Neocaridina 5 gallon tank setup.

[Frosty]

Hi everyone,

It’s been months since I last posted something on SKF and I feel I’ve missed out on so much. I hope everyone is safe in the current situation. Anyway I’ve had this 5 gallon aquarium cycled and occasionally used as a fry tank or a QT tank nothing special bare bottom sponge filter no proper light but this week I decided to purchase some nice black substrate a high quality light and some spider wood to start an either snowball cherry shrimp tank or a red cherry shrimp tank. The hardscape is now more or less where I want it to be and I’m just working on plants and acquiring some shrimp. I’m hoping the spiderwood releases a few tannins to buffer the water a little. 
My water out of the tap is:

PH: 7.0-7.2

GH: 3-4

KH: 1-2

TDS: About 120-150 from what other fish keepers close to me say, I don’t have a TDS meter.

I was wondering what plants everyone recommends and also what shrimp. I was originally thinking RCS or Snowballs but I’m open to any ideas.

Photos of the current setup:

 

[sdlTBfanUK]

Good to see you back!

Have you seen Steensj2004 recent posts as the orange rili would look good in your tank as you have the same colour sunstrate?

I would think the cherry shrimp will be fine in that setup, though GH is a bit low. This (and TDS) will increase over time if you have no lid and are topping up with tap water. You may have to 'top-up' with RO at some point in the future so those figures don't get too high. Or if you have some GH+, get the figures to where you want them immediately, always top up with RO between maintenance (evaporation), and mix tap water and GH+ when doing water changes/maintenance, this would be the best route. 

Plantwise I would stick to easy as you don't want to use fertilisers with shrimp and that is (I assume) an inert substrate. Java fern (2) and moss (balls/mats/stick to wood) would be a good start, and some Indian almond leaves is all you should need to make it look great and nice and simple to keep, and not too cluttered.

I hope everything is going well with the other tanks? This is your first shrimp tank though?

Simon 

[jayc]

Get some moss on the wood.

Something big and bushy to hide the air filter would be cool.

[Frosty]

A mate (Crabby) has heaps of Christmas moss to give me. The only problem is meeting up for that to happen. And yes the substrate is inert I did some research before. It’s a medium to large grain sand.

- B

 

 

[Crabby]

Yeah my moss is defs bushy... pretty much all my plants are since I never trim or remove anything. And now that I see your hardscape, maybe some smaller crypts would work well, right under the base of the wood (or something similar). And of course one of your Marimo moss balls would look great as well. I know my shrimp adore mine. If I were you, I would get the light going from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed, to build up algae and biofilm. Just for a week or so. Should help the re-cycling (partially helping the cycle, not recycling, I mean) process. I did it and it worked for me, at least. 

 

Crabby

[jayc]

8 hours ago, Blazepelt said:

The only problem is meeting up for that to happen

We can visit each other now, 2 adults meeting each other to hand over some moss should not be a problem.