Beginner: planted nano tank with eventual shrimp

[imtai]

hey Schwip! nice drift wood as the centre piece!

I used a timer switch socket to set my led timing to 3 hr morning.. 3 hr night.. so I can view them before I go work and after I'm back from work =)

had some algae growth on my glass, but I should be leaving it alone first hoping that it can be a food source for the shrimps!

when would be u doing your next water parameter test?=D




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[schwip]

@imtai thks!
Yes I need to get a timer soon! I go for 4 hrs minimum since I have more plants and they need some time to really get into the photosynthesizing.

I think if you don't have a lot of plants... the photoperiod will just keep benefiting the algae.

I am also considering getting the up aqua z series lights but positioning it higher above the tank, where my shelf frame has a little cross beam. Undecided though. It would be about 45 cm from the base of the tank at that level.

As for water parameters... definitely another test by day 28 (at the end of photoperiod). May get itchy hands and do an earlier one of just ammonia though hahaha.

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[schwip]

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...d.php?t=103977

Throwing this for own reference here. Based on what Urban said before, the current ET series is similar to the Z series then. So Z series now should be... even more powerful xD.

[NanoScaper]

With regards to light cycle: some days I go for 8 hours, some days 12. Some days I start at 8am... some days at 1pm... some days maybe through the night. I also dose Excel when I start the lights for the day, to encourage the plants to take up the nitrogen in photosynthesis versus other organisms.

I think because you are using soil and your tank isn't heavily planted... the algae might be the ones using up the nitrogen in the water. Are you lowering your lights duration?

I've actually got some white fungus/bacteria/algae (online threads generally label it harmless and "will go away eventually) that is on some of my substrate. It is similar to the white slime I described on the wood. I am choosing not to worry too much and hope it doesn't take over before it is safe to introduce the shrimps.

I also have some growth occuring in my tubing, but it is not compromising flow at the moment so I am not too concerned. It looks more like bacterial slime at the mo.

Thanks about the wood! Terrified that I will have slime outbreak once it is introduced but what is life without risk.

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Hey, schwip.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

From what I've read here and elsewhere, an irregular photoperiod will cause more algae outbreak because you're throwing your plants off their rhythm, so called.

That's why everyone suggests and uses a timer for their lighting to make sure there are proper timing and constant duration for the plants to receive light.

Can you point me to any discussions, links and etc. that says the contrary? Would love to do more research on this subject to find a long term solution.

Thanks in advance.

[schwip]

Sorry man, I didn't save the link. I am pretty sure it was one of the threads here. But the logic was that plants have more stored nutrients so they would be okay the most part waiting for light availibility, similar to a blackout.

Shrimp do need a regular light cycle though, or they will get stressed otherwise.

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[schwip]

Day 27 and these are my parameters
Ammonia: ~0.25-0.5ppm
Nitrites: ~0.25ppm
Nitrates: ~5ppm

I don't know if this is the result of the 40% water change or the sudden uprooting of plants. Hahah you can see the carnage in the back there.

I also added some stalks of myrophyllum mattogrossense because I heard they carpet if blasted with light and do better in shade. The portion I planted them in will be shaded by the driftwood eventually. The pot I got them in wasn't so great and I hope I didnt bury too much brown which will rot. That said, they are laying down and sprouting new shoots at the top bits so... there is hope yet!

[NanoScaper]

With regards to light cycle: some days I go for 8 hours, some days 12. Some days I start at 8am... some days at 1pm... some days maybe through the night. I also dose Excel when I start the lights for the day, to encourage the plants to take up the nitrogen in photosynthesis versus other organisms.

I think because you are using soil and your tank isn't heavily planted... the algae might be the ones using up the nitrogen in the water. Are you lowering your lights duration?

I've actually got some white fungus/bacteria/algae (online threads generally label it harmless and "will go away eventually) that is on some of my substrate. It is similar to the white slime I described on the wood. I am choosing not to worry too much and hope it doesn't take over before it is safe to introduce the shrimps.

I also have some growth occuring in my tubing, but it is not compromising flow at the moment so I am not too concerned. It looks more like bacterial slime at the mo.

Thanks about the wood! Terrified that I will have slime outbreak once it is introduced but what is life without risk.

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Currently, my photoperiod is set for six hours only.

Not sure if it's the floating plants that I added recently, but it seems those algae that I used to see on my tank surface is going away.

Could also be the freshwater limpets clearing them up for me. Their population kind of suddenly exploded.

Sorry man, I didn't save the link. I am pretty sure it was one of the threads here. But the logic was that plants have more stored nutrients so they would be okay the most part waiting for light availibility, similar to a blackout.

Shrimp do need a regular light cycle though, or they will get stressed otherwise.

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No problem, schwip.

If I find anything, I'll share it with you here.

[schwip]

@redzwan

Oooh limpets! Anyway I think it will be hard to compare our photoperiod times since we have different plant stock and amount. Glad to hear your algae is clearing up though!

Now I need to figure out how to clean my piping without causing a flood ahahahahha.

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[schwip]

It has been a few days after I messed with my tank. I'm glad to say I am seeing signs of initial melt from those that were planted from the new pot... which is to be expected I guess, but of the plants which were uprooted, they seem to be doing fine and growing.

My myrophyllum is really sprouting fast. As shown in the picture, the darker green tops are new growth, whereas the yellowish stem below was the state it was planted in from the pot. This gives me hope!

I also now have algae issues! Maybe it's due to the falling ammonia but constant presence of nitrites. Or the fact that I accidentally kept the light on one time past 12 hours.

I tried to shift my filter up one shelf level, but I just discovered that the inlet hose got bent and is probably restricting flow. Placed it below again, dosed excel and plan to not turn on the lights for 24 hrs.

Light set up was changed. Using up aqua z series at abt 33cm height from the base of the tank. It means that I have more room for my hands, and also I can install the glass cover if I wish, which leaves me the option of Amanos when my tank cycles! I know they won't breed but I don't really need them to. Just need them to be algae crew xD

[Urban Aquaria]

Now I need to figure out how to clean my piping without causing a flood ahahahahha.

Get a pair of double taps and install them on your filter hoses, they will make hose and pipe maintenance much easier.

I also now have algae issues! Maybe it's due to the falling ammonia but constant presence of nitrites. Or the fact that I accidentally kept the light on one time past 12 hours.

Do invest in a good plug timer to automate your light schedule, a consistent light photo-period helps maintain steady plant growth.

[schwip]

Get a pair of double taps and install them on your filter hoses, they will make hose and pipe maintenance much easier.

Do invest in a good plug timer to automate your light schedule, a consistent light photo-period helps maintain steady plant growth.

I have the taps.. I just never got round to installing. I SHALL DO OVER CNY.

Yes I really need the timer! But now that the problem has surfaced, do I cut back my photoperiod to 6 hrs till its resolved or...?

[NanoScaper]

@redzwan

Oooh limpets! Anyway I think it will be hard to compare our photoperiod times since we have different plant stock and amount. Glad to hear your algae is clearing up though!

Now I need to figure out how to clean my piping without causing a flood ahahahahha.

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Ah, the pros and cons of using a canister filter. Just a tip. You may want to place your canister filter in a shallow container in case it leaks over time.

[Urban Aquaria]

Yes I really need the timer! But now that the problem has surfaced, do I cut back my photoperiod to 6 hrs till its resolved or...?

Well, newly setup tanks will always have some algae growth at the beginning, its normal. Just manually remove and clear away any algae that you see as best as you can, as part of regular tank maintenance. As the tank stabilises and plants start growing in, they will gradually out compete the algae.

Later when the tank is cycled and you add in algae crew like shrimps, they will also help to clear the algae too.

During the initial stage when plants are first added, they spend more time establishing roots, hence less visible and slower growth at the beginning.

You can stick with a 6 hour photoperiod until the plants establish and root in further, then progressively increase it as the plants grow out over time.

Btw, its best to only introduce larger shrimps like yamatos only after the carpet is fully established, as they will tend to pull out plants that are not rooted securely.

Yamato shrimps do tend to look abit oversized in a 1ft tank though... alternatively you could ultilize smaller shrimps like cherry shrimps instead, they do the same algae eating jobs too (just stock more to match the efficiency) but with much less tendency to pull out the carpet plants.

[schwip]

@Urban thanks I will do. About the Yamatos, well in that case I might just do with the Cherries. I saw your post about them looking like strange giant aliens in your nano tanks hahaha.

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[schwip]

Shifted the cannister to the shelf just below the tank again, and installed 1 set of taps. Learnt some physics along the way. 1 set is sufficient for me to have relative ease taking out both inlet and outlet hoses without spillage. Installed the taps on the inlet hose since it is more cumbersome to deal with the Inlet pipe. Due to the weight of the taps and the angle of the hose, it bends near the cannister. Currently propping the hose up with my ET lights clamps.



Anyway, Day 30. Parameters are currently:
Ammonia: ~0-0.1ppm
Nitrites: ~0 ppm
Nitrates: ~0-1 ppm

Not sure how normal this is, considering I have been making changes to the set up as well? I heard myrophyllum really takes up nutrients though, so it could be that?



Worried at some stalks which seem to be growing tall with narrowed leaves, but the bulk of growth seems fine. If such growth becomes widespread I will have to go back to the ET series at closer range (ironic!) till I find a better solution.

[schwip]

To clarify, the stalks I am worried about are monte carlo ones.

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[schwip]

Quick update:

Myrophyllum mattogrossense grows really fast. Here is a comparison of Day 2 and Day 4 of planting the said:



Under my current lighting, it is also laying down and carpeting slightly! Discovered this when I decided to trim the the healthy tops and replant those. Most had roots growing out the "sides" of the main stem and were halfway into the soil.

I would rate this plant high maintenance if you want to keep its height low. But it is easy to trim the stems, and also easier to replant than monte carlo stems for some reason.

[schwip]

Anyway, Day 30. Parameters are currently:
Ammonia: ~0-0.1ppm
Nitrites: ~0 ppm
Nitrates: ~0-1 ppm

Not sure how normal this is, considering I have been making changes to the set up as well? I heard myrophyllum really takes up nutrients though, so it could be that?

Info here was probably wrong. It was a case of did not shake the nitrate indicator solution enough. Retested and the parameters make much more sense:

Ammonia: ~0ppm
Nitrites: ~0ppm
Nitrates: 20-30ppm



Okay. Now to prepare the wood again. This is the 2nd time I have boiled it and plan to boil a 3rd time. The past few weeks before this 2nd boil the tannin leech was only visible by 3rd or 4th day.

[schwip]

Day 38

Parameters have kept the same since the last update, and I do believe my tank is fully cycled. On Day 36 I introduced the wood and added 10 "Dark Blue" Shrimp from Seaview. Based on pics on the internet they look like Blue Dreams neocaridinas.

Not sure if they are bred from Seaview's chocolate shrimp because I have spotted some blue diamonds amongst that stock in my previous failures. Definitely don't look like tiger shrimp to me.



Bad batch though! Bits of vorticella on some of them. Gave the sera costapur treatment and will wait it out. Other than that they seem to be grazing happily and I have sighted no casualities thus far. One has also moulted.

Algae is growing on the far left side of the tank, since it probably has the least flow due to the drift wood placement. The shrimps seem happy to graze there though so I am fine with it.

[Urban Aquaria]

Looks like Scutariella japonica parasites on the rostrum of your shrimps... best and fastest treatment is salt dip to get rid of those parasites. Better to eliminate those parasites now than have remnants stay in the tank and keep re-infecting the shrimps.

More info on those parasites for reference: http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2015/...hwater-shrimp/