# Crystal Black Spec *Babies*



## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

Can't go wrong with some mosses. Toss in some anubias on a Spec size piece of wood and I think you got a tank going....


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## hockey9999 (Nov 21, 2010)

I've got moss tied to wood in mine and its growing like crazy under the stock LED light. Had some Anubias in there too that was doing really well, but moved it to a different tank.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Cool. Thanks for the advice. I was wondering what would make it with that light. I'll have to order some moss . . . I was thinking of doing a "cliff" of petrified wood with some fisidens.


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## Zareth (Dec 13, 2010)

Petrified Wood and Shrimp are a no no from what I've heard. 
Perhaps the Aquasoil would nullify the fact that Petrified Wood is essentially a porous pile of minerals, and as such can drastically raise the hardness of your water. The wood is often calcified but can be a collection of all sorts of things, typically red petrified wood has a lot of copper in it too which I hear is bad for fish, so its probably bad for Shrimp.

Now all of that is irrelevant if shrimp like hard water, and I cant remember if they either like really hard or really soft water to help them molt.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Zareth said:


> Petrified Wood and Shrimp are a no no from what I've heard.


misnikkistar from The Shrimp Lab has it in her CRS tank, so I have a hard time believing that it's a "no no". I'll certainly look into the issue though before going ahead with that choice.

Googled it, and the folks over at shrimpnow all seem to think it's fine for crystal shrimp.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Tank arrived and has now been scaped with ADA I, tiny manzanita twigs, java fern, blyxa, marsalia minuta, a couple of mini marimo moss balls and lots of crushed IAL.

A Hydor Theo 25W fits in the back compartment perfectly, but heating that compartment with the hose bypass from the pump to the outflow wasn't doing much to heat the tank. Also, the flow was STRONG. As an experiment, I took the hose and outflow off to see if the warm water would circulate out the hole. So far that plan seems to be working. 

I'm going to make a moss wall with Christmas moss later today, and I'll try to take better pics tonight when its dark. 

Here's a crap cellphone pic:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Here's my 6" sq moss wall for the back of the spec. It's made with black plastic needlepoint canvas and zip ties. Fit perfectly. Now I just have to be patient and wait for the moss to fill in.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Betta Maniac said:


> A Hydor Theo 25W fits in the back compartment perfectly, but heating that compartment with the hose bypass from the pump to the outflow wasn't doing much to heat the tank. Also, the flow was STRONG. As an experiment, I took the hose and outflow off to see if the warm water would circulate out the hole. So far that plan seems to be working.


Decided I wanted a little more flow . . . so I made small (2-3mm) holes in the tube so warm water could be exchanged but the flow would be stronger. I think it's perfect now. Medium flow + warm water. 

Now it just has to cycle so I can put the shrimp in, LOL!


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

That thing is cloudy! haha but looks good.

I've heard the same about petrified wood in crs tanks but who knows.


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## Hadley (Dec 12, 2010)

Definitely following this, I'm planning on picking one up today.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

very cool little tank! Can't wait to see more pics! Moss walls are fun, I've got my first one going in my 5g and I love it  

Just a thought I had, feel free to ignore it completely, but have you thought about maybe flipping the pile of manzanita 90 degrees so that it looks like roots coming down into the water? I think that could look really cool! I like it the way it is too, but those little branches really look like roots so I figured I'd suggest it :tongue: 

Either way, very cool little tank! Can't wait to see it progress! :biggrin:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

IWANNAGOFAST said:


> That thing is cloudy! haha but looks good.
> 
> I've heard the same about petrified wood in crs tanks but who knows.



Yeah. Amazonia is like that till it settles. That pic is like 10 minutes after filling the tank. It will clear up quickly though. I didn’t end up using the petrified wood afterall. Didn’t like the way it looked in the end. Tank is even smaller than I expected. 





Hadley said:


> Definitely following this, I'm planning on picking one up today.



It’s a great little tank (little being the operative word!). 





Karackle said:


> Moss walls are fun, I've got my first one going in my 5g and I love it
> 
> Just a thought I had, feel free to ignore it completely, but have you thought about maybe flipping the pile of manzanita 90 degrees so that it looks like roots coming down into the water? I think that could look really cool! I like it the way it is too, but those little branches really look like roots so I figured I'd suggest it


 Your moss wall is what inspired this one. 



Sadly, the twigs aren't really tall enough for that, plus that would expose the zip tie, LOL! Otherwise, I'd totally do it, cause I LOVE the tanks with "roots". These were just little "extras" from my last Tom Barr shipment.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Betta Maniac said:


> Your moss wall is what inspired this one.


Woah really? Awesome! Glad I could be an inspiration! :hihi:



Betta Maniac said:


> Sadly, the twigs aren't really tall enough for that, plus that would expose the zip tie, LOL! Otherwise, I'd totally do it, cause I LOVE the tanks with "roots". These were just little "extras" from my last Tom Barr shipment.


HAHAHA ok fair enough! we can't have that zip tie exposed!  I really like the look of the "roots" too and the way the wood is laying down, it looked like it might be perfect for it, but I guess looks can be deceiving in this hobby, I reckon that's partly the whole point right? :tongue: I definitely still like the wood as is though, I'm excited to see this grow in!


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## Hadley (Dec 12, 2010)

I have to admit, I do not understand how to make moss wall, moss carpet anything and it's pretty frustrating. What do you do? Just tie the moss down to mesh and then attach that?


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

if you check out my thread for my 5 and 10g tank (link in my signature) I posted some pics on how I made my moss wall, you can also use the search function on the forum here and search for moss walls, you'll find a lot of "how to" guides by folks here on the forums. There are a few ways to do it, but the simplest is that you just place the moss between 2 pieces of mesh and close the edges so it doesn't float away. roud:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Hadley said:


> I have to admit, I do not understand how to make moss wall, moss carpet anything and it's pretty frustrating. What do you do? Just tie the moss down to mesh and then attach that?


This is what I did:

Bought one sheet of black plastic needle point canvas (back of Spec tank is black) and a bag of the smallest black zip ties I could find. 

I cut out two 6" squares. 

I attached four suction cups (I used the ones from the SeaChem in tank ammonia and nitrate cards I'd stopped using, the little "hooks" fit perfectly, but I'm sure any could be made to work with zip ties and a little ingenuity). 

I spread the moss over the square with the suction cups facing down. 

I laid the other square on top and zip tied the edges (two zip ties per side). 

Then I put in a few more zip ties in the middle (like 7) in a vague checkerboard pattern to hold the moss in place. 

It was easy and cheap. Most expensive part was the moss ($16 in the SnS). 

Now I just have to hope it grows in. 

My other idea was to use a single layer of the plastic and weave the moss through the holes. Still think that might have worked better . . .


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## Hadley (Dec 12, 2010)

Hmm, I will definitely give it a try lol, thanks. New things always intimidate me.


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## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

Hair net from beauty supply. Fine invisible plastic mesh. $0.65 each. Use it on the front with your mesh and suction cups on the back for instant looks. 

Jim


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Hair net is great for attaching moss to rocks and stuff, but it's too flimsy IMO to make a wall out of. You need something with a little body to it. Though I guess it might work if you secured it well with lots of suction cups.


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## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

Use the plastic sewing sheet for the back. Hair net for the front with a few stitches to the back?

Jim


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## elliebellie (Jan 28, 2011)

Yeah jim that's what I was thinking, Sew that baby on there instead of zipties


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## Hadley (Dec 12, 2010)

See I'm trying to make a flame moss carpet. It's turning out to be a little trickier than I imagined. I need something that'll be anchored to the substrate.

(And I'll also try a moss wall for my spec or whatever I pick up today)


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## dhgyello04 (Jul 11, 2008)

Hadley said:


> I have to admit, I do not understand how to make moss wall, moss carpet anything and it's pretty frustrating. What do you do? Just tie the moss down to mesh and then attach that?


Hello Hadley,
Well moss walls and moss carpets are generally easy to create. If you have the patients, you can make one. 

-For the carpet, I found that if you get stainless steel mesh from the hardware store (for screen doors) the weight of the mesh will help weigh it down. Cut out two of the same shapes that you prefer. Place the moss between the two shapes and take pliers to fold the edges down and under to form a closed edge. With the right light and fertz added to the mix you should have a thick carpet in no time.

-For walls. It is the same concept only you don’t want to use stainless steel, but use the plastic grid from a craft store. Before placing the moss in-between the two sheets you need to fasten some suction cups to it. I bought suction cups one for each corner and one in the middle. Cut a small hole in the grids and squeeze the suction cut threw both. I used fishing line to sew the suction cups in place. Place the moss in-between the two grids (leaving the suction cups on the outside) and use fishing line to sew all the edges closed. This is where your patients come in. When your done just secure to the back of the tanks and your good to go.

Here is mine.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/130862-dons-ebi.html


Hope this helps you.
-Don


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## Hadley (Dec 12, 2010)

So sorry to hijack your thread Betta. But everyone thank you for the excellent information, I will get to it tonight.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

No worries. 

I used zip ties because they were fast, easy, and won't show at all once the moss grows in. Fishing line is a real PITA IME.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Betta Maniac said:


> I used zip ties because they were fast, easy, and won't show at all once the moss grows in. Fishing line is a real PITA IME.


Same here. :hihi: I'm WAY too impatient! I did do some really quick sewing to keep the moss from sliding to the bottom, but it probably wasn't necessary.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

It's not that I'm impatient (I hand sew historical clothing, every [email protected] stitch of entire gowns), but I don't see that using fishing line gets me anything in this scenario.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Betta Maniac said:


> It's not that I'm impatient (I hand sew historical clothing, every [email protected] stitch of entire gowns), but I don't see that using fishing line gets me anything in this scenario.


Haha I'm actually not THAT impatient, I hand sew too (nothing as elaborate as you though, that sounds very cool!) and I do a lot of beading and other crafts that require some patience, I actually just meant though that I was impatient to get the wall in place (and I didn't want the moss to dry out) which is why I chose zip ties to keep the mesh together as opposed to sewing it with fishing line or anything else  I didn't use hairnet myself, I agree you needs something a little stiffer. I actually plastic gutter cover mesh for my walls roud:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Here it is tonight. The haze has settled a bit (it's quite clear in person, what's left of the "haze" is caused by the crap Spec light). Now you can make out the wall at the back of the tank. I'm going to put this little tank right next to my computer in my office so I can watch my shrimp (and procrastinate, LOL!) while I'm writing.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

When not being photographed, there is lots of penny wort floating in it to help the cycle along. I'm debating adding a larger bit of java fern to the wood . . . but I think I'll let it grow on its own for now and add more once the tank has cycled and the moss has grown in a bit if I think it still looks bare (must remember to give the plants room to grow!).


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## Moody636 (Oct 24, 2009)

I patiently sewed my moss onto a craft grid without using two pieces because I was too impatient to wait for it to grow out. It took a good hour, but it filled in really quickly because it didn't have to grow out of the grids. Plus, I don't have to worry about the moss dying off on the inside.

Sent from my AK-47 using Tapatalk


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

I came so close today to ripping it apart and redoing it, but I'm trying to trust in the process . . . If I don't see bits poking out in a week or so, I'm going to do what you did.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

hahahaha silly you have to give it more than 1 day to start growing! 

But in truth, I started seeing little nubbins poking out within a couple of days, so there's that to look forward to :biggrin:


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## jahmic (Jan 30, 2011)

Tank looks great...I've been eying one of these for my desk at work...but don't quite know what to expect as far as a reaction from the boss :hihi:



Betta Maniac said:


> I came so close today to ripping it apart and redoing it, but I'm trying to trust in the process . . . If I don't see bits poking out in a week or so, I'm going to do what you did.


You could always take the 50/50 approach. I basically used a single piece of needle-point mesh, cut slats in it (leaving the ends attached), then wove the moss flat through the slats. The moss has been growing quickly in the areas "above" the slats, and the areas below are growing in slowly. It's filled in enough now that the mesh between the carpet is only visible if you stand directly in front of the tank and look down. I"m tempted to go in and cut some more holes in the mesh to encourage those areas to grow in...seems like the moss is having some difficulty finding it's way through those tiny holes.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Zareth said:


> Petrified Wood and Shrimp are a no no from what I've heard.
> Perhaps the Aquasoil would nullify the fact that Petrified Wood is essentially a porous pile of minerals, and as such can drastically raise the hardness of your water. The wood is often calcified but can be a collection of all sorts of things, typically red petrified wood has a lot of copper in it too which I hear is bad for fish, so its probably bad for Shrimp.
> 
> Now all of that is irrelevant if shrimp like hard water, and I cant remember if they either like really hard or really soft water to help them molt.





Betta Maniac said:


> misnikkistar from The Shrimp Lab has it in her CRS tank, so I have a hard time believing that it's a "no no". I'll certainly look into the issue though before going ahead with that choice.
> 
> Googled it, and the folks over at shrimpnow all seem to think it's fine for crystal shrimp.


Petrified wood is almost always made up of quartz, thus making it inert. However, there are some exceptions that some calcium carbonate is present. But most of the time it is usually on the outside of the rock and can be easily washed off. And if by chance wood has been petrified using some other element other thank quartz, I would doubt that it would be common at all. Therefore, I will make the sound statement that 99.9% of the time petrified wood is completely aquarium safe, and will not change any parameters within the tank.

Off that topic, I want a spec now.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Yah, my petrified wood is covered in juvie CRS/CBS. They seem to have absolutely no problem giving birth in this tank and growing to maturity.

See!


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

msnikkistar said:


> Off that topic, I want a spec now.


It's a cute little tank, but it's REALLY little. I'm already thinking I might need a bigger shrimp tank if I want them to breed, and then I could just keep the Spec on my desk for viewing.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

My birthday present arrived today! My 10 CBS Hinos are floating in the bag right now to warm up. They'll have to spend some time in the breeder box with my other CBS before the Spec is ready, but that should be fine. Once they color up, I'll be able to tell if I've got any no entries.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Well, they all seem to have acclaimated just fine. They're busy fighting the earlier arrivals for prime IAL.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Awesome Betta Maniac! I'm definitely following this thread.

You and Kara may have inspired me to do a moss background wall in my 5g betta tank. Ohhhh it's soo soo tempting!


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Messed about with the filter a bit this morning (it was Adventures in Filtration Morning anyway, since the Eheim on my 20-Long conked out in the night and had to coerced back into action). I cut the sponge in half and added a ton more biomax at the bottom. I figure people over filter their nanos all the time, why not do it with my Spec too? 

Amazonia is still leeching ammonia, so it's not ready for the shrimp anyway.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Did you say you had a 20L laying around? Will you be using that to set up a "breeding" tank?

I think the Sec is awesome for a desk tank but you would get a lot more breeding out of a larger tank


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Yes, I have a spare 20-Long that I haven't set up yet, and yes, I'm now planning on setting it up as a shrimp tank. I just can't figure out where to put it. I'd like to put it in my office, but there's no spot for it at the moment . . .

And I want to make sure that I can keep the little buggers alive and healthy before I jump in with both feet (I already skipped starting out with "easier" shrimp).


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## TLE041 (Jan 16, 2010)

Having a tank in your office is dangerous! You won't be getting much work done. I have mine beside my desk and I find my attention wandering in that direction every time I notice a shrimp move. I didn't have ADD before, but I probably do now.

I love Fluval Specs. The only thing is keeping good water quality and the parameters constant in a tank that small. 

Good luck with the tank!


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## antbug (May 28, 2010)

TLE041 said:


> Having a tank in your office is dangerous! You won't be getting much work done. I have mine beside my desk and I find my attention wandering in that direction every time I notice a shrimp move. I didn't have ADD before, but I probably do now.
> 
> I love Fluval Specs. The only thing is keeping good water quality and the parameters constant in a tank that small.
> 
> Good luck with the tank!


Tell me about it, but I'm the boss and I can sped hours looking at my tank.


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## jahmic (Jan 30, 2011)

antbug said:


> Tell me about it, but I'm the boss and I can sped hours looking at my tank.


That's what I've been missing at work...an extra monitor dedicated to TPT :thumbsup:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

TLE041 said:


> I love Fluval Specs. The only thing is keeping good water quality and the parameters constant in a tank that small.




That's why I monkeyed with the filter and upped the biomedia. I’m hoping that by having a much larger amount of it in there instead of having mostly sponge, I’ll be able to really keep the tank’s water quality and params great.


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## antbug (May 28, 2010)

I added a similar media bag to the other whole in the sponge and mine has been stable for a solid month. I’m doing EI on this tank so I also do 50% weekly water changes. In less than two months, I’ve had 3 berried RCS with only 1 left. Babies are everywhere. The light does very well for me too. I have needle leaf java fern, anubias petite nana, sunset hygro, blyxa jap. and some flame moss. All are growing great. Only directly under the light, I get a little algae.


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## antbug (May 28, 2010)

jahmic said:


> That's what I've been missing at work...an extra monitor dedicated to TPT :thumbsup:


I told IT I needed one to improve my productivity. Hahaha Little did I know it had a reverse effect.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

antbug said:


> In less than two months, I’ve had 3 berried RCS . . . Babies are everywhere.


That's very cool to hear! My shrimp are still babies, but I'll certainly report in if and when any of them become berried down the road.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

antbug said:


> I told IT I needed one to improve my productivity. Hahaha Little did I know it had a reverse effect.


I love having two screens. It actually really has improved my productivity, LOL!


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## antbug (May 28, 2010)

Betta Maniac said:


> I love having two screens. It actually really has improved my productivity, LOL!


It does help me, most days :icon_evil

How about an updated pic? I love these little tanks.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

antbug said:


> It does help me, most days :icon_evil
> 
> How about an updated pic? I love these little tanks.


I second the pic! and that's really an awesome Spec tank. It looks so small but so much is going on inside it. It truly isn't "small"


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

I'll take one tonight, but really, nothing has changed since last week, LOL!


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## torsp (Dec 19, 2010)

You have already jumped in with both feet by purchasing SS grade CBS..........good luck with breeding them in a 2g tank, more power to you if you pull that off. It would be a lot easier keeping them alive in a tank larger than 2g...........add lots of moss and floaters to help increase your odds of success....nm, just use the 20L and be done with it.





Betta Maniac said:


> Yes, I have a spare 20-Long that I haven't set up yet, and yes, I'm now planning on setting it up as a shrimp tank. I just can't figure out where to put it. I'd like to put it in my office, but there's no spot for it at the moment . . .
> 
> And I want to make sure that I can keep the little buggers alive and healthy before I jump in with both feet (I already skipped starting out with "easier" shrimp).


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

The 20-Long will probably get set up this weekend. 

The Spec was purchased when I was planning on just having some low-grade CBS to look at. Then the ones I was given turned out to be pretty dang nice, and then my friends bought me even nicer ones . . . and then I saw BKK. *drool* And I'm not crazy enough to spend that kind of money and then jamb then into a 2G.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

FINALLY got paid by my publisher!!! I'll be setting up the 20-Long this weekend. Yea! I've got Aquasoil and manzanita and plants and rocks already. Just need a heater,some biomedia for the filter, and a light. And to figure out where the heck I'm going to put it. 

The moss wall is starting to grow in on the Spec. I was worried that the moss was just dying inside the mess and it wasn't going to work. *phew*


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I'm glad to hear your moss wall is starting to grow. I just finished putting mine together earlier today although I'm thinking I should have used more moss (the ones from my rocks).

I'm excited to hear you got paid  That's always a good thing. Have you thought about just putting a hole in the wall and placing it in there? Perhaps in the bathroom where the mirror is supposed to be. Idk....  I was trying to think of some clever places but these just sound...lame


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Here's the tank last night. You can just make out the moss starting to poke through the plastic mesh. I moved the shrimp over today. *fingers crossed that they do well in there for now*


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## elliebellie (Jan 28, 2011)

SO cute! You are making me want to buy a spec and I haven't even set up my very first tank yet! That spec is just adorable!


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

It's REALLY small. I'm kind of wishing I'd gone with the Ebi now . . .


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

looking good! Glad to hear that new growth on the moss is peaking through! Once mine started poking through the mesh, it grew pretty quickly, hopefully it will for you too! roud:


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## elliebellie (Jan 28, 2011)

Betta Maniac said:


> It's REALLY small. I'm kind of wishing I'd gone with the Ebi now . . .


 
But I've always had an affinity for miniture things, it took all my willpower to do a 10 gallon!


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Mars will be happy you did!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

wow it looks fantastic! I can't wait for the moss wall to start growing in. That'll look so sweet! Was the 20 setup happening this weekend? How did that go?


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Haven't got round to it yet . . .


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

And I got totally derailed on Monday by my 30K oil change taking 4+ hours. *sigh* I have guests this weekend, so it will likely have to wait a week or two now. On the upside, got 10 more S+ CBS. These are really pretty too. VERY good color and opacity.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

If you pay for my flight out to Cali I'll come set up the tank 

How many shrimp do you have now? Are they all hanging out in a breeder box?


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> How many shrimp do you have now? Are they all hanging out in a breeder box?


I have 30+ and they're now in the Spec (well, the last 10 are in a bag on my desk, so when I get home from work there will be 30+ in the Spec).


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Was very upset this morning when I thought two of my shrimp had died! Fished them out, and discovered that no, two of them have molted. Yea!!!


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Betta Maniac said:


> Was very upset this morning when I thought two of my shrimp had died! Fished them out, and discovered that no, two of them have molted. Yea!!!


wow that's great news. Growth rather than death is usually good news


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Yeah. I was super bummed when I thought that somehow I'd killed them (water perams are perfect, so I just couldn't figure out the "deaths").


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## ADA (Dec 31, 2010)

Nice!


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Over the weekend I moved some of the lower grade CBS from my Spec to my 20-Long Betta/CPD/Kuhli tank (where the lone escapee shrimp has grown HUGE and sassy; he’s like half-again as large as his sibs that have been in the Spec). After releasing them, I realized one of the ones I moved was berried! Went and looked at the Spec again and discovered at least two more berried gals in there. Very excited. Will leave the berried girls until I babies, but am otherwise going to start moving the higher grade ones over to the new 20-Long I have set up just for them. It’s fully cycled and currently I have a few CPD in there to keep the bacteria happy.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

wow congrats! That's awesome!


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

I have babies! So tiny they're almost impossible to see. 

And my first mystery death.  Water quality is perfect. No idea why one of my hinos keeled over.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear about the mystery. I hear Sherlock Holmes is up for hire. You can probably look him up although the trip from London may be a bit expensive.

That's great that you now have babies! How small is almost impossible to see? Can a camera pick them up with zoom?


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Not my camera! I can barely get pics of the adults.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

I have given up on this set-up. The shrimp just keep dying (while the low grade CBS in my 20-long with all the fish are thriving!). I've moved them all to the 20-long and will, maybe, convert this to a home for my apple snail. 

No idea what was wrong, as the water perams were PERFECT!


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## kingfisherfleshy (Jun 4, 2010)

Strange...spec is one of the better built nanos IMO...and it is just starting to be more commonly available. 

Set my buddy up with a reef in one and the lights worked great until he had a timer failure. 

Sorry to hear about your shrimp.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

That's awesome you got them to breed in a Spec sized tank.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Yeah, but none of the babies survived.  And I've been losing one adult a week for a the last month. Last night's new death was the last straw. I may never get SS or SSS babies now that they're mixed in with the S guys in the biger tank, but at least I'm not just slowly killing them. There are now 20+ in the 20-long (along with my crowntail betta, my rapidly expanding population of CPDs, and 10 or so kuhli loaches). 

I've got a few CBS/BKK hybrids growing out in a breeding net. I'm going to move them into a 6G this weekend and hope that I have better luck with that tank than I did with the Spec.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

good luck with the community tank....the spec is a bit small....i think it is the temp flux that killed the babies...I read that they are very very sensitive to changing temps...

Maybe you can use your spec as the nicest breeder box in the world?....isolate your nicest SSS pair and just keep 2 shrimps in there...


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

I may end up using it as a breeder box for the BKK pairs should I ever be lucky enough to get any. In the mean time, I'll keep the biological filter alive with an apple snail or two (who I can also use as a cleanup crew in the 6G on occasion). 

Temp flux has not been an issue. The temp has been a steady 71 all along (I have 25W hydor heater that does a great job).


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

BKK nice but hard...first you have to sell your first born to buy one and that doesn't guarantee a breeding pair...too rich for my blood right now...and many of them are sterile...for the price of a pair of bkk...i'd rather have a colony of SSSS CBS...I'm actually liking the new wild varieties that are slowly coming out in the US market...


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear about the issues :/
Maybe you're just unlucky. I couldn't keep neon tetras until about the 3rd try and Cherry Shrimp on the 3rd try also; those are the easy fish to keep too! You just need to hang in there.

You had to be doing more than one thing right in order to get them to breed. you should be proud of that!


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

shrimpnmoss said:


> BKK nice but hard...first you have to sell your first born to buy one and that doesn't guarantee a breeding pair...too rich for my blood right now...


Mine too. I got some CBS/BKK F1 hybrids (I was feeling very smug about how well my CBS were doing, and then the horror began *sigh*). So we'll see if I ever get any BKK babies, and if said babies live.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

AquaStudent said:


> You had to be doing more than one thing right in order to get them to breed. you should be proud of that!


The ones in the big tank are doing great. I think the Spec was just not for me/them. Who knows if any babies will survive in the big tank with all the fish, but there are several berried females, so I have hope.


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## AquaStudent (Jan 4, 2011)

Any updates?  Hopefully some better news


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