# 10g planted RCS tank, 55g community Journal (update heavy)



## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by, i am pretty new to all of this aquatic addiction but am loving it so far, here i will share my journey as i grow my hobby.

I started with a 10gal from lfs and soon realized i needed something bigger. They also didnt tell me anything about cycling and sold me fish and my tank the same day :/. I try not to go there anymore but pick them over petsmart/walmart... But 2 of my 3 original fish died. My black moor lived, and now lives in my 50gal community tank. I moved everything to the 50gallon and left the 10g sitting a few weeks. Now i am getting into planted tanks and shrimp so thats what the 10 gal will be used for. Its setup in the wife and i's bedroom. The 50gal will stay unplanted for the most part (explain later) and will house fish to make the wife/kid happy. (As long as it fits my guidelines i dont want to overstock or kill any fish because violence)

So, in my tanks i have...

10gal:
CaribSea Floramax substrate
(2) 10wat aquarium cfls (not twisted)
(4) patches of dwarf hairgrass
(1) fancy tail guppy
(3) zebra danios

(The fish are only there to eat tiny white worms coming from my newly purchased soil)

50 gallon:
Rainbow shark
Pleco
Blackmoor goldfish
(Unknown) goldfish
Angel fish
(5) zebra danios
(2) african dwarf frogs
Black mystery snail
Moss ball

Might sound pretty stocked to some people but theres plenty of room for everyone...

Will be back with pictures and updates just wanted to get this thing rolling!

Oh! The 10gal has a filter rated for 10gal, and the 50gals filter is the big double headed one rated for 75gal+

I also have a slate cave/hideout i made recently and will be posting that


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## Phantomic (Apr 17, 2013)

Are you sure that only a 10 watt CFL is enough light for your 10 gallon? I use two 14 watt CFL's on mine!


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

Phantomic said:


> Are you sure that only a 10 watt CFL is enough light for your 10 gallon? I use two 14 watt CFL's on mine!


His OP says that he is using 2 10w CFLs. That should be sufficient. I tried 2 9w CFLs with good results.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I read on this forum people were having algea problems with (2) 13 watt bulbs running 5-8hrs a day and to shoot for 1-2 wpg. I wont have any demanding plants in there... Im willing to upgrade if my plants show they need it


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Black moor goldfish









Rainbow shark/pleco









An african dwarf frog









Rainbow shark enjoying some zucchini









Group shot









Black mystery snail









I actually just bought that yesterday, and there was a baby snail in the bag with it! Dont know if they meant to do that but i was happy. I also have that in the 10gal because i didnt want anything to eat it! They are both doing great zipping around their tanks

DIY slate hideout
I got this idea from a google search and loved the raised flower bed idea...










As you can see in this next picture i planted some dwarf hairgrass in the planter, but my dang goldfish kept ripping it out! So its empty now until i buy a plant for that area... And that will be the only live plant because i barely have any light on the 50gal (i also raised all the levels a little bit more for finished product) used 2 slate tiles and 1 tube of aquarium sealant.










This is kind of random but shows they like the hideout. Also shows empty planter now and that my filters strong enough to suck up veggies


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Almost forgot the 10gal!










Still looking for that special piece of dw to be my centerpiece... Also learning about plants and trying to figure out what i want...

Shot of some red cherry shrimp locally that i will buy soon for my 10gal.










I still have a ways to go, both learning and setting up this tank...

Right now im going to look up sponge filters because i was just going to tie a stocking around my filter... And i know id like some more moss for the shrimp... I have a very small moss ball in there now too with the baby snail


Come back for updates!! Thanks for stopping in


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Well! Ive got some christmas moss in the mail so it was time to jump on some aquascaping ideas... Went out today and got a piece of drift wood, ive been looking for a few days but finally found one i liked... Looks better not in a bucket lol. I am soaking it now but may end up boiling it tomorrow. Its already sunken *wipes brow* 










Figured if i was out, i might as well get a plant! After browsing around i grabbed the softest, tallest plant i could find there, ended up being narrow leaf java fern. I wasnt exactly sure how much to split it up when i got home as the package said 2-4 plants and i couldve got 6 out of it... So i just made 2 clumpings for now... Also i read today that dwarf hairgrass isnt supposed to be as clumped up as i had them, and should only have 3-5 blades per spot at first?! Im making a ton of rookie mistakes! So i ripped out the grass, broke each piece in half and replanted. (I kept bigger chunks until after ive got the driftwood in) and the roots seems thicker/longer than when i planted 










And finally i picked some of these nutes up i hear everyone talking about... Also looked at liquid co2 as i wont be using a setup...











Comments? Concerns? Thanks for looking!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Looks like you've got a decent start.

One thing to note, though, is that you'll want to remove the Java Ferns from your substrate. Burying the rhizome will cause them to rot. It's fine to bury the roots but they'll do much better attached to rocks to weight them down or tied to a piece of wood.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks for the info, ill try to attach it at the bottom of the drift wood somewhere... Would glue work on that also or should i sandwich between a rock and the dw?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

You can use superglue gel to attach the ferns. Or cotton thread. Some people even use fishing line but I find that option to be my least preferred.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Few picture updates, love the dip/canyon in the driftwood... Also put some xmas moss in the 50gal just to see if itd grow


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Ok guys, time for you to chime in...

Another day, another problem lol. 

So yesterday I posted this

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=381201&highlight=http://

and then just now when I turned on the light to the 10gal, looking around for the snails, I saw these 3 little patches... weird thing is, it looks EXACTLY like what was in my blood worms!?! There were fish in this tank for maybe 4 days, so they were only fed 4 times. What can be causing this white stuff? it looks like tiny bits of cotton or a spiders web on the ground... ?!?!?


































^^Hope someone can help me with this.


In other news, I also found a tiny tiny tiny snail that mustve snuck past me... so theres 5-6 snails in the 10gal now, but I could only find this one


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The stuff on your substrate is likely just growth that happens in new tanks. Sort of a fungus that will eventually go away.

Unless you got your Hair Grass from Petsmart and didn't wash all of the gel off of it prior to planting.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

And what if i didnt? Lol. The first time i planted it and had no idea what i was doing... I did see decent sized chunks of the gel floating in my tank... Im sure it settled down into the substrate

Rookie mistake #1000?


-edit-

Wait were you trying to say its the gel? I dont think it is because this stuff looks a tiny bit white


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

If it's the gel, it'll be fine. Just remove it.

As far as the fungus goes, if that's what it is, it'll be fine if you siphon it out with a piece of airline tubing or just removing with tweezers or your fingers.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I dont know if this hints to what it was, but the big clump, when i sucked it up all the rocks stuck together so it was strong enough to hold until it was swirling in the tube and unwrapped itself... Tanks nice and clean and even did a little water change lol


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Couples updates...

Ordered a double sponge filter (set of 4) for shrimp tank.

My goldfish have ripped almost 1/2 the christmas moss off the rock i glued it to, i hate them for eating every live plant ive added.

And lastly i just found someone thru ebay, who farms rcs and is local!! He put very detailed info on his page so i sent him a message and might be getting my shrimp sooner than planned! Woohoo.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Gave away our rainbow shark today, and all the fish already seem happier. He went to someone who seemed knowledgable so im happy with it.

And to replace his bioload (hehe) we got 2 peppered cory cats.. well, thats what I told the guy. We got home, and one of them is albino (fine by me) and there was also a little random fish fry swimming with them! I dont know what was in the tank for the cory cats so i will just let him grow. Cory cats went into the 50gal, fry went to 10gal.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

After researching, the cory cat is not albino because it doesnt have pink eyes... From what i can see it is a "bronchis" or emerald cory cat...

I will get some pictures up tonight or tomorrow


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Some pictures...

The unknown fry that was in the bag with the cory cats...










Peppered cory cat










He almost instantly swam with the goldfish and was "kissing" on them, is he just happy or do the goldfish have something on their skin he likes?


















Possibly an emerald cory cat? Was sold as a pepper... Will get a better look when im home


















Thanks for looking.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

He is def a green emerald cory cat... here he is playing with his reflection

http://youtu.be/SM0WhExSayI


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Almost 500 views already huh? Wish people would say hello or welcome!! 

So got home today and setup the sponge filter... WAY bigger than i thought itd be but i actually like that its bigger.

I got (4) so tried to add a prefilter sponge to hob.

Instantly found out the hobs intake is suppppper cheap plastic as it shattered instantly. I was able to save the bottom cap and intake piece that fit into actual hob, so i smashed the 2 chunks into either end of the sponge and works great! Way nicer than the panty hose!

Black background is next on things to update. I also want a feeding station for the shrimp i was gonna look for a white tile? 

A couple pics for u guys


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

Now I'm not a biologist. I know fish have some sort of slime on them. Some fish like to eat that slime. Never heard of a cory doing that. Not sure if that is what you are seeing right there but it might be something to look into


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## FungusTrooper (Jul 8, 2013)

I'm confused, how many corys do you have? If you only have the one peppered and one emerald you might wanna consider getting some more. A 50g could hold quite a few, but I've never kept them with goldfish before (they're so dirty, they tend to do better on their own) so I don't know how much of that 50g volume they take up.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Yes just 2 corys for now, i plan to get 2-3 more...
Everyone says goldfish are dirty, but IMO my pleco is the pig, and has 8-10inch poop sometimes!! Double his body length lol

And Vin thanks, i havent seem them do it since their first day


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Pretty pumped up right now 

Just got my rcs. Found him through ebay and was local so i hit him up. On ebay he sells 5 rcs for about $8.

After talking a bit, he wanted to do a trade instead of cash...

I traded him (2) double sponge filters (filter only) and 1/4 of my dwarf hairgrass pack i bought at petsmart for 15 varied size rcs!!!

So, $8 roughly for 15 rcs!! A steal in my book. And instantly i give credit to people with good pictures of shrimp as ive taken about 30 and they all suck haha. They are still in the breather bag even (which kinda makes it blurry to start with)

Pics coming! (Hi im Tank and im a photo/update whore)


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Pics taken with camera phone, will pull out the real camera later...


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Very happy, i have had about 6-7 rcs molt in the past day, i wonder why it seems its all happening at once?! I havent seen any deaths and at one point i counted 12 (out of 15) so im guessin they like my setup. Best pic i took today


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Turned on my lights this morning just in time to see about 20eggs floating down into some moss. One of my younger females lost her saddle and dropped her eggs  Ive been doing a lot of reading and am going to go get that official water testing kit today... They are still molting fine as i see 2 more layin around... And still have about 6 saddled females so i still have hope. Just sad to see the eggs drifting.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Went to the best lfs today 

Bought 2 rcs males, full grown adults! They are nice deep red, No saddles or signs of being female!! So hope to see some burried ladies soon

I also got 5 cardinal tetras for the 50gallon, and in the bag with them was a trumpet snail . At first i thought it was an assassin snail but if the coloring is right then its not. Im ok with the trumpet but i dont want an assassin killin off my baby snails! Will get some pics up


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Also while out i got the official liquid water test kit... Couldnt find the gh kh kit tho so ordering online!

50gallon tank:
pH 7.8
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 60ppm

pH seems kinda high to me but im not sure what level is safe for nitrate, book says 40ppm or unders ok but im gonna look around...

Im scared to check the shrimp tank lol. Buffers gonna get priiiicey


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

For some reason the rcs didnt seem to like the cucumber too much, the pleco on the other hand tore it apart!

First time ive seen them group up and eat so I was excited, usually only see 1 or 2 at a time eating...


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Also attempting to grow these mosses a little


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## Jessicafish (Jul 13, 2013)

I'll send you my moss blessings... lol! I got some moss yesterday and it's already almost doubled in size! I love moss!


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## Ganyon (Jun 11, 2012)

The tanks look amazing. I just recently set up a 20 and I'm trying to get ideas on what to put in it. I love the way your 10 looks.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Jessicafish said:


> I'll send you my moss blessings... lol! I got some moss yesterday and it's already almost doubled in size! I love moss!


What kind are you growing? And thanks



Ganyon said:


> The tanks look amazing. I just recently set up a 20 and I'm trying to get ideas on what to put in it. I love the way your 10 looks.


Thanks im still very new to this, trying my hardest not to rescape already, it can be addicting.. Do you have a journal going for your tank? I would suggest a couple of different small schools of fish, way more attractive to the eye than a couple big fish just bobbin around.



I will get tank update pics because the 10g has a black background and the 50g has the cardinal tetras now


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## Ganyon (Jun 11, 2012)

I actually do have a journal started for my tank. I must warn you, the tank is empty. My dad has 2 55's that are lightly planted, but I decided to start fresh and use new everything. No recycling from the old tanks. And I would be interesred in your suggestion for schools of fish.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Replied in your journal 



Can anyone i.d. The 3rd moss? Cant seem to find it by searching online


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

The third one seems to look like java moss to me


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Chrisinator said:


> The third one seems to look like java moss to me


I was told pic 1 is java moss. ?


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Whats that? More pictures? Ok...

10g with black background. Feeding dish will go by the moss ball










Water testing kit and sinking pellets that dont make it past the goldfish usually lol









Baby trumpet snail










Baby pond snail










Unknown fry










Cool to a shrimp noob




























Not the best video...

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=K7Jr2VUqrcA

Video of 50gallon

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=XFNLv4MXJzw


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Shrimp tank
pH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0

Seems like i need pH down for both tanks... Everyone seems to be fine though...



My java fern is started to curl (melt??) a little, dunno exactly whats causing it... I dose ferts twice a week, should i get some liquid co2? Or are my (2) 10watt cfls not enough

-edit-
As a mod on another forum it baffles me how this has 900+ views and maybe 10 posts that arent mine... You fish people arent very talkative


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Officially doing these updates for myself, not worried about starting conversations with people anymore since it doesnt seem to be working out here...

Spotted a little brown algae on my rock tunnel in the 50gal... Didnt know u could have algae from too low of light. Lol. Cant win huh, too much or too little. I do also feed heavy in that area, maybe i should spread it out a little. Not worried about it yet but keeping an eye out.

Other news: i got 30+ rcs for the tank yeaterday,some are realllly small babies so i took the guppy fry out of the 10g.

So, i dumped the pregnant molly back into the 50 (from breeder net) and placed the guppy fry in there...

Now if the molly gives birth and i can catch any of em they will go with the guppy fry.

Also added 2 plants to 10g (forget one, other is elodea) and added a fake plant to the 50g

Pics whenever not like anyones rushing to see em :/


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## bitFUUL (May 14, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> You fish people arent very talkative


Most of the people in these forums are lurkers, don't let the lack of voices dissuade you. :thumbsup:


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Shrimp video from this morning better than last one id say and will get better...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=MJ2miadkNng


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Yay!

I now have 5 tanks officially lol. 2 running and 3 empty/waiting.

The empties are:
2.5gallon bow front
5 gallon jar (very tall)
1.5 gallon fish bowl

By size alone you should be able to guess my eventual plans 

Also if anyone wants to RAOK me some frogbit, shoot me a PM!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I blame YOU tpt, YOU!! Lol.

Its really more like 2gallons... I have no clue on how im going to scape this, i want it simple and planted obviously. And what kind of shrimp? Who knows... Only a light, no filters.










1.5" Miracle Grow Organic cap'd with 1" silica sand


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Do i ever sleep? No. Lol

So ive been thinking, and i will probably start some xmas moss on a small rock and grow a moss bush, have it centered but towards the back of the bowl, and probably a piece of cholla wood in front of it... Then some frogbit floating... Maybe some small plants in the future but no ideas for now


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Indian almond leaf & feeding dish via MsNemoShrimp










Pleco enjoying in the 50g










Probably cant tell from this picture but this rcs has a deep dark green saddle, read it means nothing, but im watching her


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Couple feeding photos


















I bought a pyrex feeding dish for the shrimp but didnt really like the look, so for now its been replaced by a white tile, looks classier in my eyes?










First customer was very tiny, but the white tile should also make for crisper shots










And while were on shrimp, i went and got 2 hoods for the 55gallon, noticed they actually had some ghost shrimp and amano shrimp in stock... So picked up 5 ghosts for the big tank










Not sure if "culling" is actually the killing of, or just the removal of, but this light colored rcs was removed from the shrimp tank so her weak genetics wont be passed on.










This is the $20 (170gph) powerhead i bought, hated, and took back today... 










The 55gal finalllly fully lit after 3+ months, also had the ghosts floating here











Thats it for now... Still need to get
-powerhead
-uv sterilizer
-background?
-heater?

Not sure about the last 2 but will probably just evevntually get those too

(Edit)
Changed title to 55gallon, finally measure it as well and im silly and hve been calling it a 50gallon.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Im thinking about ripping out the dhg and finding something better... I no longer want it to fill in and hide the shrimp from view... Will probably fill in the back and midground and leave foreground empty for viewing...

Is ripping all the grass out at once a dumb move? I figure it would be... So i will be taking chunks out slowly... Possible RAOK?



-edit- 
Decided to just black out background for now, i like it


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Ripped the dhg out and raok'd it with some other things. Planted some p. helferi in place of it, and i already like it better. Also the raok i won (floaters) got here so was a good day to update!
(These are right when everything was added and before those tiny brown algae spots were scrubbed)


























I have also started dosing this tank with 1ml liquid co2 (api) daily, on my 3rd day today. 


Stupid goldfish in the 55 literally sucking down my floaters


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Hazaah!! Lol first berried rcs!!! 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=2L1AIsuUsXc


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Just woke up, was looking for the berried momma, and found 2 more!!! I have 2 pfr rcs and 1 regular but she has tons of eggs!! It looks like some are even outside of her body... 

How do I turn my lights on without scarring the ladies everytime??


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Yay congrats on the berries!
I love your shrimp tank!

Yeah, the only plants my goldfish dont eat are java ferns


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

CheyLillymama22 said:


> Yay congrats on the berries!
> I love your shrimp tank!
> 
> Yeah, the only plants my goldfish dont eat are java ferns


:icon_eek: ok tank, there's someone in your thread, dont mess this up now...

"Hi". Lol. Thanks! I wish i wouldbe thought about capping with sand earlier but the driftwood and xmas moss alone make me love this setup!


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

> =TankYouVeryMuch;3962089]:icon_eek: ok tank, there's someone in your thread, dont mess this up now...
> 
> "Hi". Lol. Thanks! I wish i wouldbe thought about capping with sand earlier but the driftwood and xmas moss alone make me love this setup!


Lol hi! 
I agree, the driftwood is rockin and the xmas moss looks great! Im growing out some moss currently, wish it would hurry up. Lol
I have a few tanks dirted and then sand capped, and the rest are pool filter sand or black diamond. My shrimp tank is 6 gallons and black diamond for substrate.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Ive got some moss steroids, but dont tell anyone

What kind of shrimp do you keep?


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Just cherries for now. Maybe some rili and blue pearl soon.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Very nice! A local shrimp farmer has OEBT's so my next will be those or some crs . But i think i will always have some cherries around


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

The lowest grade berried cherry... Will get better pics today


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I love how u can see the particles coming off the food in this pic


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## kcoscia (Jul 24, 2013)

love your stuff!


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## chuboogmommy (Jun 29, 2013)

Just found this thread today-love it! My goldies seem determined to thwart my attempts at planting my 55 gal (they're lucky they are cute 

I love that DIY slate tiered cave thingy in there-what kind of slate did you use? Where did you get it?

Lookin' great-good luck!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

kcoscia said:


> love your stuff!


Thanks!! I try to keep up with your journal too 



chuboogmommy said:


> Just found this thread today-love it! My goldies seem determined to thwart my attempts at planting my 55 gal (they're lucky they are cute
> 
> I love that DIY slate tiered cave thingy in there-what kind of slate did you use? Where did you get it?
> 
> Lookin' great-good luck!


Sadly, "mr.bill" was donated. Partly because his bio-load, partly because he was a goldfish living with tropicals. I REALLY should donate my black moor too, but he was one of my first fish, and i saved its life with my hands when it was caught in a ornament accident, i just cant seem to let go of him... But now that i just had some card. Tetras die of ich... I need to get a heater so i just might have to donate to a friend and hope he has a good life

Oh man theres different kinds of slate?! I only saw one... I bought it from Lowes and it was i believe $1.50 per slate square (12"x12") (im sure home depot has also) took it outside, beat with hammer til i liked the sizes, and used aquarium sealant to glue together. Was my first try and i love how it came out, but the sections never stuck together (it breaks down into 3 sections) which i guess is nice because i can always re-stack or rearrange it! The flowerd bed has had no luck because the goldies but now has some elodea in it just to test my bulb strength. Thanks for looking!!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I am actively trying to trade down on my tank...

I would like to replace it with a 20long with eheim 2213 and honestly im trying to get a rack/shelf so i can get (2) 20 longs or maybe another 10...

I just dont like how nothing changes with my 55gal and would be too costly right now to rescape with real plants and get everything setup again

But none of my friends are fish heads and craigslist doesnt seem to be hitting for me 

Maybe ill save up and just take down my 55 then til we get a bigger house...

Anyone in Indiana wanna trade


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Planning on doing my first water change in the shrimp tank today... Ive done a few top offs but never a water change. Been too nervous. Its been a little over a month :/


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Its weird how things happen... The above post.. Was going to do a wc anyway

Got home, flipped the switch and saw tons of particles floating in my water. I dont know how to describe it, besides... Particles. Like tiny tiny white sand just everywhere! It wasnt like that when i left last night. Fearing there would be an ammonia spike or pH collapse (im a newb, who knows?!) or too high of a tds, i did my first water change. About 20%. Water automatically looks better and clearer. (I guess the IAL tinted the water more than i could see) 

What happened and why did it happen?
Havent checked params yet, and ordered a tds meter, still waiting for gh/kh test kit in mail...

The particles










FTS after wc, and took my HOB out and replaced with another dual sponge filter (makes 2) 










I had each filter hooked up to its own air pump, but one was more powerful and thought there was too much current. So i got nerdy for a noob... I got what i will call a "air tube splitter" so i can use 2 filters, 1 pump. And i also attached some valves that let you choose how strong its pumped. (Will take a pic for other noobs) worked out great! Have them both running but not splashing water all over the place. 

As of last feeding day i had 5 berried cherries 


And finally a shot of a pond snail hitchhiking on a mystery snail... (Probably going to start a journal just for the shrimp tank and let this one fade away)










Looks like i need to do a little scrubbing from that pic...

Thanks for looking


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I must say, its been a couple hours since water change and the skrimps lovvvve me lol. I havent seem them fluttering around this much since i first got them and since the ladies molted. Will start a 10-20% wc weekly now that i know i can handle it lol. Also thinkin of going to the lfs and seeing if they have
1) otos for shrimp tank
2) more corydoras for 55g


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Those white things swimming around look like nematodes to me. I just got rid of them in my shrimp tank. You may be overfeeding. I cut waaaay back on feeding and I havent seen anymore since my last wc. Dont be too nervous about wc's with cherries. They are pretty hardy little dudes. 
They are fluttering around "dancing" after a wc? if so, you may find yourself swimming in baby shrimp soon. LOL. Mine do that dance when a female has molted and after a wc they have like a mating frenzy!
Looking good, cant wait for more updates.


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## Merth (Sep 9, 2012)

Hey tank, dunno how i stumbled across this journal  read all 5 pages and most say i admire your preserverence. Shrimp tank is filling in nicely. As Chey has pointed out rcs are very hardy and your tank params seem to suit them fine. Dont give up on the 55 if plants is whats making you think of downsizing. Just keep hitting those raok's and also ive found that by posting a wtb with a request for plants saying you can pay X dollars will generate several responses from sellers and usually far more plants then if you just bought outright packages or individuals. Good luck and keep up the nice work!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

CheyLillymama22 said:


> Those white things swimming around look like nematodes to me. I just got rid of them in my shrimp tank. You may be overfeeding. I cut waaaay back on feeding and I havent seen anymore since my last wc. Dont be too nervous about wc's with cherries. They are pretty hardy little dudes.
> They are fluttering around "dancing" after a wc? if so, you may find yourself swimming in baby shrimp soon. LOL. Mine do that dance when a female has molted and after a wc they have like a mating frenzy!
> Looking good, cant wait for more updates.


Nematodes?! In the first picture?? No way, they are more like grains of sand, not moving insects... Its like someone messed with the substrate and particles are floating around (which didnt happen) and also i havent fed the tank in 3-4 days now!!! So this happened after no food for 2~ days. I do think i was over feeding tho, 50~ shrimp being fed everyday. Hope to have tons of baby shrimp soon as i already have 5 berries, so hopefully ill have even more soon hehe.




Merth said:


> Hey tank, dunno how i stumbled across this journal  read all 5 pages and most say i admire your preserverence. Shrimp tank is filling in nicely. As Chey has pointed out rcs are very hardy and your tank params seem to suit them fine. Dont give up on the 55 if plants is whats making you think of downsizing. Just keep hitting those raok's and also ive found that by posting a wtb with a request for plants saying you can pay X dollars will generate several responses from sellers and usually far more plants then if you just bought outright packages or individuals. Good luck and keep up the nice work!


Thanks merth for the nice comments and advice!! I may just keep the tank and after we move next summer, start it back up as a planted tank (moving cross country) but good idea on the raoks i never even thought about looking for bigger plants ive always looked for small ones for my small tanks!


-------------------------
Oy vey, i had a jumper this morning.











Ive had rcs for over a month and never lost one. Took out that stupid HOB, and that left a gap in the hood. Who cares, these things arent smart. They wont climb or jump out...

Im an idiot. Lol. I dont know if this was a berried female or not, no eggs, no saddle... Maybe its a male (i hope) running around my tank trying to count 5 berried moms. :/. Covered gap with plastic wrap, i dont know what to do here


--------
Edit
--------
Almost certain this was one of the lower grade, adult, berried rcs


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## Merth (Sep 9, 2012)

It happens I guess, ive been fortunate and havent had any jumpers. My top is open but i dont keep the water level all the way to the top. Good news is they are so prolific they will bounce back and if she was a lower grade saves u from culling later. I know that doesnt help when its one of your pets but there is always a positive


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Positive is theres a younger berried i found today, hope she doesnt drop them as she is prettty young/small.

The shrimp tanks in my bedroom so if the waters not full the light lights up the whole room (i work 3rd shift and lights must be on while i sleep)


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Stopped by lfs today after i shipped aome raoks and ended up getting a dozen ghost shrimp (actually 15) for $2.99. Sold as feeder shrimp!! Bahh!! Lol. I also bought 3 chinese algae eaters since i missed my pleco... (Buck each)

These went into 55gal btw lol. Anyway, ever since ive added them, my angel fish has not been seen haha, he is all over the bottom trying to catch a shrimp! (20 of them now, few berried) so i guess they might be feeder shrimp after all


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Note to self, put "schools" of these fish together one day

Danio erythromicron
danio margaritatus
Danio rerio


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

What should go in here?


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## kcoscia (Jul 24, 2013)

is that anacharis?


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I googled that name, and I guess so. I know it as Elodea but comes up as the same thing


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## kcoscia (Jul 24, 2013)

yes! it will grow like a weed and sprout off stems!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

That was my hopes, its doing well in my 10g...

I meant fauna wise lol


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Meet Bob


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## tylergvolk (Jun 17, 2012)

Hey, I got a betta that look just like yours. Nice.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Shrimp Tank
Kh-11
Gh-18
Tds-440

First time taking these readings, and new to this. So, i have hard water, not sure what kh is honestly so going to look it up


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

:bangs head:

I know i overfed the shrimp at first, but the detritus worm numbers are dropping so i thought i was doing better..

Today when i was tinkering about, i noticed a leaf on my amazon sword has like 8~ hydra on them! Bahh!!! Freaked out and cut the whole leaf off. Spent next 5min searching for more at all angles. 

Ordering dog dewormer (fenben). I am only feeding every 3 days now :/. I may drop down to once a week which seems crazy as i was feeding daily. #whatanoob


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

As a moderator on other forums i hate when people post multiple times in a row in a thread, without comments from other people... so i apologize. That being said:

Monday was a great day for packages!! Finally got my tds meter, gh/kh tester, 12in tweezers and some of Jake's nom nom noms

(Im a visual kind of person)


































I may have gone crazy on shrimp food lol. I will be set for a while. I know i am supposed to be testing for 2 people but i had to try jakes complete veg today










This is about 10min after!! Biggest feeding frenzy ive had to date going on currently


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I didnt get to witness any birthing yet, but... SHRIMPLETTES!!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Ok folks payin attention...

I just dosed my 10g shrimp tank, with very young shrimplettes in it.

Took 30ml of tank water... Added .1gram of powdered safeguard (fenben) and will post my results :/

Trying to rid Hydra, Planara (possible detritus worm?) but def. have hydra in a few spots and scares me for babies


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Congrats on the shrimplettes!! Ive got six berries myself, waiting anxiously for shrimpy babies. lol. Im also dealing with planaria. Just ordered the fenbendazole. Im worried about weighing out the appropriate amount though. Ill be dosing a 5 gallon tank. 

Ive seen posts from some well known shrimpers on here who said they totally overdosed their tanks and still had no effects on shrimp or even newborn shrimplets. When it comes to planaria, Ive been told show no mercy. Lol.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

CheyLillymama22 said:


> Congrats on the shrimplettes!! Ive got six berries myself, waiting anxiously for shrimpy babies. lol. Im also dealing with planaria. Just ordered the fenbendazole. Im worried about weighing out the appropriate amount though. Ill be dosing a 5 gallon tank.
> 
> Ive seen posts from some well known shrimpers on here who said they totally overdosed their tanks and still had no effects on shrimp or even newborn shrimplets. When it comes to planaria, Ive been told show no mercy. Lol.


Thanks! It seems i have new berries everyday now or i cant keep track anymore.. Except i know some of the babies came from my highest grade rcs because its no longer berried  ive counted 5 babies on the sponge filter at one time

(And honestly) i was spot treating when i was using the dewormer and i saw a hydra and sprayed it with the turkey baster... And it was a shrimplette. :/. It fluttered off and seemed fine, it got a big fat load to the face. ((Looks at mods :angel: )

My digital scales only weigh down to .1g so i dumped the 1gram pack onto my kitchen counter, devided in half, and then devided that into 5 piles. Thatll be the easiest for you... Except devide one more time ya know?

I am going to see how many doses it really takes me to clear my tank, then might raok a couple .5g's out to people in need so they dont have to buy 3g

Of course i will update tomorrow afternoon, but im not sure if i want to dose again in 24hr or wait 48. Ive read both


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Man, I thought I was long winded. :icon_wink

Just read about 99% of your thread. I like that tank. Nice and simple and clean. If you are gonna breed shrimp, that is the way to go.

What happened to the 55? Is it still running? If so, it would not be too hard to redo it as a planted tank. Depending on your lighting. Which would be an easy and cheap fix. And I will say this, shrimp are addictive. I have 5 tanks, and every single one has shrimp in it. All cherries, but shrimp. Lol. Keep it up and you have me along for the ride.roud:


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

cableguy69846 said:


> Man, I thought I was long winded. :icon_wink
> 
> Just read about 99% of your thread. I like that tank. Nice and simple and clean. If you are gonna breed shrimp, that is the way to go.
> 
> What happened to the 55? Is it still running? If so, it would not be too hard to redo it as a planted tank. Depending on your lighting. Which would be an easy and cheap fix. And I will say this, shrimp are addictive. I have 5 tanks, and every single one has shrimp in it. All cherries, but shrimp. Lol. Keep it up and you have me along for the ride.roud:


Hey there... Yeah the 55 is up and running, but nothing much has changed in there, i need to add a heater and donate my goldfish, just havent got there yet. Also ive told my wife i wont do anything with it til we move next summer (moving literally across the country) i dont want to start anything and have to tear it down. (From indiana to oregon)

Shrimp ARE addictive lol. I could easily part with all my fish and have a 55g shrimp tank lol.

Thanks for stopping by!


----
Back to the regularly scheduled programming...

Just got home, flipped lights, and there are still shrimplettes alive!! Woohoo. Theres also a couple planara but mostly gone, and i havent found 1 hydra 

Even with that being said, i will probably dose another .1gram tonight and see if it finishes the job :thumbsup:

Babies


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> Hey there... Yeah the 55 is up and running, but nothing much has changed in there, i need to add a heater and donate my goldfish, just havent got there yet. Also ive told my wife i wont do anything with it til we move next summer (moving literally across the country) i dont want to start anything and have to tear it down. (From indiana to oregon)
> 
> Shrimp ARE addictive lol. I could easily part with all my fish and have a 55g shrimp tank lol.
> 
> ...


Across the country?! :eek5:Yeah, don't mess with the 55 yet. Lol.

55 gallon shrimp tank would be awesome. I also forgot to mention, as for your lights, do you turn them on and off manually? If so, Wal-Mart has cheap $4 light timers. The dial ones. I use them on all my tanks, and it makes life so much easier.:thumbsup:


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I do turn off manually except the shrimp jar... Crazy thing is i have the timers, its just something i like to do...


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> I do turn off manually except the shrimp jar... Crazy thing is i have the timers, its just something i like to do...


Lol. I hear that. I liked it too, in the beginning, then when you get 7 tanks and some reptiles, timers become your best friend.:smile:


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

2 tanks and 3 jars, im getting close. Lol.

Also i know a guy who farms rcs and sells on ebay (would be easy to find given that info and my location) and he has (4) 55gallon tanks and just got a 300gallon!! He said as far as he knows thats the biggest rcs tank in the country...


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> 2 tanks and 3 jars, im getting close. Lol.
> 
> Also i know a guy who farms rcs and sells on ebay (would be easy to find given that info and my location) and he has (4) 55gallon tanks and just got a 300gallon!! He said as far as he knows thats the biggest rcs tank in the country...


I would give a limb to have a 300 gallon tank.....:icon_eek:

I would really love to get a 40B to use as a shrimp tank, or one of the big short saltwater frag tanks. Something along the lines of 4 feet square and a foot tall. That would be awesome.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Ha. I would do horrid things for a 20long or even a 3g long. Haha.

I just wiped some algae off of my light hood (glass protected) but it left some grime still on there. Whats a good way to clean this? Vinegar and keep it off for a day after a lot of rinsing?


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> Ha. I would do horrid things for a 20long or even a 3g long. Haha.
> 
> I just wiped some algae off of my light hood (glass protected) but it left some grime still on there. Whats a good way to clean this? Vinegar and keep it off for a day after a lot of rinsing?


Lol. I love 20 long tanks. I am waiting on PetCo's $1 a gallon sale to come around again.

What does the wife say about having a rack of tanks? I stacked mine cuz I fit 3 in the footprint of one.

As for cleaning the light, a bit of vinegar and wipe it down, rinse it till the smell is gone, and you should be able to put it back on right after. You can even water the vinegar down a bit if it will make you a bit more comfortable.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

She said if i sell the 55 i can get a rack :/. Or wait til we move... For some reason she doesnt feel i need 3 shrimp only tanks haha.

Mark my words. One day i will have (3) 20 longs on a rack haha


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> She said if i sell the 55 i can get a rack :/. Or wait til we move... For some reason she doesnt feel i need 3 shrimp only tanks haha.
> 
> Mark my words. One day i will have (3) 20 longs on a rack haha


Waiting until you move will not be so bad. And if you start acquiring equipment now, it will also be a bit easier on the wallet.

Everyone needs 3 shrimp only tanks. :hihi: I may be setting up 3 more tanks in the near future if funds will allow.:smile:


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I was already planning that out honestly because im sure its harder to find what i want up in the mountains! Going to try to bring as much with me as possible, i am already not looking forward to the move...


Also, please call my wife and explain the rule of 3 lol


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> I was already planning that out honestly because im sure its harder to find what i want up in the mountains! Going to try to bring as much with me as possible, i am already not looking forward to the move...
> 
> 
> Also, please call my wife and explain the rule of 3 lol


You can forgo the tanks in the beginning. Get a plan together and start from there. The tanks you can grab anywhere just about. Craigslist is good for tanks, and PetCo does $1 a gallon sale a couple of times a year. I think the biggest expense besides the tanks, are going to be the lighting. You can always use shop lights from a big box hardware store for that.

Lol. Not so sure she will appreciate that. Every time I tell my wife anything about fish tanks, she leaves the room. :hihi: Usually I don't tell her anymore. I just show up with a tank. (Not advisable for health reasons though. :hihi: )


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Pfffffft my wife yelled at me when she came home to 3 chinese algae eaters (because i donated our common pleco). $3 is all it takes over here lmao.

Lights/rack/filters is my pre-move list. At least 1 of my 20L will run a eheim 2213.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> Pfffffft my wife yelled at me when she came home to 3 chinese algae eaters (because i donated our common pleco). $3 is all it takes over here lmao.
> 
> Lights/rack/filters is my pre-move list. At least 1 of my 20L will run a eheim 2213.


Are you going to do one of the High tech? I use air powered sponge filters for mine. The 20 high has an AC30 on it and I will probably carry that over to the new 20 long. If you are doing just shrimp, you shouldn't need all that hardware.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Yea, one will be shrimpless and dont care about fish for it yet, want to get a nice setup and co2 and have a nice scape - but thats when i move and have a shrimp rack  lots of planning still


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> Yea, one will be shrimpless and dont care about fish for it yet, want to get a nice setup and co2 and have a nice scape - but thats when i move and have a shrimp rack  lots of planning still


Very nice. I want to do a high tech too, but I need to shuffle some things around first.:icon_sad: Might be a while.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Just dosed the 10gal with .15~grams fenben, the first dose killed about 80-85% so figured id better step it up for the survivors. Mixed with 28ml tank water.


Cough... wrong thread but i dosed the shrimp jar with .1g. Havent seen anything but ill have shrimp there in 2 days so didnt want to have to go threw this again. Will feed twice a week but smaller chunks.


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## CheyLillymama22 (Jun 9, 2013)

Hope it works! Im really worried about the planaria in my tank. Something is up with my debit card and my amazon order for the fenben was canceled. Im gonna build a diy trap. 
-.-
BTW, your 3 gal bowl is really starting to look great!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Check my raok chey

And thank you


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Woohoo!!

Just turned on my rcs tank and theres babies everywhere! I stopped counting at 20.  i will have a nice colony here soon

Also, 99.9% of worms/hydra are gone! I only saw 1 tiny planara (or detritus worm) noone ever confirmed for me and hopefully i have things under control


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> Woohoo!!
> 
> Just turned on my rcs tank and theres babies everywhere! I stopped counting at 20.  i will have a nice colony here soon
> 
> Also, 99.9% of worms/hydra are gone! I only saw 1 tiny planara (or detritus worm) noone ever confirmed for me and hopefully i have things under control


Baby shrimp are always a good thing.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

No time to do full update but... Added plants to 10g, re arranged a million times... Dunno if its final positioning.

Question. Tied twigs, keep or go


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

That tank is good lookin. :thumbsup:

How is your java fern planted? And what kind of lighting do you have on it?


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Both java ferns are glued to driftwood, top left and bottm right 


I believe theyre 10w bulbs for aquariums, ive looked for brighter locally


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I removed the bundle of sticks...

I like this picture because it shows the new variety of plants and baby shrimp scattered around










And i took this pic for a different thread but it can go here too, my poor little p.helferi. And also a berried momma on the dw


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Ugh, but tank! What about the 55g?

$1 guppy sale? Got 5 . Way nicer in person i will get pics. I almost got some conra guppies instead










You probably cant tell but i added a couple more stems, i have names written down and will list eventually 










And i am pretty proud of my shrimp/plant area. Not everythings shown but its starting to add up


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I also went to 5 different stores because im crazy and was looking for gh+ 

At the last store, the money was burning a hole so i got some stuff "just incase"


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I bought 2 oto's for the 10g!! I always wanted some but never were in locally. Now im just scared theyll eat the tiny babies, but theres literally 50~ so i think ill be ok, but they are being shy so no picturees for now...

Well i do have a pic of me dripping them for an hour










Also picked up 2 more bottles of co2 boost, and Seachem Replenish.










Also the first time ive seen this in a store, so grabbed it. I have a heavy heavy stash of shrimp food i may do a small raok soon


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

The oto's will be fine with the shrimp. It is the guppies I would worry about. They will eat anything that will fit in their mouths.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Guppies are in the 55g


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

That feeling, when you have a 20L in your trunk because Petco's sale started a couple days ago, and you just dont know how to tell your wife about tank #6. 

LOL.


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## norbot (Jan 5, 2013)

Hey Tankyou, just read through all 9 pages of your journal, I enjoy your sense of humor, makes me want to read more, and there are some gems in there! haha The planted tank comedy hour all the way! :thumbsup:

Sorry I've missed your journal til now, looks like you've had some fun riding that learning curve like I did! 

You may be able to tell this is the first and only forum I've really participated in and I've found that I'm very bad at it! It's hard for me to communicate well to begin with. Take away hand gestures and facial expressions, and I've got next to nothing left! It's crazy how a simple innocent comment can sometimes ignite some serious passion! Still trying to figure how to talk without pissing people off! haha :icon_smil Or maybe that's not possible. :wink:

Following are some rambling thoughts I thought I'd share with you: 

I really miss Oregon, I think you'll like it there. My girl and I will be moving back there in a year or so with any luck. 

I feel your pain with the mts, I think it's just enjoying the hobby, but certain better halves strongly disagree! I got a good laugh out of the secret 20 stashed in your trunk! :hihi:

I think your tank looks great, you are succeeding in growing flourishing moss, this is no small feat! Is it java moss on the dw? I'm no good at id'ing moss but looks nice

I think those green emerald cories are becoming my favorite, they're so jolly about everything!

I couldn't get p. helferi to cooperate with me, might have been because the package I bought was mostly brown mush, but at least I got them to take 50% off. You having any luck with it? :help:

Have you thought about an emersed container setup? (*avoids angry glare from your wife*) This has helped me understand how plants grow, provides me plenty of spare of plants in case I kill everything (extremely likely btw), has helped recoup some money by selling plants locally, and is very easy and cheap to do. Anytime I get a new plant I always put some in the emersed, I put a tiny piece of s. repens in there and it has taken over a square foot without a single objection! All you really need is a container, some dirt water and light, even sunlight can work. 

Anyway, there's some rambling thoughts for you, wanted to chime in and say nice work!


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## parrottbay (May 14, 2012)

Moss is looking good!!


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

norbot said:


> Hey Tankyou, just read through all 9 pages of your journal, I enjoy your sense of humor, makes me want to read more, and there are some gems in there! haha The planted tank comedy hour all the way! :thumbsup:
> 
> Thanks  I try to keep it entertaining. and Welcome aboard!
> 
> ...


usually dont reply like that ^^^ but it was a doosy. lol
I will be checking your journals tonight 



parrottbay said:


> Moss is looking good!!


Thanks!


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> Guppies are in the 55g


Good man. :icon_smil



TankYouVeryMuch said:


> That feeling, when you have a 20L in your trunk because Petco's sale started a couple days ago, and you just dont know how to tell your wife about tank #6.
> 
> LOL.


I want to partake in that sale. Stupid bills. Ruining all my fun.

On the emersed setup side of things, I had two running for a while. Paid for a lot of the hobby when I had it setup. You can even put it indoors and run it with some cheap dome lamps and CFL bulbs during the winter and it will work great. I saw a great thread on it, if I can find it I will PM it to you.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks for the link! I will get into it a bit later when i have time . Excited to learn tho


Couple pics to show moss growth and plants...










I still plan on making this a "tree" just letting it go crazy for now, also tons of baby shrimps i dont want to mess with it just yet by trimming










Full shot of moss growth... I think its doing excellent










I dont know why i didnt retake this picture. Looks rough. Sorry. FTS










Last but not least, a jungle section of the tank, showing off the different plants. Notice the p.helferi in the bottom left corner. All sad and alone :/


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Wanted to post this again so people can compare easier...











Im i just straight up forgot about this one... My oto's are freakin ninjas. I never see them...


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Tank is lookin good. Lots of moss growth.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Thanks sir 

I added some fluval white ceramic ring thingies (yes i have great vocabs skills) to all my tanks... Just because it looks cool lol. Like a canister filter broke and through chunks everywhere...


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

OFFICIAL. 55g is gone. Let me say WOW lol. im glad I did that now and not when I was moving. The lady wanted to keep a tiny bit of water in there for the shrimp... and lets say carrying it down 3 flights of steps wasnt fun. lol. But she did give me $20 over my asking price for labor cost  

Either way... Im debating on whether or not to setup my 20L or if I should just wait (over 6 months) until we move. I really dont want to get it setup and have it right where I want it in 6mo, just to have to tear it down. Im already kicking myself for having 3 other tanks right now... The blue velvets have to stay separate from the rcs and I dont want any of them in the other tank for the betta ((besides the 4 shrimp already in there))

Maybe I will set it up, and have only moss for now? Im really itching for some OEBT from Duke... 

I should be getting an eheim 2213 tomorrow, and I also want to order a LED light to go over the 20L, its just, do i set it up or wait...


RIP 55gal. You will be missed (kinda)  

I will probably stop posting in this thread and just make the RCS their own thread


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Last tiny update before I start new thread... sorry for 2 posts so close in time.


Came home today and had a dead RCS. Adult, of course :/ I still see TONS of babies but figured id check parameters anyway...

Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 0
((Isnt it bad to have all 0 ppm?))
pH- 7.5~
TDS- 433
gh- 24 drops!!
kh- 10 drops

So, GH is higher than ever, even though ive been doing wc's with RO water, am I adding too much Seachem Replenish? I am using less than recommended. I figured not or my kh would be lower right? or wrong? also, tds is kinda high... from what I know, these things can be changed with lots of small water changes, but im already doing it once a week and it seems to be getting worse?

((blue velvet bowl is identical as theyre on same schedule, well, tds was a tad bit lower))


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## jkpedrita (Jun 5, 2013)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> That feeling, when you have a 20L in your trunk because Petco's sale started a couple days ago, and you just dont know how to tell your wife about tank #6.
> 
> LOL.


I did the same thing! They had that 5 off 25 coupon so I almost got the 40 I've been dreaming of. Hmmmm...maybe I'll lead with that when bring out the 20. "It could have been worse, it could have been a 40b."

Great posts!


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