journal Shrimp home amongst the mountains

[BiGGiE]

Hi all

So I've decided to start my first journal about my new shrimp pad!

Ive spent months doing research and drawing inspiration from the many beautiful scapes that drape the internet and i finally decided on creating a mountain scape for my shrimp to call home.

Im fortunate enough to own a CADE600 braceless opti clear tank and matching cabinet which just oozes sex appeal!

The light im using is a Zetlight LED and filtration is taken care of with an Eheim 2215 with upgraded impeller with a Ista co2 reactor and Hydor heater all run inline.

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Before I did anything with the tank the base was sprinkled with ADA Bacter100, Benibachi Super Bacteria Bee Max and mineral powder to provide a good base of bacteria and mineral content

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For the substrate I decided to use Cal Aqua Black Earth after reading many great reviews and seeing the success other people have had with it. The hardscape material is all bluestone which I have been told (fingers crossed) that itll effect the WP the least. Sand path was created with just plain white aquarium sand. This layout involved many hours to get to something i was happy with aswell as alot of advice and direction from friends too. The area underneath the rocks have been filled with polystyrene foam and extra rocks to lighten the load on substrate cost and I ended up using about 15 litres. I have had many warnings about the sand path and the potential of aquasoil mixing into it but im hoping the carpet will avoid that happening.

Here is the final hardscape layout

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Now I was inspired to attempt my very first dry start method after afew mates had, and after seeing the results they had i was blown away. Plant list when completed will include HC, Eleocharis Belem, Glossostigma Diandrum, Utricularia Graminifolia and mini fissiden. First introduction into the scape was the HC and belem.

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My mate taught me alot about the DSM process and requirements so I followed his steps which are

Mist the tank well to create a moist environment but not too much in order to avoid mould and algae

Completely cover the tank with glad wrap

Run a co2 line into the tank whilst still ensuring a seal around the tank and dose at 1 bps

Run co2 and light for a period of 12 hours

once lights are out uncover 1/3 of the tank to allow for gas exchange and any excess water to evaporate.

Maintenance and inspection is about 10 minutes every morning before leaving for work and about 10 minutes at night.

I find myself sitting in front of the tank just staring at it despite having no water and inhabitants for hours!!

After some help from Jeff and Helen from Liverool Creek Aquarium I found some Utricularia Graminifolia and Glossotigma Diandrum. I was extremely impressed with how well the plants were packaged and the quality of the plants aswell as some freebies too!!

UG is apart of the bladderwort family and there was alot of debate of whether this carnivorous plant would wipe out any shrimplets in the tank but i decided this was a display tank and not a breeding tank. I had read many articles online that many people had kept the plant with shrimp without any problems but I suppose ill find out

Hopefully the glosso will also enjoy the DSM process but it has not been added in yet.

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So far I'm really enjoying the DSM and am always excited to find any new growth at all. The little trick I learnt thanks to my mate about dosing co2 into the tank definately makes a difference and helps in providing a good environment.

Heres a full tank shot with HC, UG and E Belem planted

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Hope you like the scape and any advice or criticism is certainly welcome!!

Thanks

[taycru]

Lovin' this journal!! Great work thus far bruz! #winning

[Hyzenthlay]

Looking good! :)

[Squiggle]

Very very cool dude, can't wait to see this progress, should be very exciting! :victorious:

[BiGGiE]

Thanks guys and a special thanks to Taycru for the dsm education!!

when the plants have taken ill remove most of the top layer of sand and replace it with fresh sand to make sure its nice n white and that theres no soil showing on it!

I cant wait to flood it but will probably be about 6 or so weeks away atleast

More importantly im trying to decide on what shrimp to house in here :congratulatory:

[Hyzenthlay]

I tried a kind of (possibly half-assed) sand section at the front of my latest scape but the shrimp moved the aqua soil onto it when foraging. They mock me!

Yours has better rock division though and the DSM should mean the plants hold it down before the monsters can get in there and mess it up. :)

[Daydream]

This just may be the thread to inspire me to get my finger out and set my comp tank up again for the AGA and IAPLC.Been a couple of years since I last put in an entry.I do miss laying tanks out.Thankyou for the thread.

[BiGGiE]

Definately hoping the carpets will hold the soil in place and thats why i probably wont flood until they have really covered most of the area

and wow my tank inspiring the start of a comp tank??? Thats awesome!

[Kev]

Wow. Looking good, love the dsm approach.

[al4n]

Looks great!

[BlueBolts]

Awesome. Great details in the journal...thanks....enjoying the read ! :applause:

[Daydream]

Yeh my last tank was 320l class AGA2011 slice of life. Have done a few mountain scapes and nature aquarium styles since for other people but nothing for myself.

[poeticwinter]

great landscaping and post, thanks for sharing. looking foward when its running :)

[BiGGiE]

Thanks for all the kind words :encouragement:

Hopefully ill find time to do a journal uodate tonight!

[CRSkiller]

Looking good! Any chance of a pic of the gear in the cabinet?

[HexaD]

Wow!! Amazing scape, shrimp haven!

[BiGGiE]

CRSkiller i havent got the items in cabinet hooked up yet but will add it to the journal when i do!

Thanks HexaD i cant wait to flood this baby and fill it with shrimp

Im assuming with the amount of rock in here that cherries will be my best bet

[BiGGiE]

WEEK 1

Now I know this journal isnt even a week old but I was obviously behind in starting it lol

So every morning seems to feel like groundhog day with the same routine over and over again and the worries of is there enough moisture in the tank? have i got the lights on long enough? is the light in the right location? etc etc

But seeing the growth im getting from the HC at the moment makes me think I must be doing things right.

It looks quite lush, green and bushier aswell as sending out runners!

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The growth in the Belem has been much slower thus far, but heres a pic of some great root growth through the substrate so hopefully it isnt too long before lots of new shoots spring through

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There hasnt been much growth in the UG as it was added into the tank last and a number of days after the other plants. Hopefully next weeks update will show some new growth from it

I have discovered that the rocks peaks are shading some areas of the HC which im not sure how ill decide to fix yet but ill monitor how well the HC grows before i make a decision.

Next ill be adding in the mini fissidens aswell as the glossostigma diandrum when i decide where to plant it

So it seems I'm rather addicted to DSM method and am sure ill enjoy it even more in the coming weeks!

[Squiggle]

Looking awesome dude, if you get one of those travel humidifiers it will keep the moisture in the tank high. Not sure who it was that posted the link(might have been cookster in his journal) but they look very cool & should do the job nicely. :encouragement:

[BiGGiE]

Thanks Squiggs!

ive already had a generous offer of one from a mate ive just gotta make it down there to pick it up

I honestly think the humidifier is the coolest part of a dsm!