Aquamaxx 17.1 Gallon Caridina Tank Build

[beanbag]

https://store.drtimsaquatics.com/eco-balance-probiotic-bacteria.html

There is a specific freshwater version.  I have this one, but haven't used it in a while out of fear of nuking the babies.

[Steensj2004]

12 hours ago, beanbag said:

https://store.drtimsaquatics.com/eco-balance-probiotic-bacteria.html

There is a specific freshwater version.  I have this one, but haven't used it in a while out of fear of nuking the babies.

I have to be honest, I didn’t see that on amazon. I must have missed it. Sorry.

 

What is the fundamental difference? The one I ordered specifies displacing bad bacteria as well. Is it different?al Also, what do you mean by,”Nuking the babies?” 

[Steensj2004]

Update: Disease is going away. Only 1-2 even show discoloration. I’m not sure if it’s the filter nuke and adding fresh bacteria, changing feeding, water changes, or a combo of all was the fix, but they are all eating and very active. Black Beard Algae is also receding and nearly gone!
 

A HUGE thanks to everyone who helped me get through this! 

 

I  built a tiny photo tank, today, to make macro shots easier. It’s 3” x 1” x 2”  I’m dimensions. I need to work on lighting, and a better camera on my phone would help too.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Steensj2004

[Crabby]

That's fantastic! Congrats! Really happy for ya. 

Brilliant idea with that photo tank, might have to try that one out myself some time. Never thought about that. 

Also may I ask, what do you think fixed that BBA? I'm going through some sort of 6 month long BBA battle in my 29 gallon fish tank right now, eager to hear from someone on the other side. 

Great job Steen.

-Crabby

[sdlTBfanUK]

Great news, and a great photo!

That is the biggest drawbaack with doing so many treatments and changes at the same time, you don't then know what actually solved the problems for future reference should it re--occur? Hopefully though you will be fine from here onward! 

Simon

[Steensj2004]

9 hours ago, Crabby said:

That's fantastic! Congrats! Really happy for ya. 

Brilliant idea with that photo tank, might have to try that one out myself some time. Never thought about that. 

Also may I ask, what do you think fixed that BBA? I'm going through some sort of 6 month long BBA battle in my 29 gallon fish tank right now, eager to hear from someone on the other side. 

Great job Steen.

-Crabby

I drastically pulled back adding any god to the tank. That included Glasgarten powders like Baxter AE and Shrimp Fit. Water changes. Continued H2O2 treatments. Easy Carbo was also used as a spot treatment along side H2O2.

Additionally,  I really only had a few isolated tuffs of the BBA. I was desperately trying to get ahead of it before it really took off.

5 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

Great news, and a great photo!

That is the biggest drawbaack with doing so many treatments and changes at the same time, you don't then know what actually solved the problems for future reference should it re--occur? Hopefully though you will be fine from here onward! 

Simon

You’re very right. The major turn around came as I used the bacteria and changed feeding schedules. I feel confident that killing off the filter bacteria with a high level of H2O2, and reading proper bacterial cultures is what changed things for the better. The change was rapid. 
 

@beanbag solved the problem with the DR Tim’s, I’m confident of that. The change was rapid and obvious. The shrimp act like different creatures now. Shells are losing the Discoloration and pitting. You can still see a few pita on the old girl in the picture above. As a reference, her white areas were tan- brown and he shell looked to be 10x worse with pits everywhere. All shrimp are voracious eaters now. I suspect that the bacteria/ water quality was having a greater affect than I estimated. They are like whole new shrimp. 2x as active. 

Edited May 14, 2020 by Steensj2004

[beanbag]

That's super.  What Dr Tim's product did you use?

[Steensj2004]

8 minutes ago, beanbag said:

That's super.  What Dr Tim's product did you use?

I’m not sure if you recall the previous conversation, but I ended up with a product that was not what you recommended. I had some confusion because ordering from amazon I got keyholed, where I didn’t see the exact product you suggested based on whatever I searched for...... However, One and Only  seems to have cured this after using H2O2 to nuke the bacteria in the tank and replacing with this bottle bacteria:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001LUOI92?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I’m not sure, but I feel though it’s what fixed my issue.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Steensj2004

[Steensj2004]

Two berried tigers! 3/5 of the tigers are females, so it’s very likely that they bred with a black or red crystal. I don’t actually know what this means or what the mischlings will be? Will the only carry the tiger gene while producing crystals and tigers, or will the babies show fancy tigers markings?

 

Also, what determines how many eggs a female produces? One tiger has CONSIDERABLY more eggs. The on in this picture has about half as many eggs as the other...

Edited May 28, 2020 by Steensj2004

[sdlTBfanUK]

Great photo, and great to hear that this tank is still going 'OK' for now, hopefully with time it may just settle down on its own?

I don't know the answers to your questions but I am eager (as I am sure you are as well) to see what happens next and what the babies look like!  

Simon

[Steensj2004]

Update:

Saw a baby shrimp yesterday, it has to be a few weeks old based on the size. I didn’t even realize that any CRS/CBS were berried, or far enough along to drop babies....  I didn’t realize how thick the repens had gotten, so if one was hiding that well I suppose kore could be, too. One new berried female CRS along with the two berried tigers. Things are looking good.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Steensj2004

[jayc]

10 hours ago, Steensj2004 said:

Things are looking good.

Indeed. Glad things are more positive for you now.

[sdlTBfanUK]

Great news! There may be more hiding as you say.

Simon

[Steensj2004]

Looks as though one female tiger has dropped her babies. Obviously, I can’t see them yet. Now up to 3 red/ 2 Black crystals, and one more tiger  berried!

Something odd and worth asking:

I’ve seen male shrimp swim around like crazy when a female molts and is ready to mate. Mine have been doing this for the last 2 days..... adolescent and female shrimp aren’t. Parameters are good, no ammonia or nitrite/nitrate issues, and PH/GH/KH/ TDS is on point.....

 

Has anyone ever see this before? I’d have to assume it has to do with mating, but usually they don’t do this dance for this long....

Edited June 17, 2020 by Steensj2004

[sdlTBfanUK]

I think that is normal and a part of the cycle as they presumably molt after the eggs are hatched, but before they get berried again, otherwise the eggs will get dropped with the old shell when they molt, if they molt at the wrong time. This must also be the time the females release chemicals to excite the males etc!

The  more adult females you have the more often this is likely to happen.

I hope you get to see the baby shrimp soon, exciting to find out what they look like?

Simon

Edited June 17, 2020 by sdlTBfanUK

[Steensj2004]

Tank doing great! Have a few Neos in the tank now from a friend who culled them. I’m counting 8-10 females berried, with several ready to drop any day based on when I first saw them berried!

[Steensj2004]

So, I did a thing and got it all setup and flushed tonight. 0-TDS water without buying it for all my tanks!

[Crabby]

Nice!!!

[jayc]

Nice RO water station.

[beanbag]

How much light do u give the tank and do u dose fertilizers?  I would like to grow this thin layer of algae like u have.

[Steensj2004]

4 hours ago, beanbag said:

How much light do u give the tank and do u dose fertilizers?  I would like to grow this thin layer of algae like u have.

Oh man....

Lighting is a Fluval Plant 3.0 Nano. 8 hour cycle, all at 60% except for blue light and red light(ramp up and down is 1.5 hours). Reds at 15% and Blue at 5%. Best I can tell, blue light encourages bad algae in freshwater,  like red does in saltwater. 
 

Fertilizer is one pump of Aquarium Co-OP Green one time, every other week(Monday).

[Steensj2004]

More pics cause I can. 

[jayc]

Its going to be interesting to see what you get from those berried mamas considering your tank is a mix of Crystal Reds, Blacks and Tigers.

[sdlTBfanUK]

Those are great photographs and it is wonderful that it is clearly going so well now, and you have plenty of new baby shrimp to look forward too going by the photos and as JayC says, you may get some surprises with patterns etc!

Simon

Edited July 16, 2020 by sdlTBfanUK

[Steensj2004]

3 hours ago, jayc said:

Its going to be interesting to see what you get from those berried mamas considering your tank is a mix of Crystal Reds, Blacks and Tigers.

So far I’ve seen only reds and blacks. No tigers or any hybrids. I was hoping to see something new, but not yet!

3 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

Those are great phtgraphs and it is wonderful that it is clearly going so well now, and you have plenty of new baby shrimp to look forward too going by the photos and as JayC says, you may get some surprises with patterns etc!

Simon

Thanks! Hoping for something exciting, but, we shall see.