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Hello SKF readers! To save me starting multiple threads and also so I know here to find answers I am doing a journal/question thread. If I put this in the wrong spot JayC/mods then feel free to move it or tell me to re-make :D Sorry.... this WILL be long probably and I appreciate any time you take to read and answer my questions! So, on Thursday (edit: tomorrow now according to an email from AU Post) I have a package coming from The Tech Den with a Aquael Shrimp Set Smart 30 and a few other goodies. My plans so far are: Iron sand (found posts saying shrimp when ok with it).... May need more than the 2kg I initially got...? An amazing piece of Gold Vine that I found at my local pet store The light and filter (modified) from the kit with the heater only being used in winter if needed Filtered water (RO maybe? It is a 2 canister counter top carbon and sediment drinking water filter gifted by my mum a few months ago. Unsure brand etc) with JayC’s DIY remineraliser IAL and alder cones Some ceramic hidey holes API GH/KH and Master kits TSD pen - Xiaomi Professional TDS Meter from eBay Still need: TDS pen as I forget to check the pet store and Tech Den were out – Recommendations? Plants Shrimp – Would like blue dreams and maybe glass shrimp Fish – Big IF! I am worried about eating all the baby shrimp. Spotted rasbora since they are sooo tiny if any. So, according to the local store the light from the kit is pretty good and I have seen quite a few good things about the filter around YT and such. I was thinking of modifying it like this with a single though: https://youtu.be/I_ckQpO8GBo My old 16L (does not fit in spot and wary of using for fish since it housed mice) has been a bit of a dummy test on water temps and for the last week has been in a safe range. None of these have been 40+ days though so I will probably need to air-con or get a cooler for coming into next summer.... or something (nowhere near planned this part since should be cooling off by time cycled). So... to break up some questions that relate to the ‘still need’ list: - I was thinking plant wise Anubias nana petite, Java fern narrow (still need to source somewhere to get... not sure local store has anything other than plain) and.... a moss... I was hoping for something less stringy than Java moss. It is just so..... wild lol Fissiden sp. ‘Vietnam’ and Mini Pellia are calling to me but are slow growers and needs med-high light and I think Co2... filter has a Co2 option if needed.... but NO clue what a 6w, 8000K LED translates to on a nano tank... and I guess that would depend on other planting... Also pondering about Peacock and Phoenix? But probably similar problem.... Maybe I should just wait for if I get a bigger tank.... for anything other than Java lol *sighs* - Sourcing blue dream shrimp! Your trade section does not seem to get many responses lol My local has glass shrimp (Australian... soooo Paratya australiensis?) who looked blue tinged at least, cherry red and cherry yello but no source of cherry blue. Would appreciate sources to get from Newcastle or Sydney! Gumtree makes me hesitate though I have found people with them up on there. One seems a safer bet but maybe not as easy to get to. A second one has potential and very easy for me to get to for Newcastle (no car). - Now... going with plants that don’t need a planted substrate.... should I still actually go with an actual buffering/planted substrate for bacterial reasons...? Should I add hidden biomedia sock or anything like that since the bacteria won’t really colonise in a thin layer of sand, unlike a planted tank. Starting to get into the excited but freaking out I am doing something to mess it up bad stage. Blue dreams are more expensive than I was wanting to be learning on... but if I get red cherries that would just mean another tank later lol

Here are a few pics I took recently of the Corydoras fry I have in the fishroom currently. It's interesting to compare the size of fry at hatching. It has no correlation to adult fish size. Generally speaking long nose corys have smaller eggs.