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WhySoCRS

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Hi all, thought it was time I got back into aquariums and decided to go down the Shrimp isle of freshwater fish keeping.

I did have plans to purchase a 2nd hand 45l but this morning found a brand new 70l starfire with LED and HOB filter so I bit the bullet and purchased that instead.

I wasn't wanting to spend a large amount of dollars on the set up but when I saw this offer I thought I would look into it more, having being pleased with the item and what came with it I decided to purchase it and get going with plans.

The set up I bought was a no name brand, tank is a Starfire glass, 70l measuring at 60 x 36 x 35, comes with a 24w LED and 3w 250 l/h HOB filter, thought I would go for a larger volume of water tank so it would be easier to control water parameters.

Obviously I'll be needing to purchase a heater, which temp should I be looking to set this too? substrate and am also looking at perhaps purchasing a cheap Yoga mat that I can cut to shape to place the tank upon to protect the glass and stop shock.

Another little item I have looked into is a feeding tube and tray, which would help with a less mess when feeding, I can get one from overseas for a cheap price.

Not exactly that fond of using a HOB filter, was looking at getting a cheap 2nd hand Canister filter but to be honest I don't want too much flow in the tank upsetting tank life and running the risk of moving, damaging plant life, but for now I will run with the HOB and will more than likely be placing a sponge piece of the intake to stop tank life from being sucked in, the filter also has a surface skimmer, nice.

Substrate I'm not sure about, so this is where your input would be appreciated, should I run with aquarium gravel, or should I look at purchasing a bag of ADA or perhaps a couple bags of Fluval Shrimp Stratum? 

Tank life I'm looking to get a nice colony of CRS, hopefully have them breed, I love the colour of the red and white amongst them.

Plant life, I'm thinking Anubias, Moss and Amazon Frogbit, the Frogbit to help with nitrates, water health, something for the Shrimp to graze on, Anubias and Moss attached to driftwood.

Foods, I'm unsure at the moment, once everything has been planned and set up properly I'll look into what to feed, suggestions?

 

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On 04/02/2018 at 12:52 PM, WhySoCRS said:

Obviously I'll be needing to purchase a heater, which temp should I be looking to set this too?

Heaters for shrimp are not essential in Australia. Shrimp prefer the cold. 

Set the heater to 22deg C.  - and that is only really for Winter to reduce wide fluctuations in temp.

The heat of Australia in summer has more of an impact on shrimp, and a chiller would be a better good idea. CRS tanks need to be kept between 22-24deg C. That gets difficult in Oz.

 

On 04/02/2018 at 12:52 PM, WhySoCRS said:

The set up I bought was a no name brand, tank is a Starfire glass

Oooo, how much?!

 

On 04/02/2018 at 12:52 PM, WhySoCRS said:

looking at perhaps purchasing a cheap Yoga mat

Not a good idea. Yoga mats are too soft.

Look for this instead, if you have a Bunnings nearby

https://www.bunnings.com.au/polytuf-50-x-50cm-solid-black-foam-mats-4-pack_p4490382

 

On 04/02/2018 at 12:52 PM, WhySoCRS said:

Substrate I'm not sure about, so this is where your input would be appreciated, should I run with aquarium gravel, or should I look at purchasing a bag of ADA or perhaps a couple bags of Fluval Shrimp Stratum? 

Substrate choice depends on the type of shrimp you are keeping.

Your forum name, gave it away CRS. A good plant substrate is advisable to keep pH low. Look for Cal Lab Black Earth Premium, ADA amazonia, Benibachi. Those are good substrates that hold their shape and don't exhaust their buffering capabilities like some cheaper brands. The extra cost far out weighs the need to redo the tank once cheaper substrates loose their buffering capabilities.

 

On 04/02/2018 at 12:52 PM, WhySoCRS said:

Foods, I'm unsure at the moment, once everything has been planned and set up properly I'll look into what to feed, suggestions?

Lots of choices on the market now.

Look into alternating with fresh fruits, veges, leaves and flowers too. - often free as offcuts from the kitchen.

And of course, you can DIY your own foods. There are several posts in the Food & Nutrition section.

Edited by jayc
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Hi JayC, thanks for the feedback, also a shout out to Ineke in messages, getting a lot of help from you both.

So at this stage, I'll be looking at purchasing Benbachi normal substrate, as recommended by yourself and Ineke.

For filtration I have a HOB which I might use, but also interested in using two biochemical single sponges, 1 on each side at the back of the tank, thoughts? Also, if I use the HOB as well I do have a sponge fitting to fit over the intake.

https://www.thetechden.com.au/Ista_Large_Bio_Sponge_Filter_for_tanks_p/i-143.htm

I'll purchase a heater and that can go to use once the cooler months kick in, the tank will be in a spare room, maybe dining room, will be set to 22c.

Also looking at the Salty Shrimp range of powders, is it the GH/KH+ version I should be looking at? https://www.bossaquaria.com.au/shrimp-mineral-gh-kh-100g-500-ltr/

Ineke also recommended a RO system, I might look into one of these, but at the moment I might use rainwater or distilled water, thoughts?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

This is something I plan on taking my time doing, am currently also looking for something nice to sit the tank upon, something 60cm x 36cm x 35cm, 70l.

Oh the tank cost $170 with HOB & LED, down from $220.

Thank You.

 

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2 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

Also, if I use the HOB as well I do have a sponge fitting to fit over the intake.

Good. Don't want shrimps getting sucked into the filter.

 

2 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

Also looking at the Salty Shrimp range of powders, is it the GH/KH+ version I should be looking at?

Nope. Look for the Salty shrimp Bee shrimp  GH+ for CRS.

https://www.bossaquaria.com.au/bee-shrimp-mineral-gh-230g-1530-ltr/

Make sure Squiggle gives you a 10% SKF discount !

 

6 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

Ineke also recommended a RO system, I might look into one of these, but at the moment I might use rainwater or distilled water, thoughts?

Rainwater is great to use. I use rainwater for my fish and shrimps.

Remember to remineralise it with the Salty shrimp GH+

Distilled water is ok for the short term. It gets difficult buying large quantities of it.

 

8 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

This is something I plan on taking my time doing, am currently also looking for something nice to sit the tank upon, something 60cm x 36cm x 35cm, 70l

You mean like a tank stand or table?

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I might run with rain water then and add the Salty Shrimp GH+, cheers, can look into an RO system down the track.

Yeah wouldn't mind something the same dimensions, 60cm x 35cm, something nice looking.

Found in the shed earlier a coffee table still all wrapped up in it's cardboard that was a part of a TV unit, dining suite and so on, it'll do the job for now, doesn't look half bad actually.

I'll suss out Tech Den then, have a look around.

With mineral powder, should I put a layer on the base of the tank and then the Benibachi?

So would the 2 biochemical sponges be OK, single version, not the double?

Thank You.

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59 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

With mineral powder, should I put a layer on the base of the tank and then the Benibachi?

Yes. That's a good way of adding mineral powder for a new tank.

 

1 hour ago, WhySoCRS said:

So would the 2 biochemical sponges be OK, single version, not the double?

yes, that should be fine. Many shrimp keepers only use air sponge filters. But I go by the motto ... "you can never have too much filtration". Shrimp are not a huge bio load in any case.

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Excellent, thank you JayC, just ordered a Salty Shrimp Bee Mineral GH+.

Once the tank is here and I have more of an idea of how large it is with the eye I'll work out if I want to run with 2 single sponge or 2 double sponge filters.

Also, found this earlier, quite like it.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aquarium-Clear-Glass-Shrimp-Feeding-Tube-Food-Dish-Feeder-Bowl-Pipe-Holder-Set/322572027819?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=511556576057&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

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8 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

would these single Ista filter sponges be OK for a 70l tank, I was thinking of two, or should I run with 2 doubles?

Sigh ?

What did I say my motto was again?

It's probably enough, but I'm not going to commit to it personally ?

I'm the type of person that runs an oversized canister for each tank I have. The more biological filtration the better! Does the sponge filter have much surface for biological filtration? (No) It's mostly mechanical filtration.

 

You can always start with those Ista sponges, and still have the option of adding a canister later to supplement the sponge filter.

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I'm really stuck on filtration for this tank, wanting a canister but not wanting to spend the coin for one, not soooo sure about air driven sponge filters, not so keen on HOB, really have no idea what I'm doing to run with.

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You could go with one of those cheaper canister filter brands like Worx 1200lph External Filter - very high flow for a 2footer.

Or maybe a Marina External Filter CF20 which is smaller and lower flow rates.

 

 

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Ended up going with a Biopro Canister, 800l, recommended by JayC, just wondering about how strong the flow will be, anyone had or have one of these canisters from Biopro? Any way of slightly slowing the flow down?

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1 hour ago, WhySoCRS said:

Any way of slightly slowing the flow down?

Pack it full with filter media. - that will slow the flow a bit. And you increase biological filtration. 800L/hr is with an empty canister with no filter media restriction.

Add a mesh pre-filter to the inlet. - You will need it anyway to avoid shrimplets getting sucked up.

Spraybar placement - You can angle the spraybar to shoot against the glass wall, and slightly upwards. This will have an effect of reducing flow by half, but not really if you know what I mean. The glass wall of the tank just slows the water flow down to the rest of the tank.

Spraybar holes - Drill more holes in the spraybar, and/or widen the existing holes. You should have some drill bits that should do that easily. But do the above suggestions first, as you can't undo this.  Lengthening the spraybar has the same effect as you are increasing the number of holes. 

Use any combination above or all of them and you will find an 800L/hr canister will be perfect for shrimp.

Edited by jayc
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Got confirmation that the Benibachi substrate and BioPro filter will be here tomorrow so will start planning out the tank.

So, on the list so far I have...

Benibachi substrate, BioPro canister filter, Salty Shrimp Bee GH+, Boss Aquaria Mineral Powder, Boss Aquaria Boss Booster and of course 70l tank, LED.

Is there anything I should really look into adding to the substrate or water or what not?

I will look into a heater once things cool down, hardscape will be driftwood with Anibuas and Moss attached, some Frogbit on the surface, will look to get some Boss Aquaria Mineral Balls, Shrimp Crack, Alder Cones, Kale tablets, looking at grabbing a feeding dish on it's own or one of those dishes with the tubes leading down to it, oh and also a test kit.

Also have a sponge intake piece sitting in a friend's fish tank, soaking in good bacteria which I will use over the intake for the BioPro and you help with seeding the tank.

Be great to get some feedback or suggestions on what else I should ideally be looking at and some links, thank you.

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2 hours ago, WhySoCRS said:

Is there anything I should really look into adding to the substrate

You have all you need to start. Add the Mineral powder under the substrate. And Boss Booster on top of the substrate.

 

2 hours ago, WhySoCRS said:

Be great to get some feedback or suggestions on what else I should ideally be looking at

If you haven't already bought a TDS meter, get one !

This link is for a TDS meter & pH pen.

 https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AU-Digital-Ph-Meter-TDS-Tester-Aquarium-Pool-Hydroponic-Water-Monitor-0-9999-PPM/141532129358?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D9e238cff7181455381352bf514f8cae8%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D30%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D252801615359%26itm%3D141532129358&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

 

What filter media are you planning on using?

Read up on tips for cycling a tank. I have responded to many people on the forum on how to do it properly. Please look up similar topics on cycling in the Water Parameters forum. If in doubt, check with me/SKF

 

3 hours ago, WhySoCRS said:

Also have a sponge intake piece sitting in a friend's fish tank

Get your friend to give you a container of the squeezings from his filter wool/foam. Pour that into our tank to boost your cycling. It will look awful for a day or two, but that will be better than any bottled bacteria you can buy.

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Sorry JayC just reread your comment, filter media coming I'm unsure of, it's included with the filter.

 

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44 minutes ago, WhySoCRS said:

Sorry JayC just reread your comment, filter media coming I'm unsure of, it's included with the filter.

It's free, which means crap quality and most definitely not going to be enough. It's like free ink cartridges that come with new printers. There is only enough to get you started. It's certainly not going to be enough.

 

Get this https://www.thetechden.com.au/CerMedia_MarinePure_1_litre_Spheres_Approx_20_Sp_p/900138-1-litre.htm for the top basket. One kg of Marine Pure is like using 3 kg of ordinary ceramic rings. One of the best biological filtration media. Massive surface area for bacteria to colonise on, and deep enough to promote nitrate consuming bacteria in it's middle. I use this in all my canisters and swear by them.

 

One coarse pad - https://www.thetechden.com.au/Polyfiber_Coarse_Filter_Pad_30x30cm_Media_Cut_to_p/aqw06.htm,

One fine pad - https://www.thetechden.com.au/Polyfiber_Fine_Filter_Pad_30x30cm_Media_Cut_to_s_p/aqw01.htm

both for the bottom basket. Don't forget to use 'SKF' in the voucher at checkout to get 10% off.

Cut to size using the foam that comes with the filter as a template.

 

The middle basket can be used with the Ceramic rings that come free with the filter.  But there might not be enough to fill the basket. So get more. 

Don't add the Carbon media. You don't need it unless you need to extract stuff out of the water like medicine.

 

 

As you can see, the bottom basket is your Mechanical filtration, that removes the large debris. So this first basket is your front line defence in removing large waste material. Your foam pads in this basket needs to be arranged from Coarse at the very bottom of the basket, then to medium and then fine on the top of the basket.

Your middle and top baskets are your Biological filtration. That's where you have media to house as much beneficial bacteria as possible. But any large waste material will clog the media and hinder proper function by the bacteria. That's why we put Mechanical filtration up front.  

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Excellent, thank you @jayc, I'll check all the links out, cheers.

Got the Benibachi today, as soon as I saw it I thought nope that's not enough, so will probably need another bag, but not going to order another until I put the bag I have in the tank and that won't happen until I have the filter which should be tomorrow, but then again, ordering new media I'll just wait anyway I think, haha.

 

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OK, all of the above ordered through Tech Den as well as some extra noodles.

Will now jump on Bos Aquaria and grab some bits and pieces.

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On 17/02/2018 at 6:36 AM, Madmerv said:

G'day @WhySoCRS

You do realize that without photo's, your tank is not real..lol

 

Haha, settle Merv, once I have all bits and pieces I'll throw photos up, just waiting on the filter, mineral balls, couple foods, alder cones, also might have to order another bag of Benibachi, not sure at the moment if the one bag is enough for the 60 x 36 x 35cm.

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3 hours ago, WhySoCRS said:

not sure at the moment if the one bag is enough for the 60 x 36 x 35cm.

a great way of calculating how much substrate you need is ... first determine how high you want the substrate to be.

For example if you want 2cm high gravel - then you apply this formula ... (tank length x tank depth x gravel height) divide by 1000.

60x36x2 = 4320 div 1000 = 4.3 litres of substrate.

 

You should be okay with 1.5cm of substrate.

So you need 60x36x1.5 = 3240/1000 = 3.2 litres of substrate.

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