journal JonX- Shrimp Tank

[JonX]

Thank you SKF for welcoming and accepting me on this forum.

I started to keep shrimp properly in November last year when I came back from holidays in Europe. I bought this aqua one nano tank which I thought would be enough for me. I slowly planted it and added shrimp in. First was snow whites, then crystal reds and crystal blacks. After I added the shrimp I knew I would have a problem when they grew up to breeding age so I ordered my custom divided tank. I wasn't allowed much space and 2 foot was the maximum I could go.

The 30 cube was snuck in and kept in the spare bathroom where I am staying at my sister's house. She was okay with it when she saw it but when she heard I was getting another tank she said I couldn't keep it. I have a beautiful, gorgeous sexy girlfriend who I conned into keeping the tanks in her apartment. There was enough space in her apartment for a larger tank but it was too late- the divided tank was already being made. I decided to keep the 30 cube instead of shutting it down because I spent too much money on it already. The tanks are side by side on the same cabinet. I am still deciding if I want to get an over flow box and connect the two tanks.

I have transferred the shrimp over to the divided tank. The 30 cube has natives in it. I will wait until it is cooler to see if I want to put tee bees in there.

30 cube tank specs:

Tank: Aqua One all in one 30 cube.

Light: Up Aqua z series LED

Soil: Up Aqua soil

Filtration: eheim 2215 filled with Seachem Matrix

Initial set up November 2012

planted

collecting/hoarding plants for the divided tank

[JonX]

The Beggining of the Divided Tank

The tank- 60cm x 40cm x 30cm high (76 liters)

It was cheaper to buy 1 piece of goldvine and chop it. It was a very nice piece and it was kind of wrong to cut such a nice piece.

Butchered

hard scape planning.

20cm divisions are a bit narrow but space was an issue so I went 40cm deep to make up for that.

The light has 72 watts of led power. It has a computer which controls brightness and I can program it to dim on and off with timers aswell (I still don't know how to program it with the Chinese translated into English by a Chinese person).

I also got 5kg Benabachi soil and another 3.5kg from another forum member. It's always better to ask around if people have spare Benibachi soil because you can only buy it in 5kg bags.

*The box of Benibachi products.

Benibachi Mineral powder at the base

Substrate in

filled very cloudy light is aqua one clip on low light led

When I picked the divided tank up from the shop for the first time I was happy but I thought the drilled holes in the dividers were a little bit small. They also had a problem of sitting too low.

I ordered a sheet of A3 stainless steel mesh and cut it in half. I also ordered 2 sheets of A3 perspex sheets 6mm thick. I cut the perspex to the size of the dividers and also cut out rectangle holes for the mesh. I stuck the mesh to the perspex with silicone.

I should have explained the dividers to the tank builder better because it cost me a further $60 and a few hours of my time. I was lucky that my brother in law had the right tools for me to do this.

Better flow, sits higher, happier.

In the cabinet. The drawers are good to keep all the cables nice and neat.

The cabinet is a tv stand/buffet table $99. The space on the right is where the 30cm cube will eventually end up.

7 days later Sunday 20th Jan.

Full tank shot

1st division front view

Divided Tank info:

60cm long x 40cm wide x 30cm high (76liters)

perspex dividers with ss mesh, removable

chiller: jbj antartica rated for 170 liters

filter: eheim professional 2 2028 (1050 liter per hour)

3x sponge filter (aqua manta 360 air pump)

substrate: benibachi mineral powder, benibachi soil, benibachi balls, benibachi active water, benibachi shrimp emergency

light: 72 watt LED

aqua manta breeding box Large and Small run by small Aquamanta air pump

driftwood: goldvine

plants: staurogen, hydrocotyle, HM, anubias nana pettite, weeping moss, willow moss, flame moss, peacock moss, christmas moss, mini pelia, needle leaf java fern, dwarf java fern, bolbitis, amazon frogbits, duckweed.

VIDEO:

http://youtu.be/I273KMs--cA

top view

front view

1st division: yellow cherries and a tee bee species in future

2nd division: crystal red shrimp and red rilli

3rd division: CBS and snow white

right hand side view

1st division inhabitants

2nd division inhabitants- these are all juvies from 3 different types of stock, some are coming up to sub adult age. Can't wait to be able to sex them and see them breed!

[JonX]

side view

Inside the cabinet

[lachie1998]

Very nice tanks !

[Aquathumb]

Very nice setup! that Light looks like a beast...72w!

[BlueBolts]

Nice shrimps & nice tank......very exciting, and lots of potential...well done mate.

[JonX]

Its very hard to catch shrimp in this tank. Too much aquascaping getting in the way.

[BlueBolts]

It's a fine balance between shrimp & aqascaping......food, or a shove with the other end of your shrimp net will get them to where you want it.

My tank's always start out as bare & minimalistic, but end up a jungle, cause I too love mosses & plants

[JPN07]

nice tanks you got there Jon. Good quality CRS you got there.

[2OFUS]

Hi mate nice setup and shrimps :)

[JonX]

Hi mate nice setup and shrimps :)

Thank you for the compliment. They come from a very good breeder. =)

[Dean]

good write up mate, and the tanks look very good also.

you have some nice shrimp in those pics :)

do you have any more pics of the crs with the brightness a little lower ? those crs look very good;)

[Neo-shrimp]

You have beautiful shrimps and a fantastic set-up there Jon X....How long have you been in the shrimp hobby ? You seem to have a flair for aquascaping...Thanks for the pic...CJ

[JonX]

good write up mate' date=' and the tanks look very good also.

you have some nice shrimp in those pics :)

do you have any more pics of the crs with the brightness a little lower ? those crs look very good;)[/quote']

the photos were taken with the 72 watt LED light with a Samsung Note 2.

Here are photos taken with the Samsung Note 2 with natural daylight I took this morning.

[JonX]

You have beautiful shrimps and a fantastic set-up there Jon X....How long have you been in the shrimp hobby ? You seem to have a flair for aquascaping...Thanks for the pic...CJ

This is what I started with which is at my other sister's house.

July 2012

A few days ago

I started with this tank in July 2012. After reading that shrimp were good to have in planted tanks, I got some cherries and C grade shrimp off my cousin. I liked shrimp but couldn't really keep them properly because the tank houses a betta which loves hunting shrimplets and killing sub adults for fun. So after my trip to Europe in November I started to have a proper go with the 30 cube. =).

[Dean]

thanks for the better pics mate, i can now say that they are some very nice shrimp and you should be happy with there quality :encouragement:

and that last tank with the honeycomb rock looks very cool before the plants grew over everything :)

[Gbang]

Mate those are great crs!!!! And nice tanks too :)

[JonX]

My tank is at my girlfriend's apartment, so I don't get to see my shrimp every day. Just came back to see them after 4 days. My new additions are

2x CBS SSS.

Came back to my first berry in the divided tank- C grade CBS, father is snow white or SSS. I wonder how her babies will turn out.

Here are some pictures and a video from tonight.

http://youtu.be/7WSlAWKsbjY

http://youtu.be/7WSlAWKsbjY

feeding yellows

new black addition

berried C grade black

crown head reds

[CNgo2006]

Nice new additions there Johnny...Video has been blocked, so unwatchable.

[Neo-shrimp]

Jon x can you tell me where did you get the aqua manta breeding box (also cost if you don't mind)...Would like to purchase one...Have not seen any like it in Perth..cheers CJ

[BlueBolts]

That's a different C Grade CBS....have not seen one like that ? Cool.

[CNgo2006]

Johnny I have a male C Grade CBS, should we try getting the pair together and see what comes of it, maybe we can get an all black.

[JonX]

That's a different C Grade CBS....have not seen one like that ? Cool.

Blue Bolts' date=' it's the only one I have- it's similar to the C grade CRS I had- I've done some googling and it looks like its close to wild form from my research. Others might argue otherwise.

Jon x can you tell me where did you get the aqua manta breeding box (also cost if you don't mind)...Would like to purchase one...Have not seen any like it in Perth..cheers CJ

I got mine from Le Aquatic in Lansvale (my local LFS) $30.

[JonX]

Johnny I have a male C Grade CBS' date=' should we try getting the pair together and see what comes of it, maybe we can get an all black.[/quote']

She's freshly berried up by a snow white or a SSS black. All black would be awesome!

[JonX]

Nice new additions there Johnny...Video has been blocked' date=' so unwatchable.[/quote']

I stickied in a Swedish House Mafia song, copy right laws blocked the video- I've sinced changed it to something more calming. Enjoy. =0)