# Out of this World Nano



## davrx

I acquired this one of a kind aquarium from Swap n Shop about 6 weeks ago and in light of my Sulawesi Nano Tank debacle from our nasty Spring storms I've decided to try making this into another Sulawesi Biotope with Cardinal Shrimp and Tylomelania snails. I think it looks kind of like some sort of alien spaceship or some mid-century kind of decoration.
I did some acrylic pipe bending for this unusually shaped tank and thought it wasn't half bad for my first try. I'm using an Eheim 2211, a Filter-Max I prefilter, a Turbo Twist 3X UV sterilizer (during the day only, off at night), and a 200W Hydor inline heater. 
The light is a vintage mid-century 60's? chrome ball with a 6500K 27W CFL with reflector. I thought it looked good with the spheres of the tank.
The tank holds about 5 gal of water but with my lacerock and Eco Complete African Cichlid Substrate I have about 4 gal including the water in the plumbing and filter. 
I wanted to make sure the two spheres didn't have stagnant water so I came up with some plumbing ideas that you can see from the attached photos. The Hydor provides much more consistent temperatures than the little 50W Catalina Titanium heater I had in my last Sulawesi Nano. I'm using a couple of magnetic holders for the clear vinyl tubing and clear polypropylene barbed fittings. These fittings are expensive and hard to find.


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## JamesHockey

That's a neat output idea!


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## davrx

JamesHockey said:


> That's a neat output idea!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


Thanks, I hope it works once I get some livestock in the tank.


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## 02redz28

Well thats different...


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## Palmed

I cant wait to see what you do with this!


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## AquaStudent

this is something I have never seen before. I'm really interested in how this progresses. What plants are you going to use in this biotope?


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## JamesHockey

One thing not to put in the is a betta


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## davrx

02redz28 said:


> Well thats different...


Yes it is


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## davrx

AquaStudent said:


> this is something I have never seen before. I'm really interested in how this progresses. What plants are you going to use in this biotope?


I'm going to try some Fissidens fontanus, Najas sp "Roraima" , a Marimo ball, and some Phyllanthus fluitans because I have extras of these in my 60 gal. community tank.


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## chonhzilla

Looks cool


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## Gatekeeper

Very neat looking. Not really sure what its practical for.


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## Bree

This is going to be interesting when its all set up, i can't wait to see it!!


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## manikmunky

Some substrate and a moss ball in each of the side-spheres would look interesting


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## Blice

Would definitely look good with substrate in each of the orbs... can't wait to see what you do with it.


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## davrx

chonhzilla said:


> Looks cool


Thanks, I think so too.


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## davrx

Gatekeeper said:


> Very neat looking. Not really sure what its practical for.


Thanks, no, it's not practical. Getting substate, lace rock, in the spheres is going to be like doing a ship in a bottle. :red_mouth


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## davrx

manikmunky said:


> Some substrate and a moss ball in each of the side-spheres would look interesting





Blice said:


> Would definitely look good with substrate in each of the orbs... can't wait to see what you do with it.


I'm going to put substrate and a small piece of lace rock in each if I can get any small enough to fit through the connecting arms. I'm not going to put any plants in either one as I think it would be too hard to take care of them properly. I'll just let some algae grow on the lace rock.


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## Betta Maniac

Yowza! Can't wait to see where this goes . . . I'm already filled with envy.


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## cableguy69846

Ok, I am following along for this one. that is a crazy looking tank.


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## davrx

*Filled with water, rocks, plants*

I've got it up and running with RO water, lace rock, substrate, and plants. It was like a ship in a bottle. I had to use a flexible grabber (like the kind used for car parts) to get the rocks in the spheres and a long handled plastic spoon to get the substrate in them. I had to improvise with a bulb baster with some tubing on the end to get most of the air out of the spheres.
I like how the shape of the tank magnifies everything in it. I've hidden the sponge prefilter behind the rocks and most of the other equipment. 
The water is cloudy and there's lots of bubbles but that should be gone by tomorrow.


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## Newman

good stuff. the tank is(was) a chemistry apparatus?

also real nice rock with yellow growth, what is it?
do you think that keeping the side compartments clear of algae will be a challenge?


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## davrx

Newman said:


> good stuff. the tank is(was) a chemistry apparatus?
> 
> also real nice rock with yellow growth, what is it?
> do you think that keeping the side compartments clear of algae will be a challenge?


According to the guy I bought it from it was made by a chemistry glass blower to be used as an aquarium. I don't think it was ever intended as a chemistry apparatus. If so, I've never seen anything like it and I had several years of chemistry in college. 
I tried out a small magnetic algae cleaner and it's a challenge to get it in and out of the spheres but I think it'll work.
The yellow growth was already on the lace rock when I bought it. I think it's some sort of lichen. I thought about trying to scrub it off before putting it in the tank but I like the way it makes the rocks look aged.


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## cableguy69846

:drool:Amazing........ I can't wait to see it with some shrimp in there.


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## MlDukes

Killer fixture man! I like it.


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## davrx

cableguy69846 said:


> :drool:Amazing........ I can't wait to see it with some shrimp in there.





MlDukes said:


> Killer fixture man! I like it.


Thank you thank you.


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## MlDukes

davrx said:


> Thank you thank you.


 
Very creative design for sure and the scape turned out really good i think. 

The only issue i see might be the minimal surface agitation. Surface scum could be a concern. ???


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## nate_mcnasty

davrx said:


> According to the guy I bought it from it was made by a chemistry glass blower to be used as an aquarium. I don't think it was ever intended as a chemistry apparatus. If so, I've never seen anything like it and I had several years of chemistry in college.
> I tried out a small magnetic algae cleaner and it's a challenge to get it in and out of the spheres but I think it'll work.
> The yellow growth was already on the lace rock when I bought it. I think it's some sort of lichen. I thought about trying to scrub it off before putting it in the tank but I like the way it makes the rocks look aged.


the yellow growths is a lichen and i would expect it to decay. It looks pretty cool in the tank though roud:


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## shrimpnmoss

That's a pretty cool tankroud: Looks a bit like a salt tank with the rocks and lichen.


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## SunnyD

Wow this tank must be a great conversation starter when people come over. Great job, it looks terrific.


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## davrx

MlDukes said:


> Very creative design for sure and the scape turned out really good i think.
> 
> The only issue i see might be the minimal surface agitation. Surface scum could be a concern. ???


Yea, I'm concerned about that too. I'm thinking of making some changes to address this.


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## davrx

nate_mcnasty said:


> the yellow growths is a lichen and i would expect it to decay. It looks pretty cool in the tank though roud:


Yea, probably will decay, food for the snails or algae but it looks good for now.


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## davrx

shrimpnmoss said:


> That's a pretty cool tankroud: Looks a bit like a salt tank with the rocks and lichen.


Thanks, I was thinking the same thing. I wasn't really going for that look, I just wanted to hide as much of the equipment as possible.


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## davrx

SunnyD said:


> Wow this tank must be a great conversation starter when people come over. Great job, it looks terrific.


Thanks, not too many people have seen it yet since I haven't had it that long but it's in my den which is full of all kinds of unusual things, you can see some of it in my avatar photo, so I'm used to people asking a lot of questions.


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## Chrisinator

I think a shrimp tank would be good especially seeing little shrimps going into the see orbs!


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## Betta Maniac

This is just insanely cool. I bet you could use some tubing to suck the last of the air out of the globes.


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## 19ginger90

Wow! This whole project is so unique! Good luck with everything!


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## manikmunky

Looked interesting when empty, now it looks awesome. Really like how the scape looks a bit alien/moon'ish with the grey pitted rocks, really fits the shape of the aquarium


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## aelysa

It's like a hamster set up for shrimp  Awesome!


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## Moody636

Best. Tank. Ever.

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## davrx

Chrisinator said:


> I think a shrimp tank would be good especially seeing little shrimps going into the see orbs!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


Yea, and they'll be magnified. Can't wait for it to get cycled.


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## davrx

Betta Maniac said:


> This is just insanely cool. I bet you could use some tubing to suck the last of the air out of the globes.


Thanks, I used a baster with tube attached to the end and got the remaining bubbles sucked out.


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## davrx

19ginger90 said:


> Wow! This whole project is so unique! Good luck with everything!


Thanks!


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## davrx

manikmunky said:


> Looked interesting when empty, now it looks awesome. Really like how the scape looks a bit alien/moon'ish with the grey pitted rocks, really fits the shape of the aquarium


Thank you, it turned out better than I thought. I actually had some trouble finding lacerock, seemed all the LFS's didn't have any. After 4 or 5 different stores I finally found some. I had to use a hammer and chisel to break off the small pieces for the spheres.


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## davrx

aelysa said:


> It's like a hamster set up for shrimp  Awesome!


Thanks, that's funny! :hihi:


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## davrx

Moody636 said:


> Best. Tank. Ever.
> 
> Sent from my AK-47 using Tapatalk


Thanks alot! :biggrin:


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## mindy

what a great tank! i can't wait to see how it progresses


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## Da Plant Man

I can't wait to see this tank progress. Since its open top (just an idea) would emersed plants be kinda cool? Either way, I LOVE IT. How big is it? I am jealous. Now just be sure to update.


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## Outlawboss

Dude is nano is great! I love the look. Looking forward to seeing this one take off.


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## al28894

Consider this thread subscribed!!


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## davrx

mindy said:


> what a great tank! i can't wait to see how it progresses


Thanks, me too.


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## davrx

Da Plant Man said:


> I can't wait to see this tank progress. Since its open top (just an idea) would emersed plants be kinda cool? Either way, I LOVE IT. How big is it? I am jealous. Now just be sure to update.


Thanks, it's 26" long X 11" wide (center globe) X 14.5" tall (with base) and holds approximately 5 gal.


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## davrx

Outlawboss said:


> Dude is nano is great! I love the look. Looking forward to seeing this one take off.


Thanks!


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## davrx

al28894 said:


> Consider this thread subscribed!!


Thank you!


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## Duckweed hunter

I almost got that(but was told if I did I'd get a slap...lol) can't wait to see it finished !!!

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## Coltonorr

I guess my only question is how do you clean the orbs?


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## davrx

Duckweed hunter said:


> I almost got that(but was told if I did I'd get a slap...lol) can't wait to see it finished !!!
> 
> Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


Thanks, I think I'm glad I got it, only time will tell. My wife was most displeased when she saw it. She doesn't get the coolness factor.


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## davrx

Coltonorr said:


> I guess my only question is how do you clean the orbs?


I tried one of the small sized floating magnetic cleaners and I can get it in and out of the orbs with some effort. I think it'll clean any algae off, hoping anyway.


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## davrx

*Snails In*

The Tylomelanias are in and hanging upside down in the globes.

HAPPY EASTER!


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## flowmsp

Hey those chocolate tylos look familiar! Lol nice looking setup.


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## davrx

flowmsp said:


> Hey those chocolate tylos look familiar! Lol nice looking setup.


They should, they came from you. Thanks


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## newportjon

That snail in the last picture looks like a yellow splatter on the glass, lol. Pretty cool picture.


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## davrx

*Latest Photos*

Water has cleared, bubbles removed, snails moving about.


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## davrx

*Filter Upgrade*

I decided the Eheim 2211 wasn't moving enough water so I upgraded to an Eheim Ecco Pro 2236. I also diverted some of the output to the surface with a flared nozzle to provide some surface agitation.


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## waterfaller1

Awesome!:icon_cool:icon_cool


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## davrx

*Update*

I bought some Cardinal Shrimp from Aquabid last week and the Kordon bag they were in somehow developed a hole and of course all the water leaked out, soaked the box, and well, you know the rest. So the seller sent me another batch of 8 + 2 which I had to cough up another $35 to have them shipped express. I picked them up yesterday morning at the nearest post office with one day delivery from the W. coast and 7 of them survived the trip. 
I checked my parameters yesterday morning before I picked up the shrimp:
NH4 0
NO2 0
NO3 0
pH 8
KH 11
GH 11
Temp. 82

I added the Cardinals and everything seemed to be fine, they were actively looking for food, etc. Well this morning I come in to look at them and they're all dead! I don't understand it. When I went to bed last night they were all fine. In the span of 8 hours they all died. Maybe the high KH and GH, the stress from the journey? The last time I bought Cardinals this didn't happen. All my Tylos have been doing fine in this tank, one even gave birth. 
Due to the expense of these shrimp I'm giving up on the idea. I'm thinking of tearing down the tank and maybe trying some more forgiving soft water shrimp. Wow, what a bummer.


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## flowmsp

What a drag :/. Sorry to hear about your shrimp. I don't have any answers since I haven't kept them before. 


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## aelysa

Aww man, really? It sucks when expensive shrimp die. If you ever decide to keep them again, 82 is a tad bit too hot. I find they do best at 78, that way if there are temp fluctuations a few degrees in either way it's ok.
But I don't think it was the temp that killed them. I keep little bags of puragen in my tanks to soak up some yuckies that might be in my water and don't show on a test strip.


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## AquaStudent

The temp seems a little high for shrimp. I only have limited experience with shrimp but I'm pretty sure they greatly prefer mid 70s. it's possible that the stress from the journey and the stress from adjusting to the new tank could have done it.

Have you thought about just regular old cherry shrimp?


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## davrx

AquaStudent said:


> The temp seems a little high for shrimp. I only have limited experience with shrimp but I'm pretty sure they greatly prefer mid 70s. it's possible that the stress from the journey and the stress from adjusting to the new tank could have done it.
> 
> Have you thought about just regular old cherry shrimp?


From what I've read the Sulawesis prefer higher temps in the low 80's. 
Well I'm thinking of cherry shrimp now but I'm not sure if they can take the hard water.


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## Newman

[email protected] cherry shrimp not being able to take ____ water
They can live in a wide range and in all commonly kept aquarium conditions, hard or soft. they will breed in either. They will be perfect for this tank.


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## palufreak

Well if you tear down the tank, you can give it to me!!  Lol just kidding!!
I love this tank... Too bad you have to break it down... Sorry about the shrimp too... I love the spheres on the side... AHHHH I WANT THE TANK...
Good luck... (Subscirbed)


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## ADA

Cardinals need higher temps than CRS etc.. I don't think temperature was an issue. Did you acclimate them slowly? I use some air line, and tie a knot in it, and do a slow drip acclimate with any new shrimp I get.. Sorry to hear they died.. it's the worst!  

That tank is really interesting.. don't get disheartened! It's totally worth sticking it out. 

Have you seen the "NanoMag"? I reckon it would work perfectly in there.. http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=I8vETfOzKoSisQO-x_3rAQ&ved=0CDMQ8wIwAg#

I'm subscribing to this thread.. you have a fan here!! I wanna see how it turns out!!


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## davrx

palufreak said:


> Well if you tear down the tank, you can give it to me!!  Lol just kidding!!
> I love this tank... Too bad you have to break it down... Sorry about the shrimp too... I love the spheres on the side... AHHHH I WANT THE TANK...
> Good luck... (Subscirbed)


What I meant by tearing it down was to remove the cichlid substrate and replace it with eco complete. I'm going to try to keep the lacerock but I'm concerned it will make the water too hard for crs or other non-sulawesi shrimp.


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## davrx

ADA said:


> Cardinals need higher temps than CRS etc.. I don't think temperature was an issue. Did you acclimate them slowly? I use some air line, and tie a knot in it, and do a slow drip acclimate with any new shrimp I get.. Sorry to hear they died.. it's the worst!
> 
> That tank is really interesting.. don't get disheartened! It's totally worth sticking it out.
> 
> Have you seen the "NanoMag"? I reckon it would work perfectly in there.. http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=I8vETfOzKoSisQO-x_3rAQ&ved=0CDMQ8wIwAg#
> 
> I'm subscribing to this thread.. you have a fan here!! I wanna see how it turns out!!


No, I didn't acclimate them, I've had Cardinals and White Orchids before and they seemed to do fine without the drip acclimation. Expensive lesson learned. I love Cardinals but they are just too delicate a shrimp for what I'm willing to put up with. 
Thanks for the link to the NanoMag, I'm going to get one and try it out. Has to be better than what I have now. 
I'm going to keep at it, if anything I have some nice Tylomelanias in there. :icon_mrgr


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## davrx

Have you seen the "NanoMag"? I reckon it would work perfectly in there.. http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=I8vETfOzKoSisQO-x_3rAQ&ved=0CDMQ8wIwAg#

I'm subscribing to this thread.. you have a fan here!! I wanna see how it turns out!![/QUOTE]





I got a NanoMag and it works great! Thanks so much for letting me know about it. I've got some Fluval Stratum for shrimps and going to re-do the tank this weekend.


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## davrx

*Shell dwellers or Shrimp?*

Before I tore down the tank and changed out the substrate I got to thinking if there were any other fauna that like hard water. I started looking into dwarf cichlids from Lake Tanganyika called shell dwellers or shellies. I thought it might me neat to see how they defended territories with the odd shape of the tank. Also, there seem to be lots of people keeping shrimp but very few keeping these little fish. Odd shape, odd inhabitants? 

What does the forum think? Shellies or Shrimp?


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## gillie

It is an interesting Idea, the only shellie that may work is multifasciatus but who knows with that size restriction


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## davrx

*Lamprologus Multifasciatus*

Yea, I was thinking of them since they are the smallest.


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## davrx

*Update*

Well, I've decided to go the shrimp route. I tore the tank down and started over with Fluval Shrimp Stratum, R/O water, and some Bio-Chem Zorb in the Eheim this time. I just have Hornwort in there now but am looking for a nice piece of driftwood that I can put some Fissidens on and some rocks for each of the spheres. I need to find a couple of rocks like Shou so that I can maintain a softwater tank. So far the Tylos seem to have made the transition from hard to soft water and lower temperatures just fine. You can see a couple of them just hanging out in one of the globes. I have some Fire Red Cherry shrimp coming next week. I'd like to add some yellow, green, blue, and crystals too. Here's a couple of photos I just took:


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## AquaStudent

Please correct me if I am wrong but I don't think RCS and Yellow Shrimp are compatible. They are both color variations of the same species and will interbreed causing them to return to their wild type coloration.

My understainding is that Neocaridina heteropoda will interbreed with RCS, Yellow, Blue Tiger, and Snowball shrimps.

Here is the chart that I reference for shrimp compatibility
http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/articles/dwarf-shrimp-compatibility-chart.php


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## jasonpatterson

davrx said:


> Well I'm thinking of cherry shrimp now but I'm not sure if they can take the hard water.


I don't know about the fire reds specifically (whether they are more delicate than plain red cherry shrimp) but regular red cherry shrimp can be kept in rock hard water. I've got them in a tank with GH and KH off the charts (yippee for my well water) and they are reproducing happily.


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## gillie

AquaStudent said:


> Please correct me if I am wrong but I don't think RCS and Yellow Shrimp are compatible. They are both color variations of the same species and will interbreed causing them to return to their wild type coloration.
> 
> My understainding is that Neocaridina heteropoda will interbreed with RCS, Yellow, Blue Tiger, and Snowball shrimps.
> 
> Here is the chart that I reference for shrimp compatibility
> http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/articles/dwarf-shrimp-compatibility-chart.php


They shouldn't cross with Blue Tigers they are a Caridina species, but the Yellow and Snowballs yes they can cross.


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## AquaStudent

Whoops I misread the chart. I meant to say Blue Pearl Shrimp.


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## davrx

Aquastudent, thanks for the chart. 
Since I already have the Fire Reds coming I can only have them with one other type shrimp so I need to decide whether I want green, crystal, or tiger. OEBT's would be nice, I'm leaning towards them.


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## davrx

*Update*

I removed the Hornwort and put a piece of Mopani wood in. I tied some Fissidens fontanus onto the wood and planted some Echinodorus angustifolia 'Vesuvius'. I also added a Bamboo Shrimp and 15 Fire Red Cherry Shrimp. I tried to get some photos of the Fire Reds but they were darting around so fast I couldn't get a good photo. The Bamboo Shrimp was filter feeding in one of the globes which was nice because the globe magnified it.


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## mindy

that looks great!  that shrimp looks huge! it looks like he is so big that he won't be able to get back out of the globe without a tight squeeze.


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## airriick

:O this is amazing.


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## davrx

airriick said:


> :O this is amazing.


Thanks


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## davrx

*Fire Reds*

Took these photos this morning. Feeding time on the spaceship. The shrimp have to fight with the snails for their meal. Changed out the sponge prefilter for a stainless steel one from Shrimp Lab. Takes up less space than the sponge and easier to clean.


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## davrx

*OEBT's Onboard*

Hoping these guys do well. These three like to hang out in the left orb.


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## shrimpnmoss

Your OEBT is about to berry. The one with the red back.


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## davrx

shrimpnmoss said:


> Your OEBT is about to berry. The one with the red back.


Sweet! I just saw my first berried Fire Red today. I've noticed the OEBT's tend to hide more whereas the Fire Reds are all over the place.


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## davrx

*New Photos*

Took these photos yesterday. The reds and the blues battling over their Shrimpball Cuisine and the Bamboo Shrimp filtering its meal from one of the output lines. I also added a ceramic shrimp house with Fissidens roof and a Shrimp Lab mineral rock in the right orb.


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## AquaStudent

It's awesome how the RCS and Blue shrimp take sides and face off over the dinner table. It's like two mafia families meeting to discuss...plans.

The bamboo shrimp is also an awesome part of this tank. The side orbs are perfect for him. it makes him look magnified but it also gives him flow to filter through. Nice selection!


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## davrx

*Close up of Bamboo Shrimp feeding*

Just took these photos:


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## al28894

If only the LFS around here would stock some shrimp... 

Oh well, nice shrimp!


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## chumlee

That has to be one of the coolest tanks I've seen in a while...very nice work!


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## davrx

chumlee said:


> That has to be one of the coolest tanks I've seen in a while...very nice work!


Thank you


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## davrx

al28894 said:


> If only the LFS around here would stock some shrimp...
> 
> Oh well, nice shrimp!


Thanks, I've all but given up on my LFS's. I've had more fish from them die than ones I've bought online and I've gotten ich from fish I bought at the LFS as well.


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## dbLbogie

That light so enhances the entire setup!

Any new updates?


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## davrx

dbLbogie said:


> That light so enhances the entire setup!
> 
> Any new updates?


I had to move this aquarium to make room for another, Jewel "Modernistic", aquarium I recently acquired. It's a 4 gal. bronze plated tank from the 1920's-early 30's. The new base for the "out of this world" aquarium is a classic roman column type pedestal with beveled glass top. I just finished moving it and will take photos to post soon. Thanks for your interest.


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## dbLbogie

Littering and???


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## davrx

dbLbogie said:


> Littering and???


Littering?


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## dbLbogie

Sorry, stupid Super Troopers reference... nevermind

I am still hoping for some new pics of this awesome spaceship / shrimp home


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## driftwoodhunter

This is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Only one thing freaks me out - the photographer (you!) isn't reflected in any of the pics with the globe light. Being metallic, reflecting the room - and only the room - that freaked me out! I'm guessing you've photoshopped yourself out for privacy reasons, and you're _not_ a vampire...


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## davrx

driftwoodhunter said:


> This is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Only one thing freaks me out - the photographer (you!) isn't reflected in any of the pics with the globe light. Being metallic, reflecting the room - and only the room - that freaked me out! I'm guessing you've photoshopped yourself out for privacy reasons, and you're _not_ a vampire...


Actually I AM a vampire.


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## davrx

dbLbogie said:


> Littering and???


Smokin' the reefer?


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## driftwoodhunter

LOL - I'm an artist - I don't need no stinkin' reefer... ; )


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## madness

Fascinating and incredibly unique.

Brave man testing out the tank with expensive shrimp instead of letting the Red Cherries be the guinea pigs first.


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## davrx

madness said:


> Fascinating and incredibly unique.
> 
> Brave man testing out the tank with expensive shrimp instead of letting the Red Cherries be the guinea pigs first.


Well, my bravery only worked for so long. I went on vacation and when I returned I discovered that the caretaker of my tanks had accidentally dumped a pile of shrimp food into the orb which, coupled with our unusually hot weather, polluted the tank and killed the bamboo shrimp and all my OEBT's. Most of the plants in the tank were covered with algae to the point that I had to remove all the Rotala Vietnam/Thailand and I may have to remove more if I can't get the algae under control. I also had an explosion of pond snails which became food for my assassin snails.
On a brighter note, by fire reds survived and there are a slew of babies in the tank now. I think I'll replace the OEBT's with something else as they didn't show up well against the dark substrate.


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## driftwoodhunter

I can't believe how nmany horror stories I've read since I joined here, about bad pet sitters/aquarium caretakers...


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## wespastor

davrx said:


> Well, my bravery only worked for so long. I went on vacation and when I returned I discovered that the caretaker of my tanks had accidentally dumped a pile of shrimp food into the orb which, coupled with our unusually hot weather, polluted the tank and killed the bamboo shrimp and all my OEBT's. Most of the plants in the tank were covered with algae to the point that I had to remove all the Rotala Vietnam/Thailand and I may have to remove more if I can't get the algae under control. I also had an explosion of pond snails which became food for my assassin snails.
> On a brighter note, by fire reds survived and there are a slew of babies in the tank now. I think I'll replace the OEBT's with something else as they didn't show up well against the dark substrate.


 
Bummer :icon_cry:

I went on vacation I didn't feed anything. I feed them normaaly but very well over the week before I left and came back and fed them normally but well again. I then resumed the rear diet course.

Nothing bad happend at all. exept that maybe the fish actually all came to eat when I put food in the tank ... for a change.

Best wishes,
Wes


----------



## davrx

driftwoodhunter said:


> I can't believe how nmany horror stories I've read since I joined here, about bad pet sitters/aquarium caretakers...


I can't be angry with him though as he was doing me a favor. These things happen. You learn from your mistakes. Next time they'll just have to eat algae while I'm gone.


----------



## davrx

wespastor said:


> Bummer :icon_cry:
> 
> I went on vacation I didn't feed anything. I feed them normaaly but very well over the week before I left and came back and fed them normally but well again. I then resumed the rear diet course.
> 
> Nothing bad happend at all. exept that maybe the fish actually all came to eat when I put food in the tank ... for a change.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Wes


I plan to do this as long as I'm not gone too long. 
I should have placed the food in somthing like a medication organizer so that only the proper amount on the correct days were dispensed to the shrimp.


----------



## davrx

*Update*

Just took a couple of photos today of the tank and its new stand:


----------



## dbLbogie

That is looking real nice! I like the new stand as well


----------



## davrx

dbLbogie said:


> That is looking real nice! I like the new stand as well


Thanks


----------



## christian_cowgirlGSR

That is a neat tank! Very nice!


----------



## davrx

christian_cowgirlGSR said:


> That is a neat tank! Very nice!


Thank you


----------



## shrimpnmoss

The tank shape reminds me of Rapture in Bioshock.


----------



## davrx

shrimpnmoss said:


> The tank shape reminds me of Rapture in Bioshock.


I don't play video games. Do you have an image of Rapture?


----------



## shrimpnmoss

It is an underwater Art Deco city connected by tubes and orb decompression chambers with lots of windows looking out side the city.

Rapture


----------



## JimmyYahoo

Gatekeeper said:


> Very neat looking. Not really sure what its practical for.


Bathtub meth i think...

Otherwise, neat tank.


----------



## davrx

JimmyYahoo said:


> Bathtub meth i think...
> 
> Otherwise, neat tank.


Thanks, I like that it's a OOAK. You're right, not practical at all, strictly for aesthetics. It's a PIA to get things in or out to the orbs too. 

Lol, never thought of trying to make meth with it. The area I live in has some to the highest rates of meth lab busts in the country.


----------



## davrx

*Update*

Took these photos this morning of the shrimp having their breakfast, also a photo showing the entire setup. I use this pulley/cleat system for all my aquarium/terrariums.


----------



## cableguy69846

davrx said:


> I use this pulley/cleat system for all my aquarium/terrariums.


Wait, you have terrariums too? Can we see?


----------



## davrx

cableguy69846 said:


> Wait, you have terrariums too? Can we see?


It wouldn't be appropriate for an aquarium forum.:hihi:

I'll have to see if I have some photos I can post.


----------



## Taari

There's a Terrarium/paludarium/vivarium sub forum in the general planted tank discussion forum.


----------



## davrx

*Terrariums*

O.K. I know this isn't a terrarium forum but this is by request:
These are some of my terrariums over the years, some are large, some are only a couple of inches tall, some are antiques from the victorian era.


----------



## DogFish

Cool aquarium.If I had that I think I'd almost have to have a Tesla Coil behind it.


----------



## cableguy69846

davrx said:


> O.K. I know this isn't a terrarium forum but this is by request:
> These are some of my terrariums over the years, some are large, some are only a couple of inches tall, some are antiques from the victorian era.


Those are all amazing, but I think this one is my favorite. And thank you for indulging me.:thumbsup: Now, back to the fish.:fish:


----------



## sampster5000

Very nice terrariums!


----------



## davrx

DogFish said:


> Cool aquarium.If I had that I think I'd almost have to have a Tesla Coil behind it.


Lol, that would look cool. 
I did have a Wimshurst machine at one time. I got rid of it because I was afraid the kids might play with it and it could generate a couple hundred thousand volts, very low amps but still enough to stop your heart.


----------



## davrx

cableguy69846 said:


> Those are all amazing, but I think this one is my favorite. And thank you for indulging me.:thumbsup: Now, back to the fish.:fish:


Thanks it's my favorite too. The terrarium is walnut with a built in air wash system to prevent fogging of the glass. I have been told that it dates from either 1870 or 1910.


----------



## davrx

sampster5000 said:


> Very nice terrariums!


Thank you


----------



## cableguy69846

davrx said:


> Thanks it's my favorite too. The terrarium is walnut with a built in air wash system to prevent fogging of the glass. I have been told that it dates from either 1870 or 1910.


You ever think of doing dart frogs or something in some of the bigger ones?


----------



## davrx

cableguy69846 said:


> You ever think of doing dart frogs or something in some of the bigger ones?


Yea, but I don't like the idea of having to raise fruit flies.


----------



## cableguy69846

davrx said:


> Yea, but I don't like the idea of having to raise fruit flies.


Got ya. I could see how that would put some people off.


----------



## firefiend

davrx said:


> Yea, but I don't like the idea of having to raise fruit flies.



Ed's Fly meat ship's us our FF's... I culture them half the year and have them shipped the other half. PDF's are awesome.


----------



## davrx

firefiend said:


> Ed's Fly meat ship's us our FF's... I culture them half the year and have them shipped the other half. PDF's are awesome.


Thanks. I think I have my hands full with the aquariums and terrariums but I appreciate the information.


----------



## firefiend

davrx said:


> Thanks. I think I have my hands full with the aquariums and terrariums but I appreciate the information.


No problem, just letting you know that you don't necessarily have to culture your own flies... I find it tedious myself, tbh but... I feed them to my fish as well as my PDF's so it's quite worth it... sometimes, lol.


----------



## FIT BMX

Those are some beautiful Wardian cases! You should try building some your self.:biggrin:


----------



## davrx

FIT BMX said:


> Those are some beautiful Wardian cases! You should try building some your self.:biggrin:


Thanks but I have too many already. I don't have photos of all of them.


----------



## davrx

*Added some dark green shrimp*

It's Christmas in the orb.


----------



## Sushieraser

davrx said:


> Lol, that would look cool.
> I did have a Wimshurst machine at one time. I got rid of it because I was afraid the kids might play with it and it could generate a couple hundred thousand volts, very low amps but still enough to stop your heart.


Yeah about that..

I think perhaps one of them was playing with something and one of your image tags got screwed up



davrx said:


> Just took a couple of photos today of the tank and its new stand:


----------



## dmattbfan5

Yep... Not sure if thats you or your kid, but I HATE it when I do that. Haha. Nice terrariums BTW. Where do you find such a variety?


----------



## davrx

Sushieraser said:


> Yeah about that..
> 
> I think perhaps one of them was playing with something and one of your image tags got screwed up


Not my kid, not my photo, someone messed with my tiny pic tag as it was correct when I originally posted it or someone added it to the thread.
Photo has since been removed thanks.


----------



## Sushieraser

I was catching up on this thread then I was '..huh?'


----------



## davrx

dmattbfan5 said:


> Yep... Not sure if thats you or your kid, but I HATE it when I do that. Haha. Nice terrariums BTW. Where do you find such a variety?


Lots of internet searching. Thanks


----------



## davrx

*Update*

Added some Otocinclus as the shrimp couldn't seem to eat the algae fast enough plus these are the only fish that are totally shrimp safe. I see at least one of the Otos likes Shrimpball Cuisine. I thought they were strict vegetarians. Also acquired a few mini marimo balls that I could fit into the spheres.


----------



## H82LOS3

wow i love ur tank!!


----------



## diwu13

You have such cool tanks. When I first saw the pictures I was like "this is cooler than the guy with the egyptian tank" and what do you know? It is the same guy .


----------



## diwu13

davrx said:


> Added some Otocinclus as the shrimp couldn't seem to eat the algae fast enough plus these are the only fish that are totally shrimp safe. I see at least one of the Otos likes Shrimpball Cuisine. I thought they were strict vegetarians. Also acquired a few mini marimo balls that I could fit into the spheres.


Hahaha. I like how the oto is resting on the output line. What's that gunk in there? Is it being clogged?


----------



## davrx

H82LOS3 said:


> wow i love ur tank!!


Thanks:biggrin:


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> You have such cool tanks. When I first saw the pictures I was like "this is cooler than the guy with the egyptian tank" and what do you know? It is the same guy .


Ha, ha, thanks! :icon_bigg


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> Hahaha. I like how the oto is resting on the output line. What's that gunk in there? Is it being clogged?


It's diatoms I think, not clogging anything yet. I'll eventually have to clean it. I hope they're not lazy otos like the shrimp:icon_wink


----------



## diwu13

I'm interested in how you started your hobby in aquariums. I know you also keep terrariums so was that what led you over?


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> I'm interested in how you started your hobby in aquariums. I know you also keep terrariums so was that what led you over?


I don't know which came first, aquariums or terrariums. I remember my Mom letting me get a Venus Flytrap from the grocery store when I was about 10. This started me on my lifelong interest in plants. 
Also about that same time I saw an advertisement in one of my Mom's magazines that showed a complete 10 gal setup called "Living World". It was a metaframe tank with stainless hood and a either a plastic base or background that was a brownish red color that was meant to look like rocks. Not sure why this was part of the system but I used it. It was set up on a large counter in my brother's and my bathroom and I remember sitting on the toilet with the seat closed watching the fish. My Dad used to bring fish home from the pet store in the next city over where he worked. 
Before that we had an old metal, I think splatter paint tank with slate bottom and metal stand that I would keep baby turtles in that I caught. I grew up in the country so had lots of places to "collect specimens". I had musk, snapping, and even a soft-shell baby turtle in it at one time. We also had the old glass fish bowls and the little plastic turtle habitats that you could get with the baby green turtles.
I used to catch insects, spiders, crayfish, salamanders, mud puppies, snakes, etc. and try to keep them as pets. Unfortunately little kids aren't the best caretakers as I think most died in my care.
During the 70's terrariums were all the rage so that's when I got started on them. I used to make bottle gardens and still have a complete set of tools just for the purpose of planting and maintaining them. I'd like to find a nice round clear glass demijohn and make another one. I made a couple in 5 gal. water cooler bottles and they survived for years with no maintenance. 
I had a 20 gal. aquarium in college and had some beautiful lace veil black velvet angelfish and dragonfish. After I got married I had a 30 gal. tank for several years that my kids and wife really liked. The kids were mesmerized by the fish when they were babies. Then we moved from the city to the country and the well water wreaked havoc with the tank. I had too much going on with the new property so I sold all my aquarium stuff and just got back into aquariums last year after leaving the hobby about 20 years ago.
I've been a collector as far back as I can remember. I used to be into fossils as a kid and was heavily into cacti and succulents many years ago. I was also heavily into antique radios and have collected some pharmaceutical antiques along the way. Most of my plants are now long gone as well as the radios. I tend to get really interested in something, lose interest, and then move onto something else but I think I may stick with aquariums for a while now. 
The terrariums are kind of just there. The beauty of them is they don't require much care and I seem to have just the right amount of sunlight for them to thrive. 
I still have a few rare succulents but won't ever get back into them again in a big way unless I add a greenhouse someday.
Well that's probably more than you wanted to know, but that's it.


----------



## diwu13

Wow. Nice life story! I can't even remember what happened to me when I was 10. I from what it seems like I should be much younger than you too! And that explains why your terrariums have a lot of venus fly traps! Very interesting story that led up to your aquarium phase I guess you would call it. Are you still living in the country now? Are you using RO on the well water? And being a collector seems interesting in allowing you to have a really really nice man/fish room. I'm really interested in shrimp now, and my girlfriend seems pretty interested as well. I *hope* to have several shrimp tanks but we'll see how she takes that. For now its really interesting for me to just stop and watch the shrimp flit around after a hard days research (haha). Hope your aquarium phase sticks around for a bit, you have the most creative and interesting tanks I've seen so far!


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> Wow. Nice life story! I can't even remember what happened to me when I was 10. I from what it seems like I should be much younger than you too! And that explains why your terrariums have a lot of venus fly traps! Very interesting story that led up to your aquarium phase I guess you would call it. Are you still living in the country now? Are you using RO on the well water? And being a collector seems interesting in allowing you to have a really really nice man/fish room. I'm really interested in shrimp now, and my girlfriend seems pretty interested as well. I *hope* to have several shrimp tanks but we'll see how she takes that. For now its really interesting for me to just stop and watch the shrimp flit around after a hard days research (haha). Hope your aquarium phase sticks around for a bit, you have the most creative and interesting tanks I've seen so far!


Thank you. I have a wonderful memory for useless information. I can remember events back to age 2 but can't remember where my wife said she was going. 
We are still living in the country but different house, different area. I make my own RO water. Got tired of getting it from the store. 
My wife likes my 60 gal tank but doesn't see a reason to have my two nano tanks. If your girlfriend is into your tanks/shrimp as much as you then maybe you've found the right one. :icon_wink


----------



## diwu13

I saw in some other post here that one person convinced his wife for multiple nano tanks by saying they could be used as lamps. He set up these 4gallon tall vases with LEDs on top so they really did light the room quite well haha! Is your RO water setup egyptian themed too ?

My girlfriend just thinks the shrimps are cute. She things I'm going overboard with three 10 gallon tanks and I am afraid to tell her I want more!!


----------



## nate_mcnasty

I think we need to be friends. I'm a 3rd year in college going for a BS in chemistry and I also have a carnivorous plant vivarium. If you don't mind I could post some pictures of my vivarium on your thread.


----------



## 10gallonplanted

Very nice, have the shrimp bred yet? Any berried?


----------



## davrx

nate_mcnasty said:


> I think we need to be friends. I'm a 3rd year in college going for a BS in chemistry and I also have a carnivorous plant vivarium. If you don't mind I could post some pictures of my vivarium on your thread.


Yea, we can be friends for sure. 
I had quite a bit of chemistry in college but not as much as you'll have. Chemistry was one of my favorite subjects. I earned a BS in pharmacy but now they're all doctorate degrees. 
Why not start your own thread? I think you'd get a lot of people interesed in your vivarium. I know someone's avatar on the forum is a venus flytrap.


----------



## davrx

10gallonplanted said:


> Very nice, have the shrimp bred yet? Any berried?


Yes, the RCS have but I'm not sure about the dark greens. They may have but they tend to blend into the surrounding vegetation.


----------



## diwu13

How are the ottos doing with your algae problem?


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> How are the ottos doing with your algae problem?


Only had them for about a week so too soon to tell.


----------



## davrx

*Wow*

I guess someone else had the same idea of making orbs although these are acrylic. Really unusual looking


----------



## diwu13

I saw that picture somewhere else along with other weird tank designs (like a tank in a toilet). I don't know how "real" that design is as getting the proper filtration in that would be such a headache.


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> I saw that picture somewhere else along with other weird tank designs (like a tank in a toilet). I don't know how "real" that design is as getting the proper filtration in that would be such a headache.


It's real, I've been to the website that sells them. They come in different configurations and amount of orbs. It comes with the lighting and filtration but from what I remember they were quite expensive.


----------



## davrx

*Update*

Added some Rotala vietnam and thailand.


----------



## TheJadeShrimp

I'm curious. How did you get the plants and rocks in the small bubbles? I am going to assume very carefully.


----------



## davrx

TheJadeShrimp said:


> I'm curious. How did you get the plants and rocks in the small bubbles? I am going to assume very carefully.


Lol, it was trial and error. I originally tried SS tweezers but that was a failure. Then tried a wire grabber used to retrieve car parts, etc. and that didn't work well either. Finally tried a long handled spoon like you use for shakes/sundaes and that works the best. It's still difficult, kind of like a ship in a bottle thing. If I need to clean the inside of the glass I use one of the little flexible magnetic ones but I really don't get any algae growth in them.


----------



## diwu13

I believe he did it when the tank wasn't full with water.

Question about when you do water changes. Do you make sure not to remove past the connection to the smaller orbs so air doesn't go in?


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> I believe he did it when the tank wasn't full with water.
> 
> Question about when you do water changes. Do you make sure not to remove past the connection to the smaller orbs so air doesn't go in?


Yes, otherwise I have to remove the air bubbles. I have to do this anyway every time I change the filter. I use a baster with rubber bulb and some vinyl tubing which I have to finagle a bit to suck the air bubbles out. The physical aspects of this tank are a challenge but I love its form.


----------



## diwu13

Oh right. Because you have the filter outputs directed into the side pieces. How is the bamboo shrimp doing? It was normally in the left bulb?


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> Oh right. Because you have the filter outputs directed into the side pieces. How is the bamboo shrimp doing? It was normally in the left bulb?


He died this Summer while I was on vacation. My caretaker of the tank accidentally overfed the shrimp and most of them were dead when I returned home. He had to retrieve him from the orb. It was quite a challenge and I feel bad that I burdened him with this. I also lost all of my OEBT's which really hurt. 
As you can see though, the RCS have recovered and I have a few dark greens as well. I wish I had gone back to the OEBT's as the dark greens disappear into the plants too much. I thought it would be neat having red and green shrimp but it hasn't turned out like I had hoped.


----------



## diwu13

Sorry to hear about your deaths. Are your green shrimp dark greens or are they babaulti?

I also wanted red/green shrimp in the same tank since the color contrast between them looks really good. But then if all your plants and moss are green P:, I went with yellows instead but then you can't put them together with the RCS.

Do any of the RCS or greens like to hang out in the side orbs? I don't see any in the picture but it could be the refraction of light from that angle.


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> Sorry to hear about your deaths. Are your green shrimp dark greens or are they babaulti?
> 
> I also wanted red/green shrimp in the same tank since the color contrast between them looks really good. But then if all your plants and moss are green P:, I went with yellows instead but then you can't put them together with the RCS.
> 
> Do any of the RCS or greens like to hang out in the side orbs? I don't see any in the picture but it could be the refraction of light from that angle.


They are the dark greens. They do hang out in the orbs, I'll have to take some photos and post them next time I get the opportunity. They weren't in the orbs when I took these photos this morning because it was feeding time and they all fly to the main bubble for their breakfast.


----------



## diwu13

If your dark greens ever begin to overpopulate that sexy tank I would be more than willing to purchase any extras from you! You are one of the few people I see with dark greens. All the other people only sell the babaulti.


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> If your dark greens ever begin to overpopulate that sexy tank I would be more than willing to purchase any extras from you! You are one of the few people I see with dark greens. All the other people only sell the babaulti.


Will do, I'll have to wait and see.


----------



## Newman

same goes for your nice red cherry shrimp. if you have them breeding in there and overpopulating, I would be interested in buying a few from you 
About 5 of them to be exact(so that a small flat rate priority box can save on shipping).


----------



## davrx

Newman said:


> same goes for your nice red cherry shrimp. if you have them breeding in there and overpopulating, I would be interested in buying a few from you
> About 5 of them to be exact(so that a small flat rate priority box can save on shipping).


They're definitely breeding and they're some extra red variety of RCS but can't remember now what it is.


----------



## Newman

they are likely painted fire red cherries. if you have some ready juveniles that you're willing to part with, send me a quote on about 5 of them plus the $6 shipping.


----------



## davrx

*Shrimp*

Thanks for the offers but I'm not quite ready to sell any shrimp yet.


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> Sorry to hear about your deaths. Are your green shrimp dark greens or are they babaulti?
> 
> I also wanted red/green shrimp in the same tank since the color contrast between them looks really good. But then if all your plants and moss are green P:, I went with yellows instead but then you can't put them together with the RCS.
> 
> Do any of the RCS or greens like to hang out in the side orbs? I don't see any in the picture but it could be the refraction of light from that angle.


Here's some photos I just took of a couple of shrimp in the globes. It's hard to photograph them at times because the output from the pump makes the water swirl around inside them. It's fun to see the shrimp fly around in them.


----------



## davrx

*Updated SS Intake*

I decided to change out my acrylic intake to an ADA metal jet pipe V-1 modified with a Gush stainless steel filter guard. The SS mesh that comes with the ADA SS pipe is too large for baby shrimp. I had a heck of a time getting the metal pipe through the rubber seal at the top of the filter guard but it worked. I'm going to post photos of the modification on the equipment forum in case anyone else is interested in doing this. I think the SS looks good with the chrome light and I don't have to see the diatom/algae growth like in the clear ones.


----------



## diwu13

Whoa the left orb is pretty sweet. There are threads from the two moss balls connecting! Your two moss balls are going to end up growing together haha.

And you might even have painted fire reds if your males are even that red.


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> Whoa the left orb is pretty sweet. There are threads from the two moss balls connecting! Your two moss balls are going to end up growing together haha.
> 
> And you might even have painted fire reds if your males are even that red.


Thanks
I'm hoping the otocinclus that I introduced to the tank will eat this filamentous algae. Flag fish would be better but they'd probably eat all the shrimp too. 
Yep, they're painted fire reds.


----------



## diwu13

Hm... are you sure that is algae and not growth of the moss balls? Mine seem to have very similar growths coming out, but don't reach quite the distance as yours does.


----------



## Newman

that is filamentous algae...cladophora doesn't grow like that.


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> Hm... are you sure that is algae and not growth of the moss balls? Mine seem to have very similar growths coming out, but don't reach quite the distance as yours does.


I'm pretty sure it's not marimo but filamentous algae growing on the marimo ball.


----------



## Newman

shame you can't part with any shrimp yet, but eventually they'll overpopulate, so keep us in mind =)


----------



## davrx

Newman said:


> shame you can't part with any shrimp yet, but eventually they'll overpopulate, so keep us in mind =)


Will do


----------



## davrx

*Feeding frenzy*

Took these photos a few hours ago. The dark greens, cherries, and otos are trying to eat some shrimpball cuisine.


----------



## Newman

eeeey, you got a Christmas theme going here lol.

looks like the dark greens won...


----------



## diwu13

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k610/davrx/Out of this World Nano/IMG_2875.jpg

Wow! That is some contrast between your dark greens and your painted fire reds. I am very envious of your shrimps and your tanks :icon_eek:


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k610/davrx/Out of this World Nano/IMG_2875.jpg
> 
> Wow! That is some contrast between your dark greens and your painted fire reds. I am very envious of your shrimps and your tanks :icon_eek:


Thank you, I'm surprised at how red the females are too. I guess they must be happy. Now if I can get the dark greens to look like they were painted too!


----------



## diwu13

If you somehow managed to breed out "painted" dark greens you could sell those babies for a hefty amount!


----------



## davrx

diwu13 said:


> If you somehow managed to breed out "painted" dark greens you could sell those babies for a hefty amount!


I agree


----------



## sayurasem

Why you censored yourself on that chrome light sir? lol


----------



## davrx

sayurasem said:


> Why you censored yourself on that chrome light sir? lol


Sorry, I don't have a reflection.


----------



## davrx

Anyone interested in this tank? I may need to part with it in the near future. If you're serious PM me.


----------



## Fishly

Great pics! What kind of camera are you using? And how do you make the colors look so good? It almost looks like the shrimp are neon.

I would be interested in the green shrimp, but not the tank.


----------



## diwu13

davrx said:


> Anyone interested in this tank? I may need to part with it in the near future. If you're serious PM me.


I'd definitely be interested in this tank. But as of now this is most likely out of my budget :\.


----------



## davrx

Fishly said:


> Great pics! What kind of camera are you using? And how do you make the colors look so good? It almost looks like the shrimp are neon.
> 
> I would be interested in the green shrimp, but not the tank.


Thanks, I'm using a Canon SD 4500 IS. They are a nice green color. I plan to keep the tank's contents and just sell the tank. I need to make room for another tank that I'm getting.


----------



## jemminnifener

Wow I really enjoyed reading about your adventure with this unusual tank! I don't think I could put up with the custom care and equipment that would be needed for this tank. Your terrariums look very cool as well. There's just a certain appeal to carnivorous plants.  I'll be sad to see you give up this tank but I'm sure I'll see more awesome things from you!


----------



## davrx

jemminnifener said:


> Wow I really enjoyed reading about your adventure with this unusual tank! I don't think I could put up with the custom care and equipment that would be needed for this tank. Your terrariums look very cool as well. There's just a certain appeal to carnivorous plants.  I'll be sad to see you give up this tank but I'm sure I'll see more awesome things from you!


Thank you! 
The only thing custom about this tank is the outputs from the filter and I'll include those with the tank if wanted. I'm just using an Eheim canister filter and inline heater so just like any other tank. 
I just don't have enough space in my room any more and the wife is adamant about no more aquariums in the rest of the house other than the 60 gal. cube in our sunk room that she got me last Christmas. 
I'm also going to transfer my carnivorous plants into a terrarium that I can leave out in the sun during the Summer. I'm going to sell the victorian terrarium along with this OOAK nano. 
I'm going to replace these two items with a really rare victorian aquarium that I just acquired. It's cast iron dated 1882 and has its original ornate cast iron stand. I need to make it water tight before I can use it and try to find some replacement plant holders which are missing from the stand. This is a very similar tank to mine and may have been made by the same foundry:










Here's mine:


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## raven_wilde

:icon_eek:

you have all the best toys!:icon_mrgr


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## davrx

raven_wilde said:


> :icon_eek:
> 
> you have all the best toys!:icon_mrgr


Ha, ha thanks!:icon_lol:


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## cableguy69846

Dude, where do you find these things? They are awesome!


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## davrx

cableguy69846 said:


> Dude, where do you find these things? They are awesome!


Thank you. 
I spend an awful lot of time searching the net when I should be doing more productive things like cutting and splitting wood (we heat with wood). I have about 6 cord some split and stacked, some cut, and the rest is trees delivered to my place by my father-in-law, nephew, and I that I still need to cut up. It's a lot of work but I heat my house virtually for free and it's a green alternative to fossil fuels. I call it solid solar energy.


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## cableguy69846

davrx said:


> Thank you.
> I spend an awful lot of time searching the net when I should be doing more productive things like cutting and splitting wood (we heat with wood). I have about 6 cord some split and stacked, some cut, and the rest is trees delivered to my place by my father-in-law, nephew, and I that I still need to cut up. It's a lot of work but I heat my house virtually for free and it's a green alternative to fossil fuels. I call it solid solar energy.


I would spend a lot of time on the net too if I had to do that. How is your heater setup that you can do that? Sorry to hijack, but you have piqued my curiosity.roud:


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## davrx

cableguy69846 said:


> I would spend a lot of time on the net too if I had to do that. How is your heater setup that you can do that? Sorry to hijack, but you have piqued my curiosity.roud:


No, you're not hijacking this, I'm happy to share off topic stuff if it interests anyone. I have a Vermont Castings cast iron catalytic wood burner in the basement and a Vermont Castings insert in the first floor sunk room. My house is 4,000 sq. ft. but the basement wood burner puts out enough BTU's that it will heat the entire house as long as the temps are around freezing or above. When temps drop further I fire up the second ground floor insert and between the two of them I can heat the house even in sub zero temps. Since they use a catalytic burner, very little smoke is produced and my basement one is the most efficient wood burner ever tested by the EPA. I have a standard propane furnace as a backup when we're not home but cost is very high to heat that much space with propane.


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## cableguy69846

davrx said:


> No, you're not hijacking this, I'm happy to share off topic stuff if it interests anyone. I have a Vermont Castings cast iron catalytic wood burner in the basement and a Vermont Castings insert in the first floor sunk room. My house is 4,000 sq. ft. but the basement wood burner puts out enough BTU's that it will heat the entire house as long as the temps are around freezing or above. When temps drop further I fire up the second ground floor insert and between the two of them I can heat the house even in sub zero temps. Since they use a catalytic burner, very little smoke is produced and my basement one is the most efficient wood burner ever tested by the EPA. I have a standard propane furnace as a backup when we're not home but cost is very high to heat that much space with propane.


That is crazy. Did that setup come with the house, or can you get them now days? And how efficient would that be at heating a two story house with a basement do you think? I live in Chicago, and prices on everything are going up. Heating the house in winter costs an arm and a leg, as does cooling it in the summer. It is just a pain all around, and I am really starting to look into the Green approach to things. Even toying with the idea of getting a rain barrel for the fish tanks and garden. Would love solar panels too, but that is too much cost up front. For now I will have to settle for the little things, but one day the house will be almost off the city grid.


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## davrx

cableguy69846 said:


> That is crazy. Did that setup come with the house, or can you get them now days? And how efficient would that be at heating a two story house with a basement do you think? I live in Chicago, and prices on everything are going up. Heating the house in winter costs an arm and a leg, as does cooling it in the summer. It is just a pain all around, and I am really starting to look into the Green approach to things. Even toying with the idea of getting a rain barrel for the fish tanks and garden. Would love solar panels too, but that is too much cost up front. For now I will have to settle for the little things, but one day the house will be almost off the city grid.


The house came with two gas burning log fireplaces with a metal box with fans to pull cold air in at the bottom and put out hot air at the top but even with glass doors you were still burning propane. I disconnected the gas log setup and put a grate in to burn wood. But since this wasn't airtight I couldn't control the amount of air getting to the fire and it would get so hot that the wrought iron grates in the hot air output started warping! 
There was an unused chimney in the basement that was setup for a freestanding stove. So I bought the Vermont Castings Defiant since it was the largest in their line at the time and I believe is still the most efficient at 84 or 86%. The first winter in this house it worked fine but when we had temps in the teens and below zero it just wasn't enough so I had the insert put into one of the two fireplaces on the ground floor. 
My house is a two story and I can heat the house just fine. 
I have access to about 6 acres of my own woods and 60 acres of my father-in-law's woods just 3 miles down the road. He's 72 but can still cut and haul big trees out of his woods. He's the healthiest septuagenarian I know. He attributes it to hard work all his life. 
I thought about replacing the Defiant with a Hearthstone soapstone stove as they have one that is larger and non-catalytic. Not quite as efficient but a lot easier to use. Only drawback was you couldn't load wood from the top like the Defiant. So I decided to keep what I have.
Even if I had to buy all my firewood it would still be much more cost effective than propane.


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## cableguy69846

davrx said:


> The house came with two gas burning log fireplaces with a metal box with fans to pull cold air in at the bottom and put out hot air at the top but even with glass doors you were still burning propane. I disconnected the gas log setup and put a grate in to burn wood. But since this wasn't airtight I couldn't control the amount of air getting to the fire and it would get so hot that the wrought iron grates in the hot air output started warping!
> There was an unused chimney in the basement that was setup for a freestanding stove. So I bought the Vermont Castings Defiant since it was the largest in their line at the time and I believe is still the most efficient at 84 or 86%. The first winter in this house it worked fine but when we had temps in the teens and below zero it just wasn't enough so I had the insert put into one of the two fireplaces on the ground floor.
> My house is a two story and I can heat the house just fine.
> I have access to about 6 acres of my own woods and 60 acres of my father-in-law's woods just 3 miles down the road. He's 72 but can still cut and haul big trees out of his woods. He's the healthiest septuagenarian I know. He attributes it to hard work all his life.
> I thought about replacing the Defiant with a Hearthstone soapstone stove as they have one that is larger and non-catalytic. Not quite as efficient but a lot easier to use. Only drawback was you couldn't load wood from the top like the Defiant. So I decided to keep what I have.
> Even if I had to buy all my firewood it would still be much more cost effective than propane.


I think that would be my biggest drawback living in the city. I would have to buy all my firewood and be able to store enough for the winter, which I think would be almost impossible. That is the downside to living here. One of many. I would love to have a house in the country somewhere that I could do all that stuff to. It would be great and save tons of money.


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## davrx

*On Ebay*

This setup is up for sale on ebay right now. My starting bid amount is less than what I have in it. Don't miss this opportunity to own this one-of-a-kind aquarium!


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## davrx

davrx said:


> O.K. I know this isn't a terrarium forum but this is by request:
> These are some of my terrariums over the years, some are large, some are only a couple of inches tall, some are antiques from the victorian era.


I'm willing to sell this very rare terrarium. PM if interested.


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## amcoffeegirl

I saw this tank is for sale on [Ebay Link Removed]


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## CrazyCatPeekin

Some very cool stuff going on there! I love all those fly traps! Very cool, indeed!


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## davrx

amcoffeegirl said:


> I saw this tank is for sale on [Ebay Link Removed]


Yes it is let me know if you're interested.


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## GMYukonon24s

Ya them are some nice fly traps I like the tank inside and out.


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## davrx

*Gone to a new home.*

Well, the Out of This World Nano is on its way to a new owner in New York. It was fun while I had it and I enjoyed all these posts.


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## davrx

*Victorian Terrarium*

The above wooden Victorian terrarium is currently for sale on ebay
#280862160397. Feel free to PM me with an offer, I won't be offended.


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## radioman

Do the fly traps grow well. It seems when people have them they end up dying.


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## davrx

radioman said:


> Do the fly traps grow well. It seems when people have them they end up dying.


That's because most people fail to water them with distilled water. Minerals kill carnivorous plants. They also need bright direct sunlight or the highest lumens you can get indoors. I grow them in sand and peat with some sphagnum moss on top for appearances.


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## Robert H

How many times have you changed the aquascape in the main orb? I think the whole thing is great looking and I love it, but to be honest, I think your first photos were the best aquascape. Everything since then has plants, wood, or rock that look too big for the orb. I would have loved to see how the original aquascape developed as it matured.


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## davrx

Thanks, the original one I set up was for Sulawesi shrimp and had lace rock and cichlid sand but the Cardinal shrimp I bought from Aquabid all died the day after I received them so that was the end of that scape. Since I've sold this tank there won't be anymore posts by me on this, perhaps the new owner will post his scapes.


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