journal Shrimp MANIA!!!

[Guest Astro]

So the Shrimp bug has got me bad!

Started out wishing to get some shrimp again, after previously keeping RCS I was hoping to fill (the old tank)140l which we upgraded to a 450L Juwel Rio.

Before I got the shrimp for the 140L I was already keen to start a 60L nano display tank inspired by the same tank on display at Aquotix Aquariums.

After setting up the 140L to keep shrimp and finding them currently difficult to source in Perth WA I joined this forum.

Thanks to Disciple who gifted me twenty or so of his Red Rili/Blue Gene culls the tank is not so empty.

Infant no more, in less the a week i already have shrimplets, + three berried females. While this colony has begun to thrive my mind has been focussed on setting up the 60L.

Thanks to Disciple and other forums members I have been eagerly researching and absorbing information about the best WP to keep shrimp as well as the different shrimp available and the conditions they require to live, thrive and multiply.

I had planned the 60L tank as my display tank for the Rilis and the current 140L for the rili culls, a practice which I've only just become familiar to. 

However I now wish to keep the new tank with Snowball and Blue Tiger Shrimp and will sort out an alternative option for keeping my Rili culls when that opportunity finally comes :) (I'm really looking forward to having a healthy crop to weed out, so to speak!) I just really want to develop my current Rilis into a higher grade of Rilis, something i never got into when previously keeping RCS. 

Sooooo! a nano tank setup can be just expensive as a larger setup , but Im having a lot of fun preparing for the tank which I have ordered from Aquatix, the tank should be here in a fortnight, yeah!!! 

So far I have purchased the Benabachi powder as a substrate, a Sicce Space Eko external filter and a hydro 200w external heater. Now I require help with selecting the lighting. I am thinking to go with 2x Ista LED light as setup with the current Aquatix tank however I really am keen on the Fluvial LED which has been discontinued and awaiting a replacement/newer model, I can purchase the older model online but am hesitant to purchase something thats discontinued + the price comparison between the fluval and the ista is quite considerable. I wish to purchase whats going to be be the best for my future planted/shrimp tank in the future, also there is no rush in making a decision as Im currently happy spending my time with the Rilis's and our larger tank which I'm seriously considering purchasing a C02 setup for.

As far as Aquascaping goes i have really been inspired by JacksonL's Journal to use a DSM with the new tank. I'd also like any advice on wood vs rock or a mixture of both when it comes to hard furnishing the tank. Substrate Im unsure If Benibachi with a laterite base is good or if I should use, benibachic alone with root tabs for the plants ore one of the ecoplant or sachem substrates as a base layer and the benibachi on top as i do wish for this to be a planted/shrip tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

This may be a boring first post but be assured to watch this space! 

Once I have the 60L tank Illl begin to post photos of the setup, and once the 140L Rili tank starts producing some more exiting produce Ill post picture of that to, opposed to a "one shrimp (rili cull) hanging out next to a berried chick in 140L of water".

"its a deep tank for twenty semi mature shrimp" its like Wheres Wally when I first go in there.

Thanks again to Disciple who not only took the time to reply to my posts on this forum but also offered to get me started with my first Rili family HUGE THANKS!

Im sure after spending some time with you in person your shrimp keeping enthusiasm has fed and multiplied my current Shrimp MANIA!

Thanks guys!

Peace out, Astro

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Disciple]

You are Welcome ‌@Astro

Looking forward to seeing the updates. Glad you are already having success with the Rili's.

If you are aiming to keep blue tigers with snowballs in the future I can give you different examples of how to set up new tank but it may not fit with your planted style tank that you may want to go for.

Cheers

 

[Astro]

Thanks, I'll take you up on that offer, always keen for some suggestions 

[Astro]

Thanks JacksonL, I'll get the app and hopefully have some pics up soon ?

Edited August 30, 2015 by Astro

[Astro]

Edited August 30, 2015 by Astro

[Astro]

*sigh* I'm hopeless at this lol, even with the app. Should be something very simple rite? 

Mill give it a try again later 

[Astro]

Omg ! Yeah it worked 

[Disciple]

Whoops looks like i accidentally gave you oebt too lol

Nice pics btw

Edited August 30, 2015 by Disciple

[Astro]

Oebt, the little guy with the glowing eyes? Thought he didn't blend in ?

[Disciple]

Oebt, the little guy with the glowing eyes? Thought he didn't blend in ?

lol

It does give them away 

Note to self triple check for glowing eyes lol

[Astro]

I kinda was hoping he was going to be just that, he is one of two. Hopefully m & f 

Did you want them back disciple? 

[Disciple]

Nah keep them, i hope you do end up with a m & f. Good luck.

[raukem86]

Oebt costs a lot Astro lol. Lucky man.

Nice tank mate. Is that HC in your tank?

[Astro]

I was a lucky man to get the Rili's and for all the advice, if I'm successfull with keeping these Oebt's alive hopefully someone will trust me when I want to buy some more. Thanks again Diciple ?

Yeah that's HC I bought it on Thursday. Hopefully it grows a bit in this setup till I get my new tank & lights to better care for it. It's difficult to grow? 

[raukem86]

Yeah Disciple is the man. He has been helping a lot since I moved to Perth.

Do you run CO2 in that tank? I tried HC without CO2 and it melted down.

[Astro]

No I'm not running Co2 on this tank, will once I get the new one, or maybe for the big tank. I have been reading up on running Co2. Initially I just thought it was costly but now I realise it's an Art form to master by the sounds of everything I have read. 

When im ready to get setup with the Co2 I'll be looking for some advice from the forum members. 

Have you ran Co2 before raukem86?

[raukem86]

No, I am kinda newbie with CO2 lol.

I just got my 1st CO2 system from Perth Aquarium. $210 for the 0.5l cylinder & the regulator with solenoid. I am planning to run this system on my 45cm tank later on. When cylinder runs out, it costs around $ for refilling.

I guess it costs a bit to buy a whole system initially but it doesn't cost much for refilling.

[JacksonL]

No I'm not running Co2 on this tank, will once I get the new one, or maybe for the big tank. I have been reading up on running Co2. Initially I just thought it was costly but now I realise it's an Art form to master by the sounds of everything I have read. 

When im ready to get setup with the Co2 I'll be looking for some advice from the forum members. 

Have you ran Co2 before raukem86?

co2 is fairly straight forward, you just need to pay it some respect as it can wipe everything out very easily. You learn to read the signs in your tank pretty quickly as to whether you have too much or too little co2. The main rule I have learnt is never make changes to your co2 if you won't be home the whole day!

 

[raukem86]

Thanks Jackson.

Do you switch off your CO2 at night and back on in the morning? What time would you switch it off and on?

Does it cause PH swings by doing this?

Cheers.

[JacksonL]

It does cause swings, but it's not an issue at all. pH swings can be an indicator of water issues, but the swing caused by co2 is no problem.

definitely turn it off at night, it saves you from using unnecessary co2 and stops you gassing the tank when the plants go from producing oxygen during the day to producing co2 at night.

my co2 system comes on an hour and a half before lights on so that my levels are right as soon as the plants start photosynthesising, low/unstable co2 with lights on can cause algae.

get a drop checker and 4 dkh solution with indicator so you can see roughly what the co2 levels are in the tank.

I have the co2 turn off an hour before lights off.

[raukem86]

Thanks for the advice mate. I appreciate that.

[Astro]

Yeah thanks for the advice JacksonL, like raukem86 I was concerned about PH swings, and I thought I could be lazy and use the C02 in a lower amount to be safe while i got the hang of it. But I definitely don't want any excess algae. 

$210 seems fair for a Co2 setup, I was quoted closer to $500, it's good to know yours has a solenoid on the regulator also. I was looking at the Nano AquaOne Co2 system at City Farmers for about $100 with $30 disposable 95g cylinders , but it has no solenoid and I think thats a must for keeping the levels stable rite? I do want the C02 in sync with my light times as JacksonL does.

Do you know how long roughly a 0.5L Co2 cylinder would last on my 60L until id need to refill it?

How many $ did you say it was to get a refill raukem?  

[JacksonL]

Don't bother with the 95g disposable style ones, they will not last 2 weeks on a 60L and at $20 a refil they will cost you a fortune. 

Even a 0.5L will probably be a bit too small for your tank, you will be refilling it too often, it's not normally too much more to upgrade to the 1L or bigger.

CO2 refills are cheap, I think I pay $35 for my 3.5kg (about 2.5L I think) bottle. Not sure how long that will last me, I have a high bubble count (can't count it fast enough but maybe 6 bubble/sec), but it's been over 4 months and still going strong.

Edited August 31, 2015 by JacksonL

[Astro]

Thanks again for your advice mate ;) I'll keep doing my homework on this and work out a budget for it. 

[raukem86]

The refill is around $6 for a 0.5l. I am planning to run 0.5l cylinder for my 45cm tank.

As Jackson said, I reckon you would need a 1l or more for your 60cm tank. I think Perth Aquarium has Up Aqua 1l cylinder in stock.