exciting times

[ineke]

I finally made the decision to close my AR980 down and sell my fish- have organised a local shop to buy my big guys- angels ,clown loaches, corys, Bristle Nose and some of the smaller fish but keeping the Endlers. So that gives me a huge 200 litre plus tank to setup as a shrimp tank in the lounge room. Just need to decide what to put in there. Initially I was going to put all my culls in there and have a lovely big multi colour shrimp tank. Now I'm not so sure if that is such a good idea as they will just breed out to mostly wild type and then there won't be much colour in there.

My shrimp at the moment are CRS/CBS, Mishlings , TB and TBM, Tibees, Chocolates (plus Blues and Blacks), Blue Velvet, Rilis and Yellows. The tank would look awesome with all of those in there but again interbreeding would be an issue. Sigh- thought this would be easy.

I'm leaning towards the CRS/CBS -yes I have them in together just to try and get them breeding but that's a whole other story:) maybe a change of scenery will trigger them to breed? Might even put the Tibees in there :)

I would love to put my Chocolates in there too but keep the Blues out. Mmm sounds like a plan and even if the Tibees breed with the Crystals it will just add a bit of extra interest to the tank.

Any thoughts anyone??????

[newbreed]

I keep yellows with my CRS and they look great together!! With CBS it would be visually brilliant I reckon! Will you have it heavily planted???

always good to have a new project, have fun!!

[Squiggle]

If you want visually contrasting then CBS & yellows are great & I would suggest CRS & blues are a great contrasting colour set, should be very aesthetically stunning. :applause:

[Heavyd]

Ineke, my experience in my 200 litre tank with CRS and yellows is that eventually the yellows outbred and outcompeted with the CRS for food to the point that shrimplet survival of the CRS was very low. I now keep my favourite CRS and CBS in separate tanks from cherries. They are doing much better without the additional competition.

[ineke]

I'm getting a bit confused about what to do know. Firstly I would like a carpet type plant if I can without CO2, it won't be heavily planted because I can never see my shrimp in my planted tanks.

I did want a multi colour tank but maybe that won't work but then again both my Crystals and my Yellows aren't breeding for me and I don't have many Crystals or Yellows so it would be awhile before they start competing. I did want to keep the CBS and CRS together even though its best not too but again if I want to seriously breed I should keep them seperate . Will have to give it a bit more thought while I set it up.

[KFenk]

Natives! lol

But seriously. Red Nose, chameleon, riffles and even glassies.

[pappyy3]

If you're after a display tank, why not have a multi-colored tank with just females? (No in-breeding) ...??

[ineke]

I don't need any other types of shrimp I'm already running out of room LOL.

I won't have enough female shrimp to make a dent in the amount of space in this tank unfortunately.

I think I will concentrate on setting it up and then when it's finished I might be able to decide but pretty sure it will be the CRS as they show up nicely with dark substrate. I might still end up putting my Yellows in there too as they aren't breeding and if they suddenly have a population explosion I could deal with that .

Now what is a nice ground cover that doesn't need CO2?

[ninja]

Green pebbles???? Lol.

[BlueBolts]

A quick, no fuss groud cover would be the marsilea minuta.... shrimplets love it, as it gives them lots of hiding spots under it's fronds etc...

[ineke]

Thanks BB have just read up on it and although tedious to plant it looks like it will do the job well. Will see if anyone has some for sale:encouragement:

Ninja I know it will be hard to catch the shrimp but I won't be doing that too often I'm hoping to have a big colony if they ever get in the mood for love!!!!!

[Heavyd]

Where do you get that from BB?

[ineke]

Where do you get that from BB?

that was my next question?????

[Heavyd]

LOL.

Another idea which doesn't involve planting, is to lay clumps of peacock moss on the substrate. Over time the moss will spread and forms beautiful clumps/carpet of fronds. The shrimp love it and it can be removed without disturbing the substrate.

[ineke]

will it stay there long enough to attach -I like that idea too. I also have a large variety of moss on SS mesh I guess that will get bushy overtime? I have only recently tied it.

[Heavyd]

I have mine in a 2 foot tank and it worked great. I think it helps if you start of with dense clumps that were grown in good conditions. Obviously if you have strong current, they will get moved around, but otherwise they stay put.

[ineke]

I have a bit of peacock nothing bushy yet but I noticed a few fronds growing out of the mesh and onto the substrate and that looks nice. Might have to go through my older moss and see what I have got. When I first started out I got a bucket of mixed moss offcuts and didn't know what was what- if I'm honest I still don't know- so I just put everything together on rocks and wood . It will be a picking game but I have the time:D

[ninja]

A quick' date=' no fuss groud cover would be the marsilea minuta.... shrimplets love it, as it gives them lots of hiding spots under it's fronds etc...

I never saw that tank BB?????? You bugger!!!!!

[ninja]

Even old java moss will grow into the substrate.

[ineke]

Think I might give some moss a try ,at least I know that is low tech . I am so hopeless at making tanks look good. I use the excuse its a breeding tank and they just need to be functional .:)

[Wraithie]

if you find out where to get that cute little plant, let me know :)

[ineke]

I've looked at a few online plant sellers and our sponsors and still haven't found it.:(

[ineke]

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b583/ineke24/2013-09-18083947_zpsc0c0e8c1.jpg' alt='2013-09-18083947_zpsc0c0e8c1.jpg'>

Tank last night and this morning. Now to wait for the cycle to finish and in go the shrimp

[newbreed]

The tank looks great Ineke! Love the layout! I don't know why you think you aren't good at scaping?

(Just waiting for Ninja to mention about your heater!! ;) )

[ineke]

Thanks Newbreed kept real simple this time and as this tank is in the lounge I will be less inclined to fiddle with it so it might stay like that except I think it needs a couple of tubes for the girls to hide in.

I thought I hid the heater but the plants aren't thick enough darn. I know she likes them vertical but I have the bubbles underneath it to disperse the heat:(