# The making of a shrimp breeding room.



## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

This will be my breeding list of shrimps. 
Regular cherrys
shukura/fire reds
yellows
greens
Crs/cbs from grades s to sss+
bkk's
And oebt blue and blacks

Should i just get all 29 gallon tanks and a few 55's?
I do have some of the shrimp on my list already.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

As far as shrimp breeding purposes 29 and 55 gal tanks (and 100) offer little. They are "tall" tanks and shrimp really don't use that space. 10 gal tank and 20gal long are about perfect. I don't waste energy on bigger tanks for genuine breeding purposes.


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## oblongshrimp (Jul 26, 2006)

If you want to keep it cheap then I would reuse tanks you already have or can get cheap. You can easily add some wood or moss in taller tanks and the shrimp will be happy to climb up there. Even if they didn't having the extra water is helpful. Also changing a bunch of small tanks is more annoying then a couple larger ones, but smaller tanks spread the risk if something happened to one of them. 

I would use shoplights for your lighting, they are the cheapest way you can go.


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## blacksheep998 (Jan 16, 2011)

I agree with over stocked. 10-20 gallon tanks are plenty sufficient for breeding shrimp.

As for lighting that depends on what sort of plants you intend to have in the tanks. The general rule of thumb is for low-light plants like anubias, java ferns and mosses, you're looking for around 2 watts of florescent lighting per gallon of water. So a 10 gallon tank needs 20 watts of light. This is another reason why keeping your tanks smaller will save on the electric bills.

Also, I use 6500K lamps as they have a nice cool white color and are fairly cheap. Many others use 10,000K lights. Either are fine though.

And good luck getting some BKK's. A couple of them will cost more than the entire rest of your shopping list, and thats including tanks and shrimp.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

If your goal is the breed shrimp I'd focus much less on plants. Some java fern, moss, thrown in is ok. But If the goal is shrimp, focus on shrimp. I light mine with shop lights, grows moss ok. NO need for more, personally.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

oblongshrimp said:


> If you want to keep it cheap then I would reuse tanks you already have or can get cheap. You can easily add some wood or moss in taller tanks and the shrimp will be happy to climb up there. Even if they didn't having the extra water is helpful. Also changing a bunch of small tanks is more annoying then a couple larger ones, but smaller tanks spread the risk if something happened to one of them.
> 
> I would use shoplights for your lighting, they are the cheapest way you can go.


Ok than shop lights it is. 



blacksheep998 said:


> I agree with over stocked. 10-20 gallon tanks are plenty sufficient for breeding shrimp.
> 
> As for lighting that depends on what sort of plants you intend to have in the tanks. The general rule of thumb is for low-light plants like anubias, java ferns and mosses, you're looking for around 2 watts of florescent lighting per gallon of water. So a 10 gallon tank needs 20 watts of light. This is another reason why keeping your tanks smaller will save on the electric bills.
> 
> ...


Yeah i know about the bkk will cost more than my shopping list i already have one. 



over_stocked said:


> If your goal is the breed shrimp I'd focus much less on plants. Some java fern, moss, thrown in is ok. But If the goal is shrimp, focus on shrimp. I light mine with shop lights, grows moss ok. NO need for more, personally.


So small 10-20 gallon tank with shop lights and some moss. 
Thank you all. Time to go shopping for material for a stand and look on craigslist for cheap tanks.


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## oblongshrimp (Jul 26, 2006)

What are you planning on using for stands/racks?


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## shane3fan (Nov 2, 2009)

for me--and Im no expert--I would use 20 long tanks or 40 breeders divided ( if you are using them for shrimp that can interbreed and corrupt the gene pool. If not, you could use the 40 breeder without a divider. ) 

Think large footprint and dont worry about the height so much. The 33 gallon long tanks would be cool as well if you can find some.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I am planning on using cilinder blocks and 2 by 4's probaly two high maybe three. Depending on the tank hieght.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I was thinking maybe just use the 10's for selective breeding purpose and larger tanks be holding tanks for when the population explodes


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## oblongshrimp (Jul 26, 2006)

Thats a good cheap way to do it. If you aren't able to find many tanks on craigslist I would use 10gallons because they can be bought new from petco or petsmart for ~$13 each and are by far the cheapest tank per gallon.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Only if they had that 1 dollar per gallon sale it would save me a ton of money. I think they might have it in the summer time but can't wait till then. So just my luck i decided to make a shrimp room now.


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## asukawashere (Mar 19, 2010)

I'm slowly expanding my shrimp tank section of my fishroom right now, too - basically I'm hitting up auctions, tag sales, thrift stores, fishkeeping buddies, etc. for cheap, small tanks in the 5-15 gal range. A bunch of used 10g tanks would be perfect, IMO. You can get 'em for $5 apiece at tag sales all the time. For lighting, an 8ft shop light works great and can grow mosses, hornwort, guppy grass, water sprite, and other bushy, low-light plants the shrimp love.

I run my shrimp tanks with these cute little AZOO sponge filters, and sometimes box filters - I put 4-5 filters on each air pump with a gang valve to save more on the electric bill. A cheap 25-50w heater is in each tank, because my basement is big and therefore heating the room would be too expensive, but in a small room heating is a definite option (you probably still want a heater in each tank as a backup, though - if you have a power outage in the winter the room temp can drop fast, and its easier to power a few heaters on a generator than heat a whole room). Bee shrimp (and most Neocaridina) like it cool enough that the heaters don't have to do much, esp. in the summer. Sulawesi shrimp (which I see are not on your list, but you may take an interest in them eventually) need the warmer temps, so I'd make sure to put a more reliable brand of heater in with them - since heating the room to 80F would be a bad idea with the bee shrimps.

It's also worthwhile to have a couple battery-powered air pumps on hand in the event of an emergency. If you're dealing with pricey shrimp (BKKs and to a lesser extent S-SSS crystals/OEBTs) it's not worth the risk of being caught by surprise.


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## justin182 (Aug 19, 2009)

Good luck man! Keep us posted!


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

asukawashere said:


> I'm slowly expanding my shrimp tank section of my fishroom right now, too - basically I'm hitting up auctions, tag sales, thrift stores, fishkeeping buddies, etc. for cheap, small tanks in the 5-15 gal range. A bunch of used 10g tanks would be perfect, IMO. You can get 'em for $5 apiece at tag sales all the time. For lighting, an 8ft shop light works great and can grow mosses, hornwort, guppy grass, water sprite, and other bushy, low-light plants the shrimp love.
> 
> I run my shrimp tanks with these cute little AZOO sponge filters, and sometimes box filters - I put 4-5 filters on each air pump with a gang valve to save more on the electric bill. A cheap 25-50w heater is in each tank, because my basement is big and therefore heating the room would be too expensive, but in a small room heating is a definite option (you probably still want a heater in each tank as a backup, though - if you have a power outage in the winter the room temp can drop fast, and its easier to power a few heaters on a generator than heat a whole room). Bee shrimp (and most Neocaridina) like it cool enough that the heaters don't have to do much, esp. in the summer. Sulawesi shrimp (which I see are not on your list, but you may take an interest in them eventually) need the warmer temps, so I'd make sure to put a more reliable brand of heater in with them - since heating the room to 80F would be a bad idea with the bee shrimps.
> 
> It's also worthwhile to have a couple battery-powered air pumps on hand in the event of an emergency. If you're dealing with pricey shrimp (BKKs and to a lesser extent S-SSS crystals/OEBTs) it's not worth the risk of being caught by surprise.


Thanks for the advice so i should put a heater in every tank but just on the lowest setting so the temp doesn't drop to much. I just checked out petsmart and they have 5 ten gallons in stock at the moment for 12.99 each. 

The only shrimps that are going in the room is gonna be the low grade crs and neocardina's the high grade ones are going to be in the living room so i can keep an eye on them. Don't want any of those guys going upside down on me. 
At the moment i have to tanks setup in my living room with yellows, crs s to sss+ grade, and a bkk so i would just have to purchuse cherry and cbs and oebt,green. Those are not that hard to find. It would probaly cost me around 2 to 3 bills.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

leo1234 said:


> At the moment i have to tanks setup in my living room with yellows, crs s to sss+ grade, and a bkk so i would just have to purchuse cherry and cbs and oebt,green. Those are not that hard to find. It would probaly cost me around 2 to 3 bills.


 
So you’re interbreeding your one BKK and your CRS? 

I’ve been contemplating a splurge on a BKK tank next year if the money I’m expecting materializes, but I’ll admit the initial price tag makes me wince.


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## SBPyro (Dec 15, 2009)

*I'd becareful with cinderblocks*

Leo,
I picked up some yellow shrimp from you a couple months back and if you are doing it on the same floor, you may need to reinforce the flooring pending on # of tanks and how many cinder blocks you have. as for tanks if it is only for breeding purposes clear totes would be a suggestion. Also for shelving you may wanna see if Ultimate Electronics closing in Danvers can help you in that cause.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

No it's going in the basement. 

And yes i am interbreeding bkk with crs.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

My mother was nice enough to let me use the basement after repeated attemps before. Lol. 

And so far as for my bkk i do have two berried female crs's in there i am assuming he is a male. Hopfully the crs's were fertilised by him.


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## Senior Shrimpo (Dec 4, 2010)

blacksheep998 said:


> Also, I use 6500K lamps as they have a nice cool white color and are fairly cheap. Many others use 10,000K lights. Either are fine though.


6500-6700K gives off a yellow white. It's annoyingly noticeable. 10,000K gives off a very rich blue but can be expensive. 8,000 meets in the middle, gives a great color. I personally recommend 8,000k.

I have all three and my 6700's yellowness annoys me. It doesn't show off shrimp color well. 10,000k is almost too blue, which is why I recommend 8,000k.

Congrats on the BKK, you've joined a very exclusive club I'll never be part of :icon_lol:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

leo1234 said:


> And yes i am interbreeding bkk with crs.


Cool, thanks! 

I'm still trying to figure out what is ok to interbreed with what, LOL! I thought I'd have to dedicate an entire tank to just BKK, which would mean spending $$$ to get it rolling. If I can mix BKK in with my CBS, I might just have to get a couple when my next royalty check arrives (want pandas sooooo fricken bad).


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

The only thing about buying bkk is not when you get them it is when you get them in the tank is when you worry the most. It is the first three days that is most important i thought i lost mine cause i didn't see him. But than after about an hour of searching i found it. So far so good. And the tank is not even planted that much it is the fluval shrimp substrate that makes it so hard to spot, he blends in so well. 

I am crossbreeding just for the bkk genes and if i am lucky i will have some cbs and bkk in there so even if he crocks i may still have a chace to get bkk of the offsprings. 
What i did was i put a 1 crs male with my 1 bkk male and 5 crs female so that if i do mistaken him for a male that the only crs male there will mate with it. Just to improve my chances. But i am considering buying 2 more to increase my chances.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Senior Shrimpo said:


> Congrats on the BKK, you've joined a very exclusive club I'll never be part of :icon_lol:


Thanks but you will never know i just started of a couple years. I remember my first cherry and than came crs than i neglected my tank fot awhile and all of them died. And that was from getting away from discus. You talk about expensive i spent thousands on discus and sold them cheap!

And am taking care of three kids on a single income so anyone can do it. All it is, is alot of saving. Never say never.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Just a little update got some stuff done and waiting for stuff in the mail. Here are some pics.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

So far i got 4 ten gallon tank,2 -20 long, 20 sponge filters, 2 water pumps, 1 air pump. Waiting on fluval shrimp substrate coming thursday and some rilis also coming thursday. Looking for more tanks i bought all they had at petsmarts. Got to go to another one.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Very cool, be sure to send me some BKK hybrids when you get some


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## Senior Shrimpo (Dec 4, 2010)

leo1234 said:


> Thanks but you will never know i just started of a couple years. I remember my first cherry and than came crs than i neglected my tank fot awhile and all of them died. And that was from getting away from discus. You talk about expensive i spent thousands on discus and sold them cheap!
> 
> And am taking care of three kids on a single income so anyone can do it. All it is, is alot of saving. Never say never.


That's inspiring! 

My first shrimp were ghost shrimp. I'd love to see some more pics of this!


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## shortsboy (Feb 6, 2011)

Great to hear there's gonna be a local hookup for shrimp. 

+1 for more pics!


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

mordalphus said:


> Very cool, be sure to send me some BKK hybrids when you get some


Well he is still alive and i am gonna be pickin up 2 or 3 more. 3 of my crs are berried in there so maybe there is a chance he is the papa. 



Senior Shrimpo said:


> That's inspiring!
> 
> My first shrimp were ghost shrimp. I'd love to see some more pics of this!


Thanks 



shortsboy said:


> Great to hear there's gonna be a local hookup for shrimp.
> 
> 
> 
> +1 for more pics!


More pics later on in the week after things get setup. I do have some yellows for sale now for pick. Give me a pm if you want some. Thanks Leo.


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## bigboij (Jul 24, 2009)

what kind of ventilation do you have for the room? all them tanks are going to make it get pretty humid. with that wood paneling on the wall and carpet on the floor i would be concerned with mold problems.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Hey that is a good question i never thought of that. i will have to look in to it. Thanks i do know that behind the wood panels are concrete blocks the same ones that i am using for the stands. It just covers it there is no insulation back there. Thanks again


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Is there any way to run a vent (like the one for a bathroom)? A friend of mine did this in the spare bedroom he uses as a fish room.


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

How are you running the air pump? Running it into PVC and then each filter gets its own individual barb off that?


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Burks said:


> How are you running the air pump? Running it into PVC and then each filter gets its own individual barb off that?


I am going to run each one with it's individual line. 



Betta Maniac said:


> Is there any way to run a vent (like the one for a bathroom)? A friend of mine did this in the spare bedroom he uses as a fish room.


That is not possibly the room is in the basement with no windows i will probably just get a dehumidifier. Have to look in it some more.


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## SBPyro (Dec 15, 2009)

Wished I had known you needed filters I've got a couple just sitting idle.
I'm sure we could have worked something out


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

Careful cutting too far back on that pump. Did that with mine and that thing got SUPER hot.


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

Do you have an RO system? If so, I wouldn't bother getting active substrate like shrimp stratum since it's astronomically more expensive than gravel. 

I'd also try to get a bulk order of small driftwood so you can have a piece or two in every tank.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I disagree with snausage, I think the active soil does more than just soften water. It helps stabilize water in the long run, shrimp love it, etc.

since you mentioned you're a single parent and don't have much time, you prolly don't have much time to be muckin around with several tanks worth of differing parameters. 

-liam


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

snausage said:


> Do you have an RO system? If so, I wouldn't bother getting active substrate like shrimp stratum since it's astronomically more expensive than gravel.
> 
> I'd also try to get a bulk order of small driftwood so you can have a piece or two in every tank.


No i do not own a ro system my water is not that hard. The stratum is just for crs's and other shrimps that like there water a little acidtic. 



mordalphus said:


> I disagree with snausage, I think the active soil does more than just soften water. It helps stabilize water in the long run, shrimp love it, etc.
> 
> since you mentioned you're a single parent and don't have much time, you prolly don't have much time to be muckin around with several tanks worth of differing parameters.
> 
> -liam


No i said that i am takin care of 3 kids with one income so it a little tight on cash. The wifey take care of them when i am working. So i have some free time. As for the parameters it should be pretty easy to keep up with for now. Just not getting in to the hard water speices yet.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Well i ran out of wood a manage to get the stand somewhat half built have to go get more tomorrow. Here's a pic.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Ahh, I see... Well I still recommend one of the active soils. Stratum is good. The surface area for bacterial growth is HUGE on these soils, and the buffering is a beautiful thing, regardless on the amount of time you have to fiddle with the tanks 

I'm going to be a father pretty soon, and I couldn't fathom having 3 kids... I'm struggling to do my regular job and run my business as it is, I don't know if I could handle that... Big props to you man!


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## aman74 (Feb 19, 2007)

Doesn't the buffering capacity exhaust after a couple years though?


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## shortsboy (Feb 6, 2011)

Sounds like a great setup you're working on here. Love the pics, keep 'em coming... Keep us posted on the breeding program too. I'd be happy to take any rejects off your hands.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Ok just finished the stand and i can put 9- 10 gallons on top and i decided to put 2- 40 gallon breeders on the bottom. And my shrimp stratum came in today. But no rili's was suppose to come today but didn't hopfully tomorrow.


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## Moe (Jan 22, 2004)

Great thread! Looking forward to updates. I wish I had the room for this myself


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## torsp (Dec 19, 2010)

Very cool man, I look forward to updates.


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## SBPyro (Dec 15, 2009)

Leo,
Is there going to be a piece of plywood for the tanks to sit on?
It looks a little dicey with just the two end supported. From what I remember of my tank stand the entire perimeter of the fish tank is supported. I look forward to swinging by to get some more shrimp from you.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I havn't not decided if i should put plywood or just put another piece of wood going down the middle of it. So that at least the middle of the tanks get supported. What do you guys think?? Plywood or another piece of wood down the middle of the stand. 

Sbpyro you can drop by anytime when you want more shrimps just shoot me a pm. How are the yellows doing for you?


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## asukawashere (Mar 19, 2010)

SBPyro said:


> Leo,
> Is there going to be a piece of plywood for the tanks to sit on?
> It looks a little dicey with just the two end supported. From what I remember of my tank stand the entire perimeter of the fish tank is supported. I look forward to swinging by to get some more shrimp from you.


It's okay to support smaller tanks on only the two ends. Using the long ends would be preferable, but these are 10g tanks, so it's not that bad. I have a display rack with 3x29g under 3x20L, only supported by a 2x4 under the 2 long ends of each tank; it's been fine like that.


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## EKLiu (Jan 14, 2010)

I'd go with plywood on top. A sheet of plywood is pretty cheap, and then you won't be wondering all the time whether you should have stuck a piece of plywood under all those tanks.


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## torsp (Dec 19, 2010)

I have always used a plywood base with every AGA tank I have owned. Cost is negligible with all you have going on there.


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## SBPyro (Dec 15, 2009)

Leo 
The yellows are doing good.
Let me check my material pile I may have a sheet of plywood for you.
Will let you know.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

SBPyro said:


> Leo
> The yellows are doing good.
> Let me check my material pile I may have a sheet of plywood for you.
> Will let you know.


Hey thanks that would be awsome that will save me a trip to home depot


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## gordonrichards (Jun 20, 2009)

A+ to the plywood.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

aman74 said:


> Doesn't the buffering capacity exhaust after a couple years though?


Yep! But the surface area for microorganisms is still much bigger than regular gravel or sand.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Thanks victor for dropping of the plywood just finished putting it on also started running the air line. I am also starting to cycle the sponge filters for the tank and cleaning the stratum should be up and running in a couple of days i forgot to get heaters for them. Other than that everything should be all set. 
Thanks again victor!!!


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I just noticed something... You should put vinyl or linoleum on the wall directly behind the tanks... Bad thing about sponge filters is they tend to splash a bit and water gets out of the tank. I'd hate to see that nice wooden wall all moldy and warped


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## SBPyro (Dec 15, 2009)

Glad I could be helpful.
I agree with the suggestion for lining the back wall.
Can't wait to see when it is completed


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I was thinking about getting glass cut for half the tank just to cover where the bubbles come out.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Ahh yeah, that would work too  Be sure to keep some dri-z-air or a dehumidifier in there too. When I had my shrimp room in my converted outbuilding, even with covers on my tanks the walls were sweating.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

A little update as of today. 
Air line and pump hooked up and all set and running.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

All i need now is a few heaters. I went to mt lfs and they were like 20 a pop for 50 to 100 watt heaters i will have to look on line for some.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Lookin good! Petmountain usually has a decent deal on cheap heaters... Although I wouldn't use cheap heaters if I were you


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## Aquascapejackson (Feb 25, 2011)

Going to be awesome looking, how many tanks total will there be? Is the the fact that you will only be able to see the short side of the tanks not on the end going to bother you? or are you just trying to "pump dem shrimps out"


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Aquascapejackson said:


> Going to be awesome looking, how many tanks total will there be? Is the the fact that you will only be able to see the short side of the tanks not on the end going to bother you? or are you just trying to "pump dem shrimps out"


At the moment it is going to be a total of 4 tanks plus the 2-20's that u can't figure out where to put .i can't seem to find anymore ten around here. Just seeing the short side won't bother me cause i can see on top of the tanks without a stool. I am also going to try and just get them breeding as fOast as they can, then start selective breeding the best they give, that is my plan at the moment. 

I just ordered 14 heaters so they should be here by thursday,and i am also waiting for my very late late rili shrimps that were suppose to come in since thursday i am hoping they are all alive it will be a total of 5 days if it gets to me on monday.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I do want to put over 20 tanks there but i still have to build a couple more stands so it's gonna be a ongoing project till i get things settled, also when i have more dough to purchuse more stuff. Time to start selling my yellows waiting on my boxes i ordered from usps.


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Sweet!


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## Ben. (Mar 29, 2011)

This is gonna be amazing!

May I ask what air pumps you are using?


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

It's a coralife super luft model sl-65


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Just wanted to share a pic of my 56 gal culoum style tank housing yellows and crs s to sss grade shrimp. What do you think?? Don't mind the sponge filters hanging they are just being seeded for the 10 gallon's tank.


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## Moe (Jan 22, 2004)

looking good!


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## shortsboy (Feb 6, 2011)

That is one fierce looking piece of equipment you have under your stand... Whenever I see these more compex setups I start to drool a bit.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

There is nothing complex about it. It's just tanks and an air pump. The thing i like about it is that i can run more than 20 plus tanks on one air pump thus saving money on electricity. The four tanks are only running on one of the pumps line i still
Have three lines open for others if i need. The only thing wrong with it is that it's a little bit noisey. Lucky it's not in my room. Lol.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Just wanted to update well i just got some fire reds in one of the tanks in my room i had and extra heater laying around. I recieved my rili's also on monday, very happy about that. 

My 1000 alomond leaves are in the us at jfk airport so i should be getting those in maybe next week, and my heaters are sheduled to be here on friday so i can set those baby's up and start bring down some of my shrimps i got up in the living room. And also getting some moss's and pellia coming. 

Than there is my berried crs sss+ grade that does not want to hatch waiting impatiencly
Been 3 weeks already she got berried excatly on the 1st of march.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Update my box oh filter came in and is all install









And here is a pic of my fire red juvie's









I am going to transfer my yellow's and rili's down there tomorrow after the water warm's up.


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

Let us know how those heaters work out. Heard varying degrees of reviews on them. 

May I ask where you got them? My Google turned up zilch.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I got them on [Ebay Link Removed] They do look a little cheap but will have to use them before any review's hopfully they don't cook my shrimps!! Lol


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I've used cheap heaters in the past, hence the warning above. I hope they treat you better!


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

That is why you don't put all your money in one pocket.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

true dat!

just don't put your hands into a tank where the shrimp are actin funny, lol... It doesn't feel good, believe me.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Update on the heaters. Out of the 4 i put in all is set at 72 and so far 3 of the 4 stayed at 72 degrees. One of them is hovering around 74 so not bad for cheap heaters for now i will keep an eye on them to make sure they stay that way.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Update just finished up my stand for the 2 -20 longs. Here's a pic. 









And a pic of my sss's And rili's


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

hey leo, you're going to want to keep the rh down below 40% or you will risk getting secondary damage on all porous materials in the room. i work for a company that does water damage restoration. we have 4 old dehumidifiers (professional ones, but old) that the owner is planning on selling. i personally tested all of them and they all work fine. if you want i can get a price for you. i have plans on getting some shrimp racks up sometime this summer, if you have enough shrimp to go around, i just might buy some off of you since you're somewhat local. if not we can trade up to get some new genes flowing. right now i only have cherries


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

obviously splashing would cause a primary issue with mold. linoleum can support mold growth, its a little more difficult though. i would recommend a sheet of plastic or even plexiglass or something. another thing to think of is when water splashes onto the gaurd that you are putting up, if theres a lot where is it going to run off onto. mold will start to grow when porous material is wet from 48-72 hours. that includes your carpet the wood paneling or it can even happen to the wood rack that you've built. using some polyurethane or a high gloss paint will minimize the risk on your rack


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## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

Those SSS are rili nice!!! Nice Setups. I wish I had the funding and the room.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

timwag2001 said:


> hey leo, you're going to want to keep the rh down below 40% or you will risk getting secondary damage on all porous materials in the room. i work for a company that does water damage restoration. we have 4 old dehumidifiers (professional ones, but old) that the owner is planning on selling. i personally tested all of them and they all work fine. if you want i can get a price for you. i have plans on getting some shrimp racks up sometime this summer, if you have enough shrimp to go around, i just might buy some off of you since you're somewhat local. if not we can trade up to get some new genes flowing. right now i only have cherries


Thanks for the offer on the dehumidifer but right now the budget can't afford it. And the only shrimp's i have availible is yellow's at the moment. 



timwag2001 said:


> obviously splashing would cause a primary issue with mold. linoleum can support mold growth, its a little more difficult though. i would recommend a sheet of plastic or even plexiglass or something. another thing to think of is when water splashes onto the gaurd that you are putting up, if theres a lot where is it going to run off onto. mold will start to grow when porous material is wet from 48-72 hours. that includes your carpet the wood paneling or it can even happen to the wood rack that you've built. using some polyurethane or a high gloss paint will minimize the risk on your rack


I was thinking about putting glass on top wear the bubbles were popping but for now i just don't fill the tank all the way to the rim, i filled it up 75% up the tank. 



jimko said:


> Those SSS are rili nice!!! Nice Setups. I wish I had the funding and the room.


Thanks Jimmy.


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## gordonrichards (Jun 20, 2009)

Get glass tops made bro. Take measurements and go to a glass shop.

Glass quality doesn't matter much, and your humidity will be a heck of a lot less.

Watch out in the summer time... mold will become a nasty issue...
Dehumidifier will run you about $200.00 for a good model.
Set it on a timer and you'll be kosher!

-Gordon


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

those dehus i can get you should be much less than 2 bills and you cant get something like that in a store. and seriously, do everything you can to prevent mold. you dont know what you oryour family will be allegric to and you dont know if the mold that you grow is toxic (to everyone)


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

As of today i am done for now in the shrimp room other than getting glass tops and a dehumidifier. 
So there are a total of 6 tanks 4-10 and 2- 20 longs. All up and running other than one of the 20 longs that one is for holding water to change water so it will be excatly the same parameters as the others. 

And my stock list as of today in the room. 
1 bkk
2 wine reds - just got them yesterday breeding size not baby's woohoo!!
Crs's
Oe blue tigers
Fire reds 
Yellows
And rilis
Pics will be up soon. Thank you all who helped out!!!! 
And Thank you again Victor for the plywood. Hope to see you again soon.


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## SBPyro (Dec 15, 2009)

*Gotta see if I can find it but maybe able to loan you a dehumidifer*



timwag2001 said:


> those dehus i can get you should be much less than 2 bills and you cant get something like that in a store. and seriously, do everything you can to prevent mold. you dont know what you oryour family will be allegric to and you dont know if the mold that you grow is toxic (to everyone)


Leo,
For the sake of your family, let me go see if the one I have is easily accessable.
Victor


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

i doubt that it would be be that bad but its better safe than sorry, especially in the summer. air conditioning dehumidifies too


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## wrangler (Oct 14, 2007)

Where did you find rillis?? I think they are sooo neat looking? Were they expensive??


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

wrangler said:


> Where did you find rillis?? I think they are sooo neat looking? Were they expensive??


I got them from a member from here. It cost me $150 for 10 of them they are quite expensive but cheap at the same time, you can't find them at that price anywhere right now!


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I did find some dehumidifier's on craigslist , new at a great price after thinking about the whole mold and mildew thing i might not need it cause it does not get that warm down in the basement during the summer.Max temp down there is 75 to 80. I will see if i need one when summer hit's. So it's gonna be as is for now.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

mold grew in my shrimp room with temps in the 50s and 60s with covers on tanks. Damp-rid works, but it's expensive to replace the media all the time. I have an airconditioner in the room now, and it's under control. 

if your basement reaches 80 in the summer, maybe get an air conditioner (portable) instead of a dehumidifier


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## taniner (Aug 10, 2010)

Any new updates?!?


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Not really just letting the shrimp's do there thing. Still a work in progress. The rili's are breeding like crazy!! And have a few of the blue rili's in the mix. Getting ready to separate them. And see if i can make them breed true. 

And my fire reds i got from jimmy is also breeding like rabbits.
I did get a few new shrimps though. Here is a list of what i am working with. 
Cbs/crs
Orange eye Blue tigers
Fire reds
Yellows
Malawa
Wine red
Rilis
Snowballs
Blue pearls
Tigers


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## taniner (Aug 10, 2010)

very nice collection. do you have pics of your wine red and blue rili's?


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## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

leo1234 said:


> Not really just letting the shrimp's do there thing. Still a work in progress. The rili's are breeding like crazy!! And have a few of the blue rili's in the mix. Getting ready to separate them. And see if i can make them breed true.
> 
> And my fire reds i got from jimmy is also breeding like rabbits.
> I did get a few new shrimps though. Here is a list of what i am working with.
> ...


I'm so jealous of your collection!!! I wish I had a spare room. Good luck with your shrimps!!! Hopefully you can get some going so that you can supply TPT (or just me) with some unbelievable shrimps at an unbelievable price.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

taniner said:


> very nice collection. do you have pics of your wine red and blue rili's?


Here's a pic of the wine but i don't have a pic of the blue rili yet. 











jimko said:


> I'm so jealous of your collection!!! I wish I had a spare room. Good luck with your shrimps!!! Hopefully you can get some going so that you can supply TPT (or just me) with some unbelievable shrimps at an unbelievable price.


Thanks jimmy. I'll see in a few more month's if i have enough to sell. If they keep on producing at the rate they are now, i will have to thin them down soon.


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## SBPyro (Dec 15, 2009)

And this is why I'm glad you are not that far away.
BTW did find the humidifier but it requires a weekend of moving stuff to get to it.


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## gtu2004 (Feb 17, 2010)

what happened to the bkk?


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

SBPyro said:


> And this is why I'm glad you are not that far away.
> BTW did find the humidifier but it requires a weekend of moving stuff to get to it.


Hey there Victor. How's everything going. Thanks for looking for it but i don't think i will be needing it. If you ever need anything let me know. 



gtu2004 said:


> what happened to the bkk?


The bkk didn't make it. So maybe in the near future i will get some more as of now i am just gonna work with what i got. Maybe add a couple of more kinds of shrimp in. I am still missing a few species like blue bee's, green's, and what ever i forgot to get.
What other kind is there that i don't have that you guys/gals think u should be breeding any suggestion are more than welcomed. Other than hard water species.


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## taniner (Aug 10, 2010)

Let me know when you have a few red wines to spare. 

Maybe you should try cardinal shrimp?


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## Mr. Appleton (Jul 1, 2011)

I'll second the cardinals! 

See that you're relatively local to Boston... we promise to be eager customers when you have them successfully breeding


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Well i guess it's cardinals than. Just have to do a little research on them first. Then set up a tank. Does anyone know what parameters they are kept in. Temp, ph , ect. And what would i need other than the equipment to run a tank for them. 
Thanks.


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

Wow! Your wallet has got to be burning at the rate you are buying these expensive shrimp! Lol. Set up is looking good though. How do you like the coralife pump?


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Cardinals: pH over 8, temp between 80 and 85, kh 1-5, Gh 4-8 mainly algae grazers so they'll need a good light, and they are EXTREMELY sensitive to changes in parameters. Also over filtration is good because at a ph above 8, ammonia is not converted to ammonium. They aren't as simple to keep as coldwater species.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

sampster5000 said:


> Wow! Your wallet has got to be burning at the rate you are buying these expensive shrimp! Lol. Set up is looking good though. How do you like the coralife pump?


Hahaha lol yes it is. The pump overall is good. No complaint's yet. 



mordalphus said:


> Cardinals: pH over 8, temp between 80 and 85, kh 1-5, Gh 4-8 mainly algae grazers so they'll need a good light, and they are EXTREMELY sensitive to changes in parameters. Also over filtration is good because at a ph above 8, ammonia is not converted to ammonium. They aren't as simple to keep as coldwater species.


Thanks Liam. But how would i get a ph of 8 or more i'm used to trying to bring it down i never tried to bring ph up before. I do know that people use crush coral. Is that the stuff they use for saltwater setups? This will be a good challange for me. 
So you are saying a good filter good lights probaly high lights to get algea growing. And not to let parameters change so much. Seem like i can manage that. I will probaly start getting stuff together in a week of so. I'll keep you all updated. Thanks


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I just got an idea hahaha!!! I will setup my 56 gallon tank that i have i my living room for them. Cause at the temp they require it will best to put them there and setup another tank for my yellows down stairs. Everything is basiclly Setup already i just need to change out the substrate and get my parameters right and get them in. It already has t5ho's, fluval 405 filter and the tank stays around 78 degrees in the summer so i can just turn up my heater abit and i am all set to go!!
It will be much much more friendlier on my wallet than trying to buy another setup for them it will be cheaper to setup another tank for the yellows. Which doesn't really require much for parameters.


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

Crushed coral is more used in freshwater to raise pH. In saltwater set ups we usually use live rock (limestone) and aragonite for the substrate.


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## zxc (Nov 10, 2009)

PH above 8 will kill all my cardinal!!!!! they survive and breed at stable PH 7.5 GH 7 KH 5
Temp 80F. And my rabbit snail wont breed at PH 7.5 and breed well at PH8!!!!!!!!
Is only me. good luck to you LEO.


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## mixedinverttank (Jul 18, 2011)

Anything new?


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Nothing new yet, been very busy, i don't have time to setup another tank yet.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Decided to snap a few pics during feeding today. Please enjoy no real update been busy with a new job so nothing new, just letting the shrimps do thier thing. Sorry for the pics. took them with my phone.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

And some more. 

























Enjoy!!


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

any updates?


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## manualfocus (Jun 15, 2011)

h4n said:


> any updates?


+1! :bounce:


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

Just tryin to setup some things for more tanks. Shrimps are all doing well, the snowballs are breeding like rabbits and malawas. Saving up for more shrimps! 
I might have to redo the stand to get more tanks in there maybe 3 tier high? But it us a small room so still deciding if i want to do it yet.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Can we get a full picture of the room?


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

Nice! Are you selling any shrimp? I love to buy some locally!


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

h4n said:


> Nice! Are you selling any shrimp? I love to buy some locally!


Yes i am shoot me a pm than we can work something out.


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## jone (Nov 27, 2011)

What kind of material would you use for a divider?? curiuos to know your choices that are hopefully shrimp proof...


shane3fan said:


> for me--and Im no expert--I would use 20 long tanks or 40 breeders divided ( if you are using them for shrimp that can interbreed and corrupt the gene pool. If not, you could use the 40 breeder without a divider. )
> 
> Think large footprint and dont worry about the height so much. The 33 gallon long tanks would be cool as well if you can find some.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

h4n said:


> Nice! Are you selling any shrimp? I love to buy some locally!


Yes i am shoot me a pm than we can work something out.


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