# 7gal Shrimp only - "Forgotten Glade"



## chadly (May 17, 2005)

That's gonna look really cool. Those rocks are soo cool, but most of them are hidden. The ones I'm talking about are the ones sorta behind the downoi, what if it they were forced into a mound where the downoi is currently and the downoi placed in between the rocks. It may need a little more light though. Maybe just add another, different colored bulb.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

WOW! I really like this one a lot! It's just, unique! It reminds me of a scene out of a fantasy movie, but I can't put my finger on it...


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

The rocks are sorta supposed to be hidden... What I mean is, I was trying to make it look like the root was growing over the rock, splitting it in places, like a big vine in the jungles of malaysia and such 

I might attempt to pad out the ones behind the downoi though, problem is I ran out of small rock! I have a few more lumps I might be able to smash up  I'm a bit unsure about the slates at the front, but I'm sure it'll look a lot better when the Fissidens fills out.

Shrimp arrive tomorrow! Its very cold in the UK tonight, I just hope they arrive safely.


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Shrimp arrived at 12.30pm, and all looked to be healthy, all hiding in the moss my friend had included in the bag (nice looking taiwan moss!) I get them into a plastic container and floated it on top of the aquarium, and acclimitised them for a few hours. I have also swapped the filter over from the Eheim 2213 that was on it to the Eheim pro 2222 which I intend to be the main filter for this tank. The main reason was that I was worried the 2213 had un-cycled seeing as it had been running on the tank with no inhabbitants for a good week or so. The other reason is I plan to use that filter on a slightly larger tank 

Anyhow, I almost forgot to cover over the end of the filter intake to prevent shrimplets being sucked into the filter. I used a section of cloth mesh from an old breeding trap I had kicking about. I rolled it over the inlet strainer and tied it off at the bottom. I then tucked the remainder of the mesh at the top and trapped it inplace when I put the strainer back onto the intake tube. Should work a treat 

Anyhow, enough blabbering. Here are a few pics 










One of the larger shrimps:









My favourite angle. I've added a few more smaller bits of rock behind the P. helferi and under one of the overhanging "roots". Small pieces but I think they've added to it:










And an overall shot:









Too lazy to rotate the photos and crop them :lol:

Just want to say thanks again to LondonDragon for the shrimp. I just have to pay him now


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

this tank looks great, very different from alot of tanks out there i like it. this is going to look amazing once its filled in a bit.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I have to say, I love it! It sure is a great tank!


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## hyphination (Sep 25, 2008)

cool layout


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Thanks guys  I really want to rip out that horrible white thread, but I'm going to be patient. It usually blends in after some weeks and is less noticeable...

I've noticed my mosses are starting to grow already, after a 1 1/2 weeks. Really please with this!

Still dosing EasyCarbo and Tropica TPN+ but haven't got a set regime yet. I'll get that sorted soon and then hopefully the tank will take care of itself... Bit of moss trimming here and there, water changes etc


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## chadly (May 17, 2005)

looks great! congrats on the shrimps!

I suggest looking for rubberbands (the ouchless ones) for women's hair/ponytails. Try and find black ones, they work perfect. Then when you don't want them anymore, just cut it and it'll snap off w/o being tangled in the moss.

http://www.maxdelivery.com/nkz/exec/Product/Display?productId=260063092


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestion 

Things seem to be growing reasonably well. Shrimp seem to be happy enough too! New shoots have formed on the P. Helferi and the Stauragyne too. I added some riccia floating, mainly for storage purposes, but the shrimp are loving climbing in it at the moment. I intend to use this in another tank, but haven't gotten to the stage where I can use it yet!

I'll post more pics when it's grown some more


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## ohyeahcrx (Mar 21, 2008)

Looks awesome. It makes your tank look so much bigger then it really is. This'll look sweet when it grows in more


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

I've seen one shrimplet today! Tiny little blighter :lol: 

I'm getting a few small patches of diatoms on the front glass, and a little GSA too. Also seeing a few small bits of hair algae on the fissidens at the front on the slates. Not much though.

I really need to get a dosing regime down and stick to it! I plan to do a water change tomorrow and have it sorted by then, and then I'll stick to that 

I'll try to post some pics too. I've just noticed how much the slates have filled in! Also, the bolbitis seems to be unrolling a few new leaves/shoots too. I think that the floating riccia is blocking out reasonable amount of light, but I think this is working to my advantage, stopping any massive algae outbreaks at this early stage... I'm considering chucking a few of my nerite snails into this tank as additional tank cleaning crew 

Fingers crossed eh?


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Name picked  - "Forgotten Glade"


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Wow man, this is a gorgeous tank. Definately echoing all those 'I cant wait for it to grow in' sentiments. 

Loving the driftwood roots and stump.


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## fishboy87 (Feb 19, 2008)

Great piece of wood and it looks extremely natural! Good job!


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

I managed to count 4 shrimplets this morning  Added a Nerite snail to help out with glass cleaning. GSA is starting to take hold a little, so going to do a water change this evening.

My dosing regime starting this week will be:

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - 1ml Tropica Plant Nutrition+
Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 1ml Tropica Plant Nutrition

1.5ml Easy Carbo daily.

Rest/Water change Sunday.

One of the chaps from Tropica told Graeme on UKAPS at the Glee show in September that they have been having good success dosing TPN+ and TPN on alternate days. I thought I'd give it a try.


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

I've just taken a few update pics. The Staurogyne has bushed out reasonably well. I might need to prune it back in the comming weeks and stimulate some more bushy growth. The moss covered slate has covered nicely 



















I've added a spraybar to get a better flow front too back.


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## Ugly Genius (Sep 27, 2003)

So much variety! Great looking tank. I'll be watching this one to see how it grows out. Keep it up, mate!

(You in the UK do say "mate" where we in the States would say "bro", "dude", or "man", right, bro?)


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

glad to see it filling in so nicely, keep the updates a commin


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

Ugly Genius said:


> So much variety! Great looking tank. I'll be watching this one to see how it grows out. Keep it up, mate!
> 
> (You in the UK do say "mate" where we in the States would say "bro", "dude", or "man", right, bro?)


Haha, depends on where you're from, by and large mate is used, especially in the midlands. 

Nice tank steve, hate the 2222 yet?


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

garuf said:


> Nice tank steve, hate the 2222 yet?


Not sure really. I noticed the flow seemed to have dropped quite a bit when I started fiddling last night, so I gave it a clean out. I fitted a spraybar, so can't really say for sure, but flow seems OK at the moment.

The other cause could be the inlet clogged. I have the mesh over it so I don't loose any shrimplets but I wasn't able to check it (didn't want to loose the syphon, the 2222 is a bugger to prime if you do!)

I might swap over to a Fluval 204 perhaps, I have 2 kicking about at the moment :icon_eek:

Cheers *mate*


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Taken some pics this afternoon 

Shrimplet! (I really need a better lense!):









Another:









Difficult to get up close, any advice on a cheap macro lense for an EOS300D?









Feeding time. I've noticed they've nearly all coloured up nicely now:









This root is proving to be a good posing spot:









Full shot. That riccia will be gone this time tomorrow 









Next to it's "Big brother" (90cm):


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

Once that 7gl fills in it will look really nice, especially when it gets all dense and lush.
You should document it's big brother too though. That tank looks already redics amazing and Its not even close to being done. If you have a journal on it, could you post the link?


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Thanks for the comments! 

This tanks big brother does have a journal, though I only started it this evening. I'm hoping to pull this back from an algae nightmare, which is why it's called "Back from the brink". Unfortunately the forum I posted it on is down at the moment.

Heres a pic I took this evening:










It has some pots of Ludwiga Arcruata waiting to be planted in another tank, and some echinodorus which are waiting to be posted to people.


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## SearunSimpson (Jun 5, 2007)

How many gallons is the Big Brother? Thats the new name for this tank, haha. I really love the look of it and am wanting to do a tank similar. What type of Crypt is that planted along the front right? I am wanting to do a similar tank, but am curious as to what size that is before attempting.

SrS


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

SearunSimpson said:


> How many gallons is the Big Brother? Thats the new name for this tank, haha. I really love the look of it and am wanting to do a tank similar. What type of Crypt is that planted along the front right? I am wanting to do a similar tank, but am curious as to what size that is before attempting.
> 
> SrS


I've copied over my journal for the "big brother" tank over here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...back-brink-150ish-litre-learning-journal.html

Thanks again 

Steve.


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Not much has changed really, other than I've managed to count 5 shrimplets now. They're growing quite quickly by the looks of it. Definately look a little bigger than when I first spotted them.

This gives me hope that there are more lurking about in the back somewhere  GSA and diatoms seem to have died back. I have 2 nerites in there (one had already died before I put him in it seems  )

Dosing continues at 1ml TPN+ and 1ml EasyCarbo a day.


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

I really like the wood and placement of everything here. I can't wait to see it grow in as well. Nicely done! 

I recently got a small chunk of Staurogyne sp. that was on its last leg as an extra in a trade and I only hope I can bring it back to life to look like yours. I had no idea this stuff has such a thick rhizome underneath those leaves... or is it even considered that?


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## Captain Hooked (Oct 13, 2008)

*Good on you.*

As a newbie to planted aquariums, I lurk on the journal pages a lot- getting ideas. I often find things I would change in a person's tank. This tank, however, is one of the very few tanks where I wouldn't change a single thing. While I would say that amazing driftwood stump really makes the tank- it's more than that. It's what you did with it that really shows. The way you have positioned it and adorned it says (to me), you pay attention to nature. It looks like we're at the base of a majestic tree, and the finished product belies it's tiny size. It's a snapshot right out of the forest. You didn't overdo it, nor did you stop short. It's just right to my eye. Simple, but oh so beautifully executed. My hat is off. I'm taking notes on this one......:thumbsup:

Mike.


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

Really, really gorgeous tank. I love it.


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Thanks for all the positive comments guys  Much appreciated! It spurs me on to get the big tank sorted out, and then the 80cm I have planned :lol:

I just hope this tank matures well, without too many problems. I'm going to have a little trim of the mosses this weekend I think, see how well attached they are and whether I can get rid of the anoying thread I had to use. Fingers crossed eh?


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## sadistic-otaku (Feb 2, 2008)

I can't wait to see it grown out  That driftwood looks amazing


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## requiem (Oct 25, 2008)

*very nice!*

*sigh* that is exactly the size and shape of driftwood I've been looking all over for. May I ask how/where you found such a beauty?

Your tank looks great! ...it's always a bit strange when you have an idea floating in your head for a few weeks, then find an existing tank that's very close! *grins*


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

I'll jump in on steves behalf, the wood is from Redmoor and I suspect it's from either the green machine or Aqua essentials. 
Both me and Steve live in the uk so I don't know if you'll be able to get any in Canada (?).

Btw, I received the plants steve, that hygro is HUGE.


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Cheers Garuf mate  Hope the hygro is useful to you mate. Should grow quick!

I actually got the wood from my LFS, who've started selling redmoor. I was really lucky with this little piece 

Lots of new buds on the weeping moss, and I've counted up too 9 shrimplets now which is cool.


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## requiem (Oct 25, 2008)

*thanks*

I see! Thanks you two for the info.

...I've been lurking on these boards forever, but I HAD to ask *waves from Montreal*


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Yeah, I've been lurking on the boards for a while too. Thought I should post my two current scapes and get feedback on how to better them 

Ooh, I also noticed I have another shrimp layden with eggs  More babies in then next month or so hopefully!


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Few pics I took yesterday:

Foreground. P helferi doing OK. Still a little white but new growth is looking better:









Young shrimp and baby shrimp. Amazing to see the difference in size


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

I just redid my cube today Steve. I'll be after some of that downoi and staragua once you do a trim.


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Cool mate! Posting pics?

Just a quick note to say I counted 6 females carrying eggs last night  Population explosion iminent!


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## SteveUK (Apr 6, 2008)

Hey guys. A bit of an update on this tank... It slipped into a bad state for quite a while. Over Christmas my interest in all things fishy kind of wained. But it's been back with avengence for the last few months.

The tank had a massive ball of hair algae festering for a while, but after a lot of cleaning out and tidying in January it's on the way back to being ok 

The bolbitis is looking pretty nice and growing well. The staurogyne has soldiered on pretty well. A little GSA here and there but it'll be OK  i actually stole half of the staurogyne for my 90cm. I've just planted a little glosso to replace the fissidens on slate. It never actually attached itself to the slate in the end. It's growing well on the redmoor. It's self seeding and creeping around very naturally!

Anyhow, no photos yet, but perhaps over the weekend 

Ooh, and I lost count of shrimp at about 60, so they've bred pretty well


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