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So.... this happened a little while ago... Beyond excited. I’ve seen 4-5 so far.

Looking forward to it.?

Woo hoo!! so happy for ya. There will be more hiding.

Hey guys, I thought I’d just make a single topic for my community tank, so I stop running around in other chats asking the same questions ?. I’m going thru a big change in the tank at the moment, so will likely update in the morning with photos once the cloudiness is gone. Be prepared for a possibly very long message about a 10 hour process ?. Cheerio!

My male RCS are swimming around like their lives depend on it. The females are grazing in the gravel and showing no interest. I assume a hidden female is molting and releasing hormones. I´m surprised because I am battling high nitrites and it's a relatively new tank.

She has obviously molted, there is an empty exoskeleton in the tank. It's very exciting for first-timers

Once again, thank you so much Simon, your advice is invaluable to me. I've actually got a water filter jug as the water is so hard up here it's hard to keep a kettle operational for very long with it "furring" up. I've found a jar of Seachem Eqilibrium in the cupboard so I'll be able to use that for the GH.I'll find out what I need for the KH and PH and let you know how I get on. Thanks again.

Please ignore everything I said about the TDS meter. The instructions are in the smallest print that I've ever seen, or not seen, as was the case. I've had a look online and of course, I hadn't removed the cover!! The reading is 430 ppm in the nano tank, don't know if that's good or bad but I'll find out.

Cheers Simon, I've tried taking a pic to post on here but to be honest, it's hard to see the slime as it's very thin. I've put it back in the tank and I'll see how it goes. I'm expecting my plants any time now and I was worried it might spread to them but from what you've said, it shouldn't be a problem. On another matter, my TDS meter has arrived this morning and I've tried it but can't get a reading on either of my tanks, that's the Cichlid tank that's ran for years, and the shrimp tank. The reading for both is 000, having never used one, can this be right? I'd have thought there would be some solids even in the purest of water.

Just as an update on the cube, the plants are ordered and the water seems fine. I put a small piece of Red Moor driftwood in the tank a few days ago and when I've looked this morning it's covered in a clear slime. I've never seen this before although I don't wood in my other tanks.Any idea what this can be? I've took the wood out for now as I'm worried it might spread to the Dragon Rocks. Thanks for any advice, Sonny.

As JayC states it will be a balancing act with the temperature. I think the tetras I have in about 24 degrees and the betta about 26 degrees and the red cherrys are ok in both of those? Tanks will go above that sometimes in summer of coarse, though as long as it doesn't get to 30 degrees (very rare here, for water temperature) they seem to cope ok!. I think the bee shrimp are more fussy but I don't keep fish with them anyway. Simon

Great photo! As they get used to seeing you they won't swim away! Mine actually come out of hiding when I go to the tank first thing in the morning! Simon

You're well on your way now then, it s exciting when you get your first shrimplets! Hope it all continues well and the numbers build up? Simon

Shrimp newbie here. I just got some shrimp for my moderate flowing community tank with plenty of plants, moss and hides. The shrimp I purchased from a reputable store and were labelled as bamboo shrimp and look generally as one would expect however now that I am getting a better and longer second look at them none of them have the pale stripe on their back that I had thought was a major species characteristic. Is the stripe more subtle or absent with certain colorations? These shrimp are 1.5-2 inches and greenish brown .

Thanks for your response. The tank they were in at the store was mounted relatively high up so I can’t say that I ever got a super good look at them from above, as opposed to from the side, and had called ahead to confirm they had them so it was a pretty quick transaction.

Bamboo shrimps don't necessarily have to have the racing stripe, some don't. Did they have the stripe before you bought them while they were still in the store's tanks? They could also loose colouration during stressed times. And it looks like they have just been transported in your photo, still in the bag you bought them in. Give them some time to settle in your tank and wait for their colour to return. Having said that the top right shrimp in your photo might have that distinctive white stripe. Anyway, just let them settle in your tank and look again once they are settled.

When adding companion fishes with shrimp, you have to take into account the temperature requirements of both. Shrimp like it at a cool 22-23degC. Ideally, your fish should also be suitable for that sort of temperature range. Tetras are going to like it a lot warmer. Just saying, not that you can't do it. But later down the track, you might be wondering why the tetra's are not doing that well, if you keep temps to the shrimps liking.