# 6 x 10g shrimp rack under kitchen countertop (56k)



## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

My El Natural tank is taking off, but the down side is that I can't really see my shrimps anymore... Plus I want to try breeding my own CRS so here we go!

I found a perfect spot for the new shrimp rack that won't take too much space from my living room. It is under my kitchen countertop that I designed for bar stools but rarely been used.









I originally decided to go with 6 individual 10 gallon tanks running HMF as filter/divider plus air pump. But my friend fro Hong Kong, who has been breeding shrimp for a while, insisted that I need bigger water body and more filtering power. After some more brain storming and questioning around I came up with this:
6 connected tanks with sump plus HMF on each tank









The space is pretty tight so I have to build my own stand. Thanks for the experience from the last DIY ADA stand project I don't free stress at all! Here are some photos:


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

So is shrimp going to be on the menu then? 

This looks like an amazing project! Can't wait to see the system up and running.


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## Ibisae (Aug 22, 2013)

Subscribed. Can't wait to see how it turns out!


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Awesome!!


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## jimmytruong87 (Oct 16, 2012)

I hope you do not give up it soon. It looks very nice


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks for the comments!
Of cause shrimp will be on the menu. It will be a CRS/CBS only rack. When the tanks are cycled I will first move my existing shrimps there to test it out. When I feel everything is fine, I will then ask my friend from Hong Kong to pick out and import some nicer quality cuties.

Here are some photos of spraying, drilling & preparing the tanks:


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## I<3<*))))>< (Jun 10, 2013)

Awesome idea... it'll end up looking kinda like an in-wall set up! Very excited to see this! Subscribed!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Plumbing...

Testing before applying cement
















The primer & cement smell aweful!
















And this is how it looks empty.









Next step is to test the LED light bulbs I bought from eBay.


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## elo500 (Apr 24, 2013)

That's impressive. Looking forward to see how things turn out.


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

Oh...my comment was supposed to be humorous and less literal...that's embarrassing...


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I ordered 4 of these bulbs to try out. One was already burnt in 5 min 😣. Putting 2 of these on each tank seemed to produce med to high light. The outflow pipes seemed too long so I shorten them and added Poret foam to all the exits.

















After test the plumbing system with water I realized that the pump is too powerful, and I need more outgoing power for the bottom two tanks. Tomorrow I am going to drill one more hole to the sump and add an additional pipe from the bottom left tank.


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## Ebi (Jun 29, 2011)

love the idea and location! Whos needs a dinner table when you could have a dinner for watching shrimp? 

Awesome idea!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks Ebi! I do have a dinner table through 😆.
Spent the whole Saturday fixing plumbing & air tubing... Finally I have the soil added andnow the system is on test run! The tetra 500 pump doesn't seem to provide enough air for 5 tanks' HMF filter. I may have to change to use multiple small pumps in stead.


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

man you have been one busy dude!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Lol indeed. Since I started this hobby I learned wood working, plumbing, electrical and all the freshwater quality control science. I am so geek out 😆!


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

usgetata said:


> Lol indeed. Since I started this hobby I learned wood working, plumbing, electrical and all the freshwater quality control science. I am so geek out 😆!


couldnt agree more, this hobby has taught me a ton! and i had fun learning which is a pluss


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## Jess123 (Oct 2, 2012)

That looks awesome! Working in the tanks may be a bit difficult though.


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## Bradleyv1714 (Jul 25, 2011)

Wow! This so cool! I hope I have an island in my future house so that I can do something like this


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## elo500 (Apr 24, 2013)

What kind of light bulb is that and where did you find it?


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## sdbrewer (May 17, 2012)

elo500 said:


> What kind of light bulb is that and where did you find it?


I was wondering the same thing.

I did a google image search and most of the results led me here.

It's rated between 6000-6500K for color temperature.

It would be interesting to get PAR readings on this style of bulb. Their design seems to negate the need of reflectors, and might be a good alternative to CFLs.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Yes I got them on eBay, you can find many sellers if you search E27 5630 bulb. I think currently 5630 is the brightest mini LED chip for bulb like this. I tested and think 1 bulb would produce med light for a 10 gallon tank. I am gonna change it to something slimmer in profile through cuz I only have 4 inches clearance above each tank. 








Each bar is 20" and have more chips than the bulb. I will post an update when I receive them.


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## sc91006 (Nov 8, 2011)

I am impressed, looking forward to the progress.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

Sub'd. Mighty Impressed


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks!
Just dropped some moss and cholla wood for test. Also you can see the bulbs in action


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

Those are awesome! Never seen bulbs like that, ill have to look into them!


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## Vepr (Jan 30, 2009)

Very cool. Looks like a great setup so far.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Did a big trimming to my main tank and dumped all the extras to the shirmp tanks to help cycling. Also add some temporary light bulbs to keep the plants alive. My friend kept telling me to add disposable fish and shrimps to help cycling, but I feel bad to add them to the water that has 6ppm Ammonia!


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

This is awesome


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

pretty amazing build!!! cant wait to see how this all turns out as you fine tune everything.

fyi shrimp will find away over that foam divider. you gotta be smart about which shrimp you keep side by side in each tank.


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## I<3<*))))>< (Jun 10, 2013)

This is turning out amazing!!! Whoa... just blown away by the progress so far!


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## IDaCookieMonsta (Jul 21, 2013)

I have to say you're setup is amazing! It uses nearly no room and looks like you have about 12 different sections for different species! Im blow away!! Subbed!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks for support everyone!

I added 20 feeding gold fish to help cycling...and......

The LED strips has arrived!

Ok.. Remove the temp light bulbs...








Forgot to take in-progress photos, so here is how it looks after I wired up everything. I am very happy with the outcome. 5 x 20" LED strips + the transformer power supply + DIY elbow grease = $60 total cost to light up the whole rack. They look slimmer, and compare to the bulbs, I have more working space above each tank now.























Ok next step is aquascaping. Basically I want each section to have each own type of moss/floater. So far I have java moss, flame moss, Christmas moss(?), moss ball, riccia and java fern. Red root floater and frogbit are coming next week. What other moss/floater/plants are good for shrimp tank? Since I have a dirt planted tank I don't want to use stems in my shrimp rack. Hmmm decision decision.


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## Legot (Jun 29, 2013)

Looks fantastic! Where did you get those blue and black foam blocks?


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

They are Poret Foam from http://www.swisstropicals.com/
Supposed to be the best foam for HMF filter and sump


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## nightshadebel (May 3, 2012)

Awesome build! I want one now


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## GimmeGills (Oct 6, 2010)

Subwassertang!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

GimmeGills said:


> Subwassertang!


Right! I actually already have them in the bottom middle tank.totally forgot about it. ☺


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Tested water today.
Ph >6, 
ammonia 6ppm!, 
nitrite 0.25ppm, 
nitrate 0. 
Good sight that at least ammonia began to turn to nitrite. It means the bacteria started to form.
Put 20 feeding fish in to help cycling. I don't know how many of them can last until the tank is fully cycled.


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## gorillakev (Mar 7, 2013)

Awesome setup. I was checking eBay for those bulbs you have and only found the type where it was all LEDs around the bulb. If your selling yours also lmk pm me. Thanks


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## buddly (May 26, 2013)

I like the use of space.Very nice set up.I will have to keep my eye on this one


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## peachii (Jun 1, 2013)

Taiwan, weeping, willow mosses are all very pretty.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

peachii said:


> Taiwan, weeping, willow mosses are all very pretty.


Can't seem to find the true weeping moss. I need to keep looking!

Broke my wallet and bought this bad boy...


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## c_gwinner (Mar 23, 2012)

Really nice set up. Have looked at and been very intrigued by the PowerHouse stuff. Gotta tell us how it performs especially for the $$$ it totes. What kind of pump do you have on your sump?


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks. We'll see how the power house works out. I am using the eheim compact 600 pump right now. Had the eheim 1250(?) but was too powerful. The plumbing couldn't return water fast enough.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

That, sir... is a HEFTY price tag. wow wow wow.

I would like to repeat those last 3 words for your tanks as well


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

TankYouVeryMuch said:


> That, sir... is a HEFTY price tag. wow wow wow.
> 
> I would like to repeat those last 3 words for your tanks as well


Let me clarify: the price tag is in Hong Kong Money. No way I can afford $1,000 US dollar for 5 liters of bio media lol 😅. It is a pricy product, but it is about $160 ish in US dollar.


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## TankYouVeryMuch (Jul 5, 2013)

I wasnt going to say anything, but I was judging you. HARD. lol.

I can wrap my brain around 160. lol


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## c_gwinner (Mar 23, 2012)

Oh I knew the price tag on the box wasnt $US, but I have seen some of the US pricing and still wasnt sure about dropping that on bio media. But if it does what it claims I'm sure its probably worth it.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Asian breeders swear by it despite the high price tag. The shrimp shop owner I know from Hong Kong almost sounded like that he won't sell his good quality shrimps to buyer without power house in their filter 😂😂.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Finally! 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5ppm nitrate.
Did a 70% water change and put 1 CRS & 1 CBS to see how it goes. When nitrate is down to zero I am gonna remove the free floating stems.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Very nice. Do you plan on making a face plate for the whole set up?

btw, I know you don't need this anymore but here is a link I found on plants for shrimp tanks.

http://www.aquabotanic.com/?tag=subwassertang


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## Rock Island (May 29, 2013)

This is a truly inspiring build! So jealous...


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

AGUILAR3 said:


> Very nice. Do you plan on making a face plate for the whole set up?
> 
> btw, I know you don't need this anymore but here is a link I found on plants for shrimp tanks.
> 
> http://www.aquabotanic.com/?tag=subwassertang


Thanks for the link. What's the function of a faceplate? Blocking noise?


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Both noise and light shield. A face plate will keep lights on the tanks and not the whole house. I would piece together a 1pc faceplate pressed on if its a tight fit or held on by Velcro.

Here is an uncovered, a covered display and a half ass edited version of yours :icon_lol:


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

I'm a little confused @ the function of HMF as air powered filter/divider.
does the PVC tube only go down through the HMF? or did you do the underground filter trick with the PVC tubing on each side of the tank.
wish i could describe what i'm asking better. hope you understand my question. 


I'm curious how fast some of the shrimp will climb over the HMF.

all in all its super impressive and thanks for documenting it all. so much great work!


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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

Come over any time you want and pick up some of those shrimp I offered you 


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

AGUILAR3 said:


> Both noise and light shield. A face plate will keep lights on the tanks and not the whole house. I would piece together a 1pc faceplate pressed on if its a tight fit or held on by Velcro.
> 
> Here is an uncovered, a covered display and a half ass edited version of yours :icon_lol:


Sounds like a good DIY add on project. Let me look into it in spare time. 😆


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

bostoneric said:


> I'm a little confused @ the function of HMF as air powered filter/divider.
> does the PVC tube only go down through the HMF? or did you do the underground filter trick with the PVC tubing on each side of the tank.
> wish i could describe what i'm asking better. hope you understand my question.
> 
> ...


The PVC tube is like 2/3 down into the HMF. I have one 300 gallon tetra air pump that connects to all the HMF tubes. The air drives up the water and creates a filter circulation within the tank itself. 
You are not the first one warning about the shrimps climb, I'll add more shrimps and see....


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

usgetata said:


> The PVC tube is like 2/3 down into the HMF. I have one 300 gallon tetra air pump that connects to all the HMF tubes. The air drives up the water and creates a filter circulation within the tank itself.


thanks!

I'm curious how the flow of water from the inlet side to the exit side of the tanks effects the pvc inside the HMF. 

cant wait to see how things progress now that you are ready for shrimp!!

:bounce:


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

So it's basically a sponge filter on steroids.


Here is a simple build/explanation of a HMF filter I found on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMqZ3DKnpJ8


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I almost cried today.
All the CRS/CBS I put into my plant tank has been slowly disappeared without reason. Last week when this rack was ready I transferred the three remaining to the new home. Today! Today I found one of them berried!!









Also added the generous donation Taiwan bees & Ramhorn snails from fplata, thanks man!


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## Jonnywhoop (May 30, 2012)

yeah the first berried shrimp just makes you feel like a proud parent. 

congrats!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

My first mama CRS has her own hotel room


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I got my first batch of CRS babies!!! Almost cried when I saw it 😂 sorry for the bad quality photo...









Big news #2， my Hakata PRL has arrived!!
This photo is taken from the 2nd day of them in their new home eating first meal. Their color have started coming back whiter and redder.


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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

Wow on the prl


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

fplata said:


> Wow on the prl
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks man! However one died two days ago and became the protein source for the others...









My sister in law is coming to visit with two kids, 5 and 2 years old. They are the cutest, but I am worry about them putting their hands into the shrimp rack..... So I built a quick face plate out of PVC board and Velcro. Fingers crossed...


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## wootimatrain (Oct 31, 2013)

dude.... one word: CLASS. that looks amazing. YOu have to build that more permanently.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

that's more like it \m/


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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

Keep track of the temperature, it looks great man. 


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks guys!

AGUILAR3: Thanks for the suggestion. As a temporary protection the PVC board+ Velcro work pretty well, and they look quite decent  

fplata: I added 4 weak silent cpu fans on top of the section where the PRLs are. it keeps the temperature at 74 F while the rest of the rack is 75-76 F.
I am considering to either add more weak silent fans or some stronger fans. But I worry about the noise...


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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

When you pass by ill give you some fans that I have, also you can build a cheap chiller


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Cool but how do you build a chiller cheap?


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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

Coper tubing and a small 6 pack refrigerator 


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## Legot (Jun 29, 2013)

fplata said:


> Coper tubing and a small 6 pack refrigerator


In a an acidic shrimp tank? No....

I'd try a stainless steel cooler block with peltiers. Though, on something as big and spread out as this I'd just give up on any low temp regulation. It's never going to be consistent.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I did some google-fu on this DIY subject...
Sounds like it requires extra space(which I don't have) and some mad skillz.
I better stick with fans for the shrimp rack


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## scotty b (Oct 23, 2012)

any worry about the shrimp getting thru/over the sponges and mixing? \
would you mink if i asked how much the shelving and plumbing cost to put together ?


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

scotty b said:


> any worry about the shrimp getting thru/over the sponges and mixing? \
> would you mink if i asked how much the shelving and plumbing cost to put together ?


So far I haven't seen any shrimp going above water level yet. I guess it's fine. The shelving and plumbing alone cost about $400 not including my elbow grease labor :smile:.

I took over fplata's Taiwan Bee + Hybirds stock. There are 200+? shrimps!! And there are beautiful King Kong and Panda. When I have more time I will post some photos.

Today I received the remote flash trigger. Here are 2 test shots of my Hakata lines.

















The Rack looks like this now:


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## DTDPlanted (Apr 2, 2012)

usgetata said:


> So far I haven't seen any shrimp going above water level yet. I guess it's fine. The shelving and plumbing alone cost about $400 not including my elbow grease labor :smile:.
> 
> I took over fplata's Taiwan Bee + Hybirds stock. There are 200+? shrimps!! And there are beautiful King Kong and Panda. When I have more time I will post some photos.
> 
> ...


:icon_eek::icon_eek::icon_eek: beautiful pictures! WOW! That closeup of the second one is aaaawesome! Avatar quality! :smile:


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## II Knucklez II (Oct 31, 2011)

Awesome love the idea!

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## Aqualady (Jan 14, 2013)

One word.........SUPERB!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks guy! The shrimp on the second photo is one of my Hakata PRL with the redder legs. I'll try to take individual photo of all of them when I have time to spend 😆


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

you should get some sort of feeding dish to help control the excessive food from spoiling your soil/water/parameters.

there are a few options in the FS section. I've found IKEA has some great glass candle tea light dishes that work amazing.

more pictures!!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I have feeding dish, just never feel like using it yet... maybe I should.

Made a BIG mistake! Sunday after water change I add some DANCE to watch them dance... Afterward during this week I have 4-5 dead shrimps including one King Kong and one Hakata PRL... 

I took many close ups of the shrimps and posted it in the shrimp section. Might as well dump them all here:


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Part 2:






























Taiwan Bees:


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

3 PRL are berried! Weekly water change and blood worm meal seem working! By the way i have too many Taiwan Bee misching s now, maybe it is time to thin out the herd...


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

any more updates?

finishing up another shrimp rack build myself.


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## Pakman (Nov 30, 2013)

Wow!! such a great setup. how much maintenance do you spend on this setup? and I assume all Cardia shrimp, so same temp, same water parameters for all tanks since they are on the same sump.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

bostoneric said:


> any more updates?
> finishing up another shrimp rack build myself.


Good news! Found 3 new born PRL babies on the glass. They look like they have 2 strips pattern. Also I have 4 berried PRL separated in the "birth giving" section.

In the Taiwan Bee section I added 3 less nice PRL to widen the gene pool. Now I have my first berried King Kong and one berried misching.

Do you have a log for your new setup? Let me check it out!



Pakman said:


> Wow!! such a great setup. how much maintenance do you spend on this setup? and I assume all Cardia shrimp, so same temp, same water parameters for all tanks since they are on the same sump.


Thanks! My maintenance is like daily topoff and weekly 10% water change. I feed daily rotating food from jake's complete veggie, 3 other brands of shrimp foods, organic mixed veggy (corn, green bean, carrot), and frozen blood worm on Sunday. All tanks share the same water body so the temperature & parameters are pretty stable.

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## NanoDave (Feb 25, 2013)

Awesome journal and great job on the build. Def inspiring me for some future builds I have in mind.


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## Vepr (Jan 30, 2009)

Very cool setup.


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## Pakman (Nov 30, 2013)

Also like the led strips... where did you get those, and are they waterproof? 5 strips and transformer for $60 sounds pretty good to me.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

They are from ebay and are waterproof. How do I know? I dropped one in the tank by mistake while adjusting the position. It lighted up underwater, The shrimps wasn't cooked, I wasn't electrocuted! \^o^/


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## trevorh1 (Dec 18, 2013)

would you happen to have the link to those lights on ebay? diggin the shrimp farm i would love to do this one day.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

trevorh1 said:


> would you happen to have the link to those lights on ebay? diggin the shrimp farm i would love to do this one day.


You can go back to post #21 for information. We cannot post ebay link here.

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## fplata (May 20, 2012)

Awesome !!


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

hows the sump holding up with all the poret and media? how often do you think you'll have to clean out the poret ?


in the middle of a DIY sump, looking at different ways to do it. but will probably just stick with simple 3 compartment sump. (intake/refugium/return)


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

According to the vendor you don't really have to clean the poret foam. Just once a year "bang on the wall" shake off then put it back to the sump. So far i don't see any decrease in water flow, they are holding up well.

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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

keep an eye on your nitrates even still. yes that poret is amazing stuff, but also stores all the waste eventually converting it to nitrates.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I still test it monthly. So far it's all good. I think the poret + power house media are working well for me. My wallet cried so much during the setup though.

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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

yeah you went right to the top for media. but its a one time investment.

did you check out MarinePure?


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Never heard of it! I wonder how well it works vs power house.

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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

MarinePure is supposed to contain the most sq ft of media for bacteria.
and slightly cheaper than Powerhouse.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Did a quick search. MarinePure claims 430m2/L while power house claims 1420m2/L, that's 3x the amount! If the price difference is not big you should go for power house. 

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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

its A LOT cheaper than PH. 

http://southernoakaquatics.com/filter-media/


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## Nathaniel (Nov 30, 2013)

great build and gorgeous shrimp!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Wow for that price by all means go for MarinePure if you have space to build a bigger sump to contain more media.

Fplata and Nathaniel: Thanks! I have spotted a dozen new born PRL already, can't wait to see how they grow up to be...


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

keep updating your thread when you can. always love watching how shrimp racks progress.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Today I tried to feed them blanched spinach for the first time, great success!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebATjKLm6l0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXyYWlnSCVk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LDZWj3dQI8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ifLe7skjdE&feature=youtube_gdata_player



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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

all my shrimp devour spinach. 1 large leaf is usually gone within an hour.

good stuff. your colors look very solid!


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## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

New shrimp keeper, inspired by this. Maybe do by a 3Lx2H just as this or a 2Lx3H. I'll definitely try to change it up!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

The wine red is berried! Also from what i can see there are like 15 Hataka PRL babies, who know how many of them are hiding behind the flame moss!














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## II Knucklez II (Oct 31, 2011)

Wow can't wait to see what u get!!! 

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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

looking good! hows the Poret coming along? curious if you see any build up on the first layer?

where'd you get the Hataka shrimp from?


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

The poret is doing fine, no decrease in water flow so far. Every week when I change water the nitrate tested 5-10 ppm through. I wonder where it comes from. The Hakata PRL are from the official distributor in Hong Kong.

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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Actually I just added some lucky bamboos in the sump to see how good they can suck out the nitrate...


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## bostoneric (Sep 7, 2011)

great idea. you should look into mangroves also.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Last night after water change i added 2 spoons of Mosura BT-9. Today when i came home from work i found 3 dead shrimps including one PRL mama and one young PRL :'(

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## boxboy (Jun 1, 2013)

usgetata said:


> Yes I got them on eBay, you can find many sellers if you search E27 5630 bulb. I think currently 5630 is the brightest mini LED chip for bulb like this. I tested and think 1 bulb would produce med light for a 10 gallon tank. I am gonna change it to something slimmer in profile through cuz I only have 4 inches clearance above each tank.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have this excate same led strip, super easy to use, very low profile and I use 2 strips over a 10gal and get Med light easy... You can link them together also via the clips that are attached on each strip. I used an old 12v cell phone charger to power them.


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## DPapbt (May 8, 2013)

Nathaniel said:


> great build and gorgeous shrimp!





bostoneric said:


> MarinePure is supposed to contain the most sq ft of media for bacteria.
> and slightly cheaper than Powerhouse.


Just thought I'd mention bio home which I think is made by power house ??? Is the freaken BOMBB!!!! Check them out and you'll see why I will
Never buy any gimmick "matrix" type product or anything else period. Neither will any other serious hobbyist!


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

How long have you been using the biohome, and does it really reduce nitrate?

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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Don't think i will replace my powerhuse with this stuff. But i wonder if it really remove nitrate.

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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Clear out some overgrown moss and the mess in my rack a bit. Here is some new shots:


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

FYI: I was reading this back one page and saw that you would like something to remove nitrates. I read an article a while back which stated that test were done to see what plants did a good job of it and two...Waer Hyacinth and Giant Duckweed did
something the others didn't. We'll get past that point which says plants take in all nutrients together. But when someone sets up multiple tanks/w lots of different kinds of plants and two tanks have 90% of the nitrates gone before the ammonia is gone
and the rest take out the ammonia and THEN take out the nitrates...
I now have Giant Duckwed floating in my tank and filter.
Considering how much it doesn't cost to get some, you might try it.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I am still trying to locate water hyacinth around miami. They are listed as invadsive so I thought it's easy to find in lake & river but cannot find any yet. About Giant Duckweed, the article you read concluded that it works better than frogbit? I also heard that Chinese Evergreen works really well but haven't found any local garden that has it yet.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

I think the water bamboo is doing such a good of removing Nitrate to the point that my moss and frogbit have no food to grow. Half of my flame moss and most frogbit are now brown 😕. I have remove the water bamboo and see if they will come back. It didn't affect the susswasertang tough.

The Hakata PRL are doing well. Here are the F1~F3 pigging out!


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## jrwestcoast (Jun 28, 2011)

Just finish reading all post. This is an impressive set up. Trying to do something similar. May I ask how is the powerhouse holding up and where did you get it. Have been looking to get some but no luck yet.


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

Awesome setups, wow! You must quite the handy person. Nice crystal red shrimps. I'm betting a lot of guests must've had a ton of questions for ya about the tanks huh haha.


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## AGUILAR3 (Jun 22, 2013)

Now aren't you glad you went with the trim piece around the tanks? It looks amazing


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## Gavin288 (May 10, 2013)

i've been thinking of using the same leds as you, i googled them and found these on ebay



> DC 12V 50cm 19.6" LED Hard Rigid Strip 5630 SMD Car Bar Warm White Light Lamp
> 
> US $3.66
> 
> ...


i was just wondering what you used to power them? and if these were the same

Thanks for your time 
Gavin

P.S really awesome setup


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

jrwestcoast said:


> Just finish reading all post. This is an impressive set up. Trying to do something similar. May I ask how is the powerhouse holding up and where did you get it. Have been looking to get some but no luck yet.


Thanks. The one box of powerhouse is doing well for all 5 tanks. I got it from Hong Kong. I think Max Kenji sells it here.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

NeonFlux said:


> Awesome setups, wow! You must quite the handy person. Nice crystal red shrimps. I'm betting a lot of guests must've had a ton of questions for ya about the tanks huh haha.


Thanks. I actually learned many new skills doing this project. [emoji16]


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

AGUILAR3 said:


> Now aren't you glad you went with the trim piece around the tanks? It looks amazing


Yes! Thanks for the suggestion. It looks great and stopped the little boy and girl putting their hands and heads inside. [emoji16]


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Gavin288 said:


> i've been thinking of using the same leds as you, i googled them and found these on ebay
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It sounds like the one i use. The seller of the led strips also sell the power supply. You can also use any of your used cellphone charger.


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## Gavin288 (May 10, 2013)

usgetata said:


> It sounds like the one i use. The seller of the led strips also sell the power supply. You can also use any of your used cellphone charger.


ok thanks. heres a link to the exact ones im looking at just on amazon and cost more ZONO 50cm LED Strip Bar Light with Aluminium Alloy Shell, Warm White Dc 12v, 36 SMD 5630 LED Light Hard Rigid - Led Household Light Bulbs - Amazon.com with an old 12V charger i just have to splice the ends together right? 


Thanks Again for your time 
Gavin


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## jrwestcoast (Jun 28, 2011)

usgetata said:


> Thanks. The one box of powerhouse is doing well for all 5 tanks. I got it from Hong Kong. I think Max Kenji sells it here.



Sounds like the powerhouse is worth the coast. I contacted Max but he told me no longer sell it.


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## loriinpd (Jun 30, 2014)

What type of floating plants are you using?.


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## usgetata (Dec 28, 2012)

Frogbit and Red Root Floater. However most of them are gpne now


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