's in here somewhere. They are called H. Formosa or the common name of Least Killifish. 

Welcome to the forum, by the way.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

A few pictures. I will probably try to keep my floaters at this level from here on in. It just looks better to me. 

I tested parameters today. They're all really good.


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

I'm thinking about getting this tank for a single CPO. No shrimp and probably no snails. Not sure if it would have any fish added. How is your CPO with the Least Killifish? I know that CPOs can kill shrimp, snails, and fish so I'm hesitant on adding any tank mates. Also the light you have, do you think it will grow low light stem plants?

I'm sorry about your TT shrimp. From what I read, Tigers seem to be picky.


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## lotuslullaby (Feb 8, 2013)

The moss and floating plants are stunning in your tank. =) You mentioned the red root floaters, are they growing well for you? I have been thinking of trying some in my 25g and 29g tank. =)


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

lotuslullaby said:


> The moss and floating plants are stunning in your tank. =) You mentioned the red root floaters, are they growing well for you? I have been thinking of trying some in my 25g and 29g tank. =)


The red root floaters are actually in other tanks, but they're doing super well. They just flowered for me. I like them a lot. 

Thanks for your compliment 


MABJ's iDevice used for this message


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

GreenBliss said:


> I'm thinking about getting this tank for a single CPO. No shrimp and probably no snails. Not sure if it would have any fish added. How is your CPO with the Least Killifish? I know that CPOs can kill shrimp, snails, and fish so I'm hesitant on adding any tank mates. Also the light you have, do you think it will grow low light stem plants?
> 
> I'm sorry about your TT shrimp. From what I read, Tigers seem to be picky.


Thanks for your comment. I'd never get this particular tank for 1 CPO. But that's just me. My fish didn't pick on my CPO at all.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Flowers


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

That's it. These fish are officially going. I don't feed the tank enough for them to do well, and I saw one attack a shrimp just now. The shrimp is ok. But I imagine they may be the cause of some of my shrimp deaths.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

what type of fish? poor shrimp... 

i have a fish tank and the guppy is chasing and killing everything in it..some fish are just mean - like people i guess.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

laqu said:


> what type of fish? poor shrimp...
> 
> i have a fish tank and the guppy is chasing and killing everything in it..some fish are just mean - like people i guess.


The only fish that ever were in here lol. Least killifish. Yea. I'll be removing them in 7 days.


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

I guess I wont be getting those fish for my shrimp tanks. Once gone, the shrimp should be happier. I was going to add the fish to the CPO tank, but not sure now.

Are you going to try the TT shrimp again?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

GreenBliss said:


> I guess I wont be getting those fish for my shrimp tanks. Once gone, the shrimp should be happier. I was going to add the fish to the CPO tank, but not sure now.
> 
> Are you going to try the TT shrimp again?


I'd still advocate for the fish. They're neat buggers, especially if you feed them well. I'm a notorious careful feeder.


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## Bananariot (Feb 28, 2012)

Me n Mab tried the Least Killiefish experiment..........
Both of us decided it doesn't work. Once I removed all the adult killies, the baby shrimp started coming out and roaming again.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Oh and I will research more if I ever try TTs again. I did like them though.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Bananariot said:


> Me n Mab tried the Least Killiefish experiment..........
> Both of us decided it doesn't work. Once I removed all the adult killies, the baby shrimp started coming out and roaming again.


Yup.  it's unfortunate. If you're not all about shrimp, like we are, they probably are a good choice.


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## laqu (Oct 17, 2012)

i've been lucky with CPD, and SMALL rasbora with shrimp and even endlers (but no babies in that tank yet as my white shrimp refuse to mate)

as for guppies? i can't even keep a grourmi with it... i have a guppy for anyone who wants one. he's pretty sunset colored - and will rid a tank of all unwanted pests (okay of all things living)


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

What white shrimp?


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Hi, sorry to read about the fish problems. I have the tiny Brigittae Clilis, and so far the problem I had with them are they are so tiny they have a hard time even eating Micro Bites, so I crunched them and started feeding periodically the First Bites, and they seem like they aren't starving now. 

My other tank has WCMM with the regular cherries, do not appear to have any problems with them.

I won a bid for a dozen OEBT, so I was glad to take your situation to heart, and will not take any undue chances. The oebt are coming this week. roud:

The sand stones in there and the mosses are just beyond awesome, btw!!!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

AutumnSky said:


> Hi, sorry to read about the fish problems. I have the tiny Brigittae Clilis, and so far the problem I had with them are they are so tiny they have a hard time even eating Micro Bites, so I crunched them and started feeding periodically the First Bites, and they seem like they aren't starving now.
> 
> My other tank has WCMM with the regular cherries, do not appear to have any problems with them.
> 
> ...


Yay glad to hear from you. 

I want pics of your Boraras 

And pics of your obeys! Start a tank thread!!!


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

In the middle of moving and my phone camera is a dud. 

But I will post a pic or two and also start a thread as soon as I get them set up and calm. 

I have had the little Chilis for maybe about 8 months and have lost a couple from getting dumped onto the carpet and a chair when under estimating how much lfs water was in the bag. And maybe from starving. Just realized the food thing maybe 6 weeks ago, and even since then they look sooooo much better! Just got two more from a different lfs to see if theirs are any more hardy. They are delicate when being handled.

My little guys are not as dark as some of the pics of them. Lfs also had a darker type which looked almost the same but super dark red, can't think of the name atm. Which is the color I would have thought mine would be. Twice the price too! 

The WCMM are common but quite striking. They aren't the feeder ones. Stay at the top of the tank most of the time.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Perhaps you don't have true Chillis? There are many types of Boraras. 

In any case, sounds like a learning experience. Glad you realized they weren't feeding properly. That's always an issue with small fish. I know it is why mine are attacking shrimp. 

So when will you get your OBETs, what are your parameters and what will you house them in/with?


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Well got the same looking fish from two different lfs and they look the same, I understand there is usually a dominant male which would be the blood red looking one and the others are more orange/orange red. 

Also the dark red ones are chosen first from the tanks according to the lfs guy, so they end up with lighter ones...??? That is the idea I guess.

I am glad to know about their teeny tiny food needs too. One day after watching them feed it seemed like they hadn't actually eaten the few number of little micro bites I put in there. They mouthed them and bit at them but didn't actually seem to EAT them. I think I was on a make sure I am not over feeding period. 

Then I ground them together with my fingers and sprinkled it in and they gobbled like they were starving and then it started to click. My poor little guys were super hungry. And they didn't eat off of the substrate. I feed my shrimp on a regular basis but I never saw the "Chilis" eat on the ground. Those poor little guys, I felt awful. So yeah learning curve.

It is always possible they aren't what they are supposed to be, in regard to the Chilis. They are SUPER tiny.

The oebt are being sent the beginning of the week, they ship Monday or Tuesday. I will need to check for the email, if they sent the info. We were waiting for the package confirmation.

7.2 pH
75/76F
0 I have ammonia out of the tap sometimes. 
0
>10


I am moving the Bronze and Blue cherries from the Edge, and clean the tank pretty thoroughly and leave the little Chilis in there. There will probably be a few cherries left in there since they are hard to get out of the tank due to the weird shape unless I dump out everything in the new tank and rescape the Edge! 

Will have some high quality, not quite Fire Trucks, but Ruby red and they will be coming in about three weeks! I have seen the parents, and have a couple of them, but the guys stock was low so I got some more bronze and blues from him and just about 5 Ruby reds, only a couple were females.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

No real updates on the tank. I'm favoring by far my CRS tank, but I do love this tank. I'm working on finding how I'll get rid of my Least Killifish.


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

What did you do with your Least Killi?

I shared a snipet of your situation with someone who was going to get the same fish since they were "nano" fish and good to keep with shrimp...


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

AutumnSky said:


> What did you do with your Least Killi?
> 
> I shared a snipet of your situation with someone who was going to get the same fish since they were "nano" fish and good to keep with shrimp...


They would be much better in a bigger nano setup. Like 5-10 gallons. But things are working OK for me. 

I intend on getting rid of them. They're too big for 2 gallons lol. 


I do have good news and an update though. I see microscopic shrimp. They're super pretty. 

Something HAS to be going right if there are babies.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

UPDATES:

Hey guys, Like you all knew, I've been focused on other tanks recently.

1. Thank you again Speedy! I'll be getting some great PFR's for this tank. I'm also going to try to put a single CRS in here. See how it fares. 

2. I'm going to treat the tank with Para Guard to kill a *Possible* bacterial infection. I don't think there's any chance of one, but I do know I didn't use a feeding dish, and it is possible with how much I move. So I'm going to treat just in case. Then when it is time for the new shrimpies to get here, I'm SURE everything will be good.

3. I've got about 10-12 babies running around. Some are actually getting pretty big and swimming around  one is doing tricks in front of me right now lol. They're cute.

4. I'm getting rid of all least killifish. I already noted that, but I'll note it again. I do not want them anymore. I'm RAOKing them to a friend who will stick them in a bigger tank.

5. I'm moving all the current shrimp to other tanks. I know it is kind of awful, but I am not one to mix blood lines too much. The PFRs will remain PFRs as long as I can help it. 

6. I'm going to work on figuring out when my mosses will get rid of these spores. They have to be happy.. Does anybody have any idea when they'll go away or if anything will become of them??? Lol


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## A.D.D.i.c.t. (Dec 9, 2012)

I'm going to be ordering one of these soon based largely on Jake's thread and yours. Thanks for all the detailed info you've provided. Mine will be shrimp only. It was amazing the increase I saw in my cherry tank after removing all fish. Tiny babies swimming in the open water, with nothing to fear. Very cool. Wish you the best with your PFR's!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks ADDict!

Glad you've been influenced by the thread, and I'm happy that my details have helped. 

I am SUPER happy you've decided to go fishless. That's something I'll stress to everybody with smaller tanks. It isn't a mistake to take in fish, but if you're an invert lover, you'll regret it.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Update as of this weekend:

All shrimp minus one illusive baby have been removed. There were actually a bunch of babies that survived Killi-hell. 

Killifish = gone.

Paraguard treatments are in the process. I cleaned the tank a little. 

When cleaning I noticed my [I do not know the grassy plant species, maybe Erios?] shot off a daughter plant and it was hiding behind my IAL. Very neat to find. 

I caught all the Killies and their babies, too.

Very happy to have a clean slate for my new shrimp species.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

WOW I've been spending LOTS of time on this tank. I re-bound some of the moss to the driftwood. It got dense after only being a few strings. I'm hoping to grow it out and even denser. 

I officially removed all the DWL. I couldn't stand the needles. Maybe someday in a larger tank. 

You may actually notice I also increased the substrate line by at least a half inch. 

I'll be changing how the ugly leaf is arranged to look nicer. 









































Thanks for looking! Any comments/suggestions? Any good places to place some cholla wood?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I LOVE tannins in the water. Just love them. 

Thankfully they're everywhere since I added two leaves and several cholla logs. 

I'm not really concerned at how 'amazing' it looks anymore. I think it looks great for my purposes at least, but I'd love comments on what people would change or if people like it. 

Especially a comment on with or without the water lettuce would be really nice!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

New inhabitants are here. They seem to be happy, too. I did a 45 minute acclimation. 

They're 'flying' around now. But I'll say, there's 15 shrimp and a baby in here. 

They are darned hard to find. I had to sit for a few minutes to see any life. 

The tannins are pretty dark, plus they are dark as well. I'm officially in love with not having dwarf water lettuce around.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Here are some shots.. I was watching a shrimp for some time, sure it would molt. Not sure if it did . 

As always, here's a FTS:
I literally just let the last cholla float and it sank there. I don't mind it, but I'm ALWAYS seeking advice on my scape. 








He's got his swimmerets down, and he kept them down for a long time. Definitely stretching, he was. 








Never crap where you eat.. Oh wait. This mama doesn't care. Lol. 








This older mama looks almost black in spots.. Help on this one? Lol. 








My horned nerite+a Juvie







--could someone tell me if these younger ones will shore up the 'cracks' in their red?

What's everybody think? I've got some solid red males. I'm waiting until I have a solid 30+ then I'll start culling to make a pure red male line.


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

I think your tank looks great and so does the shrimp! I got rid of my DWL in the 3g too because the roots got very long/big and made the tank look terrible. Got sick of trimming them. Now I just have Salvinia minima.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

GreenBliss said:


> I think your tank looks great and so does the shrimp! I got rid of my DWL in the 3g too because the roots got very long/big and made the tank look terrible. Got sick of trimming them. Now I just have Salvinia minima.


Just like me then! Haha. Thanks for the compliment. I take pride in the way this tank looks, but it has looked better since I kinda just let things fall where they may. What is the link to your three gal?


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## A.D.D.i.c.t. (Dec 9, 2012)

I like where it's headed MABJ. Happy you got rid of the DWL, they overpowered the overall look. The cholla looks good in the back corners, that's what I was going to suggest as I read through your thread. The one in the front, it might look ok now while it's new, but I'd move it, it looks too unnatural. Otherwise, awesome update! And I noticed the thicker substrate, as before I thought it looked a bit small for my taste. Your PFR's look GREAT! Super red already. Keep it coming my friend.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks very much.

I'll work on a place to move it. I was GOING to lay it down flat in the very back, but my grass plant (no clue what it is LOL) sent off a shooter and it is very cute back there. 

Kudos to Speedy, man! I really like them too ATM. There's one male I would cull now, but I don't want to start the culling chop before I have a base of shrimp to work with. 

Keep me posted on when you start yours!!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I'm very frustrated at why my shrimp want in these darn HOBs...... I found one that must have been dead for over a day. 

I caught others trying to get into the HoB to get rid of the ammonia source. 

Grr. I added some increased protection, I think. We'll see how it works. 

After I removed the carcass, they all started zipping around again thankfully.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

It happened a week ago or so, and it was a different tank, but since this was her true happy home, I figured I'd post it here. 

After two years and several months of life, the last of my first shrimp I ever bought passed away. 

It was a peaceful death. 









She got a good burial.


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Sorry to hear of the passing of the original Shrimp!

Did you have red dwl? I thought I read that way back...?

I am working on my OEBT tank now but need better stock, than the ones I got recently, still little babies and young-uns still. Ended up getting sent all light and blonde and a couple eggs, I think!

The moss on your driftwood arch piece looks great. Still love the rocks too.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

AutumnSky said:


> Sorry to hear of the passing of the original Shrimp!
> 
> Did you have red dwl? I thought I read that way back...?
> 
> ...


Hey that's ok  

I have red root floaters, but no red dwarf water lettuce. 

I tied the DW moss super tight and some of it is browning, but I hope it'll grow in much tighter because of it. We'll see!

Thanks


----------



## A.D.D.i.c.t. (Dec 9, 2012)

Sad to hear of your OG shrimp passing MABJ. She lived a happy life foraging the beautiful environment you created. RIP.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

A.D.D.i.c.t. said:


> Sad to hear of your OG shrimp passing MABJ. She lived a happy life foraging the beautiful environment you created. RIP.


Hehe thanks. They got me into shrimping, so I'll always remember them. 

Hopefully when this confusing tank gets a big switch up it'll still be beautiful!


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Thank you for the clarification on the dwl.

Also maybe trim the moss a little short to keep some good light.

Lately I have been toying with the light coming up from the bottom of the tank for better light at the substrate.

Using clearish bucket to store excess plants for almost 4 months giving them light from the top and also moving the aquarium light to the floor and shoot the light straight through the bottom. Have duckweed and Salvinia Minima on tops.

Maybe you could decoratively clamp and point a light from the lower area below the shelf it sits on directly UP into the moss or dim area to give it a little love?

Asked for some input from a few people on the submerge-able led lights maybe for below in the aquarium for hard to get to dark "covered" areas. No one seems to have done it. I have lots of Salvinia Minima and it blocks a lot of light! The moss doesn't need much light so even getting a little extra from a nearby light should help.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I do not believe it is for lack of light that it is browning. Some mosses hate being tied close together. Fissidens, christmas moss will brown for sure when crammed together. 

It'll grow and adjust to the environment I've given it.

In this tank, I NEED floaters to block light, as algae readily forms in the shallow water.


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

Good point...my lighting is still upgraded bulbs, but stock. lol



MABJ said:


> I do not believe it is for lack of light that it is browning. Some mosses hate being tied close together. Fissidens, christmas moss will brown for sure when crammed together.
> 
> It'll grow and adjust to the environment I've given it.
> 
> In this tank, I NEED floaters to block light, as algae readily forms in the shallow water.


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## whiteblaze11 (Feb 7, 2011)

I am going to order a Deep Blue 18inch this weekend and have a 18inch finnex ray 2 and was wondering if anybody new how to make the light dimmer besides mounting it higher? Maybe put a screen over the light?


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

whiteblaze11 said:


> I am going to order a Deep Blue 18inch this weekend and have a 18inch finnex ray 2 and was wondering if anybody new how to make the light dimmer besides mounting it higher? Maybe put a screen over the light?


This probably isn't the best thread for your question. Nonetheless, I think you have the right idea. You can buy some cheapo aluminum screen / mesh wire from the hardware store.

Alternatively, the transparent splash guard for the Finnex LED lights is just a thin piece of plastic. You could probably also buy tinted plastic with the same thickness/dimensions from Tap Plastics and replace the cover.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

If you're looking for a super cheap method, you could always use plastic wrap and just loop it around quite a few times until it is to your liking. 

But yes L8nite answered this aptly.


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## whiteblaze11 (Feb 7, 2011)

Sorry for probably posting in the wrong area im new to this thread thing and figured would try to ask somebody who is keeping the same setup. Thanks for the Info!:thumbsup:


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

whiteblaze11 said:


> Sorry for probably posting in the wrong area im new to this thread thing and figured would try to ask somebody who is keeping the same setup. Thanks for the Info!:thumbsup:


Hey not a problem! Welcome to the forum. 

Check out our DBP club I've got linked in my sig.


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## maxwellag (Mar 30, 2012)

Your tank looks great! I just quickly skimmed through the thread and it looks very nice. What light is it that you are using? Is it an Odyssea?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Thanks, max. Unfortunately the tank is a shell . 

I cleaned it all out to simplify it. 

It is a beamsworks 18" LED. the thread isn't closed, cause who knows when I'll start it back up!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

This is still a dead tank, but I will just say its plants are living on well in other tanks of mine lol. 

So are pieces of the scape. Can you find them in my Almost-Ada tank? ;D.


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## l8nite (Aug 29, 2012)

Glad to hear the soul is living on . My tanks are all doing relatively well with almost zero attention the past 6mo. Have some algae issues in most of them now, but nothing too serious.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

I'm super happy to hear yours are doing well too. When you get busy, you get busy. 

How's that spec doing?


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Is anybody ready for more confused journey? 

I bought a shrimp rack! With more space means... I has to has more tanks!!!










I know it's nothing like the old hardscape but hat do you all think of this? Almost like a juniper bonsai.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Got the old light back up and running! 

Tank is on my shrimp rack, hardscape meets my approval(looking for other comments on it still!)

And the light is suspended. You heard right! I had high light even WITH floaters galore. 

So I decided to suspend it to decrease the light the tank receives. I don't want algae at all.


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## AutumnSky (May 19, 2012)

*A shrimp rack...*

Now, all this time I had it wrong, by putting it in my pantry, lol. This looks confused, but smart! Can't wait to see your progress.

Tank looks good though I would try to raise the end of the DW, a little bit, if it were me, and or place the right rock towards the back, and the end of the branch to the front of the rock, as the rock seems "heavy" in front of the branch.

Good to see you in the shrimp action again. Also interested to which tanks you add to the shrimp rack!


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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

Little blobs of riccia tied to the branch to make it look more like a bonsai??


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

AutumnSky said:


> Now, all this time I had it wrong, by putting it in my pantry, lol. This looks confused, but smart! Can't wait to see your progress.
> 
> Tank looks good though I would try to raise the end of the DW, a little bit, if it were me, and or place the right rock towards the back, and the end of the branch to the front of the rock, as the rock seems "heavy" in front of the branch.
> 
> Good to see you in the shrimp action again. Also interested to which tanks you add to the shrimp rack!


Thanks! Great to see you still putting about here! I'm going to superglue the wood onto the rock actually. Then just bury it all. It'll look better that way. 

I'll have roughly 6 tanks on the rack I think. But I'm going to take my time in setting them up.  I have a new one being shipped to me today. 




someoldguy said:


> Little blobs of riccia tied to the branch to make it look more like a bonsai??


Hehe I haven't gotten to flora yet, but that's not a bad idea. I think I'm going to try to do this one as a grow out tank for mini Xmas moss and do mini fiss on the branch or spread a moss ball on the branch! Not sure yet.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Okay here's the updated scape. I realized that putting a filter in will kind of ruin it but it's something you have to deal with!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

Filled with water today. Filter tomorrow. I really want to use this mostly as a moss grow out tank. There will be a population of neo culls in here I think eventually. And snails to cycle and hold the cycle.


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

Looks good man.

I might of missed it but what led fixture is that??


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

h4n said:


> Looks good man.
> 
> I might of missed it but what led fixture is that??


Thanks bud! It's a beamsworks. They're really cheap on eBay. They're actually really excellent low light fixtures tho.


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

I actually just got one. I'm swapping out my t8 fixture in my shrimp rack for them.

So far I like them! Especially the price!


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

h4n said:


> I actually just got one. I'm swapping out my t8 fixture in my shrimp rack for them.
> 
> So far I like them! Especially the price!


Yeah man! They grow moss really well and they only cost like $25 lol.


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