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Pumps move water and filters remove solids, so I believe you are saying you intend to turn the pump off and attempt to run the tank using biological filtration ie. the plants. Biological filtration is very slow working and the best example I can give you is to look at any man made lake. There is always a large wetland are preceeding the lake. Normally when constructing there are a number of plants, rocks, vegetation used. This is the area where the biological filtration takes place. As a minimum it is recommended a minimum of 40% coverage is required however to work more effectively it is more like 70% coverage. That is why in most circumstances it is recommended to run a combination of both biological and mechanical filtration. The other thing to keep in mind is the time factor because biological filtration can take quite a while to start working effectively. In my own pond it took a 90% coverage and nearly 2 + years to start working properly. There must also be areas where aerobic bacteria can colonise and multiply to help consume the various organic matters such as sludge. These areas build up and become oxygen depleted which results in anaerobic bacteria building up. This is in turn allows the metabolisms to produce hydrogen sulfide which is quite often what gives the rotten egg smell when stirred up . The more they build up the more they kill of the beneficial aerobic bacteria and algaes, which could result in killing off your plants and shrimp. It can also cause an oxygen sealing layer across the bottom of the pond (tank in your situation) which can smother and kill the slimy layer of healthy algea across the bottom. The smaller the water parameter the quicker it occurs. The amount of power that the pumps use is minimal as they have very low wattage usage, so IMO why not run it. Even though in a shrimp tank the bioload on the ecosystem would not be as big as say in a fish tank, organic materials would still build up quicker and could cause issues. So I would be running both biological and mechanical filtration.

I received a nice little gift in the mail this morning from Callan, very much appreciated mate, cheers.

I received two pieces of Malaysian Driftwood with Anubias Nana in the mail this morning from Z Aquatics, both pieces are excellent, nice large pieces of Anubias Nana, straight into the Bristlenose tank and they love it. Thanks Z Aquatics.

You can add this to the text: The length of the basal segment spine and proportional length of each segment of the first antennular peduncle (Fig. B). The length and width ratio of the scaphocerite (blade) and the proportional length of each segment of the antennal peduncle (Fig. C). Hope it makes sense :)

Do you think there might be enough interest in a seminar or workshop for forum members on the taxonomy and ecology of atyid or other shrimps or crustacean? I am happy to run these free of charge. Somewhere central like northern NSW or SEQld?

The tannins released from IAL are said to have anti-bacterial properties. IAL also tends to lower TDS but I dont know if that has anything to do with the tannins specifically, or just with the breakdown of the leaf itself. My opinion is that tannins are not of great benefit to the shrimp we keep. Water quality is much more important in determining the health of our shrimp. Certainly I have not seen any decline in the health of my shrimp since swapping to feed predominately mulberry leaves.