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Can't wait for more pics. What media are you using in canister?
Starting a new Shrimp Tank
Hi all!
Have always been running a nano tank and recently as what you guys will always say the poison kept seeping in. So am starting a 2 feet tank to keep some nicer shrimps in the future!
You can find my blog that I started to share my start up and hopefully soon many beautiful shrimps to showcase here - http://shrimplelife.blogspot.sg/
Without any further hesitations
Here comes the fun!
After aging the water, hooking up my canister filter to the chiller and setting the tank in place here comes the part I have been looking forward to ever since I got hold of some interesting products during Aquarama!
Apparently there were only very limited number of products available on sale from the booth I visited and I was fortunate to get my hands on some of what I believe to be quality products. (Better be for what I paid!)
Before you or my girlfriend who will eventually stumble upon this have the idea that I paid an arm and leg for it, which I swear I did not! Haha.
Ok before I yak on and bore you further here is the process of my set up and some pictures of the really nicely packaged products from RAC (Think it stands for Ryu Aqua Creator).
Soil
For the soil I chose to wash it although I was told that it isn't necessary.
It was more on my part as I wanted to challenge what I was told that RAC products have been baked in a procedure that results in well compacted soil that will not break apart so easily.
My take is that always find out whether that particular brand of soil needs to be washed before opening up that packet of soil. Not as experienced but you can always ask the good people on AQ.
Normal and Powder Soil
Anyways the soil did not disappoint. I rinsed it twice with tap water and let it sit while I laid out my base layer.
Laying the Base of the tank.
Scattered the base layer of my tank with Mironeketon Mineral Powder to improve and purify my water quality and Humic Acid
So what does Humic Acid do?
I did not know either and was simply told it is a natural mineral, being ingenious I thought I could take mineral water and my tank water would be mineralised too.
But instead of being too smart (We have a dialect saying that Smart is good enough, don't act smart.) I decided to be a tad more inquisitive, only right if I am going to put that in my tank much less share it with you.
At least I would know how my future Shrimps and Shrimplets would feel towards it.
Any hows Google is your best friend here.
Basically Humic substances including the Humic Acid are known to decrease the toxicity of heavy metals to aquatic organisms, and it has been suggested that they can provide buffering protection in low pH conditions.
Some test was run but am not going to bore you with the details. You can read more if you are interested here.
After the scatter of the base layer in went the soil!
Placed an Ikea Plastic cover over the soil layer so it does not get disrupted too much when pour water into the tank.
Poured the water in and as usual I forgot to take the pictures of that, but did not think you would need to see the process of me scooping the water in. just make sure patience is a virtue here if you want a nice layer of soil especially if like me you have 2 layers (Base - Normal, Top - Powder) or if you try to make a landscape tank even more so.
I added B-Source or a compound of natural enzyme which improves beneficial bacteria activity which is essential to the tank's stability. (Or so I am told)
FM100 was also added as a natural fulvic mineral. Am still learning as to what this does and will share with you more when I have an answer.
Now to why I forgot to take the pictures.
Was busy prepping the canister filter.
Poured 1/2 of this nice blue bottled product into my canister filter.
Here is what it is...
Bacteria!
MN5 & BN7 (Like you can't read) Haha
Bought them because I liked how the bottle looked and was further sold on it when I learnt it is packaged to prevent UV from killing the Micro Bacteria in the bottles.
Cannot help it am a sucker for great and functional packaging. (Never mind that it could be a gimmick haha. Sucker innit?)
Ok so as much as I can be a fool there is a purpose to my madness. This 2 little bottles are few of the most important things that I personally feel would help 'kick start the bacteria growth in the tank.
BN7 is like the best stuff to me. What it says it does should already get people pick up this product for the start of your tank.
BN7 is a plant based bacteria with active microbial with active microbial enzyme yeast for quick ammonia nitirifying effect. - Pretty important to getting the tank right for a start, no more bacteria bloom I would assume.
MN5 Microbial Bacteria yeast for bacteria enhancing growth.
Along with the below product,
SMB
SMB is a water improvement bacteria of live enzyme
If I understand this correctly my tank should technically be stable really quickly, skipping the bacteria bloom pahse? That is also provided that my aged water has successfully killed all the bacteria substances from the products, chemicals in our tap like chlorine may kill off the good bacteria and inhibit/stump bacteria growth in the tank.
A thing I learned when I accidentally inhaled the fine dust cloud of BN7 and MN5 is that they smelll alot like Prebiotics and Probiotics. Haha ok never mind how I know that too.
Viola! So after an exhausting 4 hours later, here is my tank starting its cycling.
Day 0 Tank Set-Up Complete
Thank you for staying through with me!
Please let me know how I may have missed anything crucial.
All the guidance is very much appreciated!
Take care and have a great night!
Can't wait for more pics. What media are you using in canister?
Hi Nicholas thank you for the support! I bought them 2nd Hand from good bro Matt here on AQ. Was told they were PH Monoballs I think.
Day 0.5
About 12-14 hours has passed since the initiation of the tank.
I woke up bright and early today to a beautiful sight.
Seems like the tank has cleared up quite significantly.
The water clarity is beyond what I had expected!
No unsightly bacteria blooms that I had to deal with when I started on my Nano Tank.
So this is definitely a welcome sight.
Hope it turns from clear to crystal clear when I get home tonight.
Side View Clarity
Oh in case you are wondering whats hanging off my Rain Bar its 6 Frogbits to remove ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. How effective this is am not a 100% sure so if some one can shed some light here it would be great!
Also there is sort of a tea bag like thing attached to the rain bar, that is my POWER HOUSE Micro House I do not own the kit or container for it as I only got a box from someone from the forums.
To read more on what it does. Please checkout the link for GC Shop here.
Considering this could be an overkill I might take it out soon, so you do not really need it.
But I don't think there can be such a thing as too much good bacteria after all they tend to die off so instead of having it unused in it went.
While typing this post I realised I made a mistake.
In all my eagerness to make things look good I added a powdered layer of RAC soil as my top layer.
Will share more on why its a mistake when am back from work later.
Till next post! Take care and happy Shrimping people.
Before leaving home I dosed 1g of MN5 and will continue to dose it as advised in the instructions 1g every 2 days for 8days. Hope the bacteria colonize and establish soon.
good job.consider introducing plants while the tank is still cycling? so that the whole tank will be mature when its time to introduce the shrimps. what kind of shrimps do you intend to keep in this tank?
I don't really have frogbits. Might introduce some into my tank. Do tell me how well it helps. I currently have mini fiss and us fiss in my tank
Hi Joseph, Thank you for the positive response and the suggestion on adding some plants while cycling. I did think of tying some plants on rocks and place them in during my cycling process, however because I need to agitate and stir soil to release the bubbles later tonight and tomorrow the best I felt I should place in are some floting plants.Originally Posted by josephogk
good job.
But while replying you on this I had an epiphany, should the BN7 bacteria does what is says of quick ammonia nitirifying effect. Then technically I should not be needing much plants or any for that matter. Shall check with the distributer I got the products from.
On the shrimps I would be keeping in this tank - The poison in this forum sets deep and I have grown in love with PRLs/PBLs and the Mutated Strains that are Taiwan Bees.
Problem is that I have heard that their gene strains are week and not as hardy as their relatives from which they may have mutated. Any thoughts?
Keeping them and monitoring their mortality could be a true test on the tank stability from the products, but am still uncertain.
Hey Nicholas,
I will update you on how frogbit helps when I do some test on the water tonight.
For mini fissiden and us fissiden I used to have them in my Nano Tank - I was advised and realised that if I don't trim them often enough, the bottom layer dies and turns brown, so instead of doing what it should do it does more bad than good not to mention when you flip them over and see the amount of debris and sediments that hide in them.
I decided on not having them in the end, tried mini pelia instead for my nano tank and will go with Bucephalandras and maybe 1 or 2 Ecinodorus likely for this tank.
You'll need quite alot of frogbits to help take up nitrates... especially if there are no other fast growing plants in the tank. From my experience, they have to cover like 60-70% of the tank surface to be in sufficient mass to have an effect on nitrate levels.
The good thing is shrimp tanks are usually devoid of bottom plants anyways (or just use some low light plants like moss or crypts), so no worries about having lots of floating frogbits shading the light.
Haha Nicholas looks like we got our answer on the efficiency on frogbits to reduce the nitrates in the tank. I will just toss my 6 pathetic pieces aside. Don't have enough to cover 60% - 70% of tank, and don't think I would want so much frogbits as they have a tad too many tentacles.You'll need quite alot of frogbits to help take up nitrates... especially if there are no other fast growing plants in the tank. From my experience, they have to cover like 60-70% of the tank surface to be in sufficient mass to have an effect on nitrate levels.
The good thing is shrimp tanks are usually devoid of bottom plants anyways (or just use some low light plants like moss or crypts), so no worries about having lots of floating frogbits shading the light.
Thank you Bro UA for shedding some light on the floating plants in tank are there any floating plants that look good with short stems?
I have about 15-20 frogbits to giveaway to anyone who might want them. Will post it in the marketplace.
Duckweed? Its a good nitrate absorber. It is said to double itself in 24 hours.
the smaller one? yes double if got good light. worse pest floater i know. stick on glass / nets/ my hand.
salvania natas short stem, not as good as frogbits imo.
can also consider mini lettuce, no experience with them. but they were quite popular last year and suddenly no more people giving/selling.
one popular choice is hortworts.
Sent from my GT-N7105
Learning the hardway, not the highway.
Photo Blog - impervious-endeavors.blogspot.com
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"if he cant be bothered to take the time to write his question properly, why should I take the time to answer him."
Actually, you don't need to sell away the frogbits... they will multiply quite fast and very soon you will get alot.Haha Nicholas looks like we got our answer on the efficiency on frogbits to reduce the nitrates in the tank. I will just toss my 6 pathetic pieces aside. Don't have enough to cover 60% - 70% of tank, and don't think I would want so much frogbits as they have a tad too many tentacles.
I have about 15-20 frogbits to giveaway to anyone who might want them. Will post it in the marketplace.
If the roots get long, just trim them as part of your regular weekly or monthly maintenance, its not too much additional work, and shrimps like to swing around and forage on the trailing roots too, its like a jungle gym for them.
Hornwarts, like felix_fx2 mentioned, is a good choice too. Just leave them floating around and remove excess amounts when they grow too much.
I have loads of water lettuce at my place. Anyone needs them just holla.
Wow. All rac products.
Must cost a bomb, but they are good!
Hey Quinn on both you are right! Always believed in you pay for what you get if you're discerning enough.
Also thought being so new to this shimp tank thing, a little push in the right direction wouldn't hurt. And I would be able to best learn on what I really need for the so I can share what I learnt the essentials of starting up are in a positive light.
Thank you Demoon, Felix and UA for the suggestions on the floating plants. Am going to do a little experiment to take out the plants later just to see how the tank reacts to it and if actually BN7 will do what it says. Should the experiment fail am going with UA suggested and make a vine garden for the shrimps to swing around on.
Bro, Sorry. I dont get it. Shouldnt the powdered soil be placed at the bottom instead of the non-powdered one?
What's the difference? If I intend to scape my shrimp tank, the powdered soil should be placed on top?
As for my tank, i'm only using ada soil. no powder or whatsoever. I do notice however that it's harder to scape as the soil are bigger and less likely to clump together resulting in a very 'loose' feel.
Hey Nic I think you got your answer right there in your last sentence. It is definitely harder to scape if the soil are bigger therefore having the powdered soil as a top layer makes the overall appearance nicer and more "mold-able" so to speak.
Also when planting rooted or foreground plants a finer soil would have that suction effect to ease your planting efforts easier I believe, so would be nice when you probe the roots in to have that little help of the finer soil sifting in effect to help the plants sit in better.
You can see my mistake I did with the finer soil in my next post.
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