Advertisements
Aquatic Avenue Banner Tropica Shop Banner Fishy Business Banner
Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Advice on low-tech cherry shrimp only tank please

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang
    Posts
    338
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    1
    Country
    Singapore

    Advice on low-tech cherry shrimp only tank please

    Advertisements
    Fresh n Marine aQuarium Banner

    Advertise here

    Advertise here
    hi all. after successfully growing the plants in my 3ft tank(thanks to all the advices given by fellow AQ forumers ) , i decided to start a 1ftx20cmx25cm cherry shrimp only tank and breed it.

    i have been thinking for a while, whether i should use driftwood/bogwood to tie my moss onto or rock? which will be nicer and easier to decorate or place inside the small tank?

    i am using white sand which i bought from C328 at $2.50 a pack, just nice for me to fill up to 1cm thick. because of the size of my tank, i do not know if i am able to find those kind of nice branching driftwood/bogwood to hit into my tank, will go look around at NA, biotope and c328 this weekend.

    also, what moss are better for beginners? i know some moss are more expensive and more sensitive right? is it alright if i find a branching driftwood and tie different kind of moss onto it, preferably spiky and java moss.

    dont know if can ask this here haha but got a few questions about breeding cherry shrimps. i read up abit on them in forums and know that they are quite hardy. so can i skip the cycling process if i am using water directly from my 3ft tank?( i am using hanging filter btw) since i am planning to keep this tank low tech, i am thinking of placing it at the balcony so will be cooler and got natural sunlight. maybe occasionally dose liq. fert if needed. will there be any problem?

    advices will be appreciated

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Coughing Hills, Singapore
    Posts
    2,586
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    56
    Country
    Malaysia
    Quote Originally Posted by hebi View Post
    so can i skip the cycling process if i am using water directly from my 3ft tank?
    No skipping please, adding water directly does not help in cycling whatsoever. I think you would need to beef up your understanding about cycling.

    During cycling (or more correctly termed as nitrogen cycle), two types of bacterias play an important role, nitrite-forming and nitrate-forming bacterias. These beneficial bacterias are present everywhere (including when you start setting up your tank). However, their amount is very very small.

    In the initial stages, the ammonia levels will go up as nitrite-forming bacterias start to be established, because waste is produced in the tank (uneaten food, rotting plants, unrine/waste from fauna). The small colony of bacteria is not enough to convert all ammonia to nitrite. Ammonia is extremely lethal to fauna.

    As the bacteria consume more ammonia and increase their numbers, the ammonia level goes down, nitrite is produced. Nitrite, like ammonia, is also extremely toxic to fauna.

    As nitrite levels continue to go up, nitrate-forming bacterias will start to get established. Once the colony of nitrate-forming bacterias is enough to bring down the nitrite level, nitrate is produced and the levels will rise.

    Nitrates are not highly toxic to faunas in low to moderate levels. It is consumed by plants and can be taken care by performing routine partial water changes.

    So ammonia/nitrite is taken care by allowing the bacterias to establish in the tank. This is what the nitrogen process is about. If your tank isn't cycled properly, any fauna introduced will be subjected to high levels of ammonia/nitrite (and likely to die) as the bacterias are not well established enough to remove them.

    Using old filter material (if set up properly) and established plants will help shorten the cycling. However, for someone who is new, I would suggest NOT to skip cycling altogether, be more conservative and have a longer cycling process.

    Here is a useful diagram, courtesy of http://www.saltwater.8m.com, although the timing is shorter for freshwater...


    Read this, the "What Is the Nitrogen Cycle?" section of this...
    http://www.faqs.org/faqs/aquaria/general-faq/beginner/
    Last edited by Quixotic; 30th Aug 2007 at 20:54. Reason: Fix image link

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang
    Posts
    338
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    1
    Country
    Singapore
    hmm ok. think i will proceed with growing the moss first and cycling before buying the shrimps. thanks =)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Joo Chiat Place
    Posts
    139
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Oops. The chart shows that we should not have any fauna for 1 month ?

    I am putting in my CRS after 14 days in my new 2 ft planted tank.

    I have been adding 1 capful of bacteria solution on alternate day.

    Am not around to do the regular check to see if it has cycled.

    Lets see if my CRS survive ... Keeping my fingers crossed.
    Alex

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Coughing Hills, Singapore
    Posts
    2,586
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    56
    Country
    Malaysia
    The cycling process normally takes about 2-6 weeks, depending on the tank setup.

    This can be shortened if, among others, tank is heavily planted and plants are doing well, or by using commercial products containing colonies of nitrifying bacteria, or re-using old filter media which are already colonised by the bacteria. No two tanks are exactly the same, so mileage will vary.

    However, if you are rather new to fishkeeping and not as experienced, it would be better to follow the rule of thumb: the longer you cycle the tank, the less risk there is for your fauna.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Joo Chiat Place
    Posts
    139
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Hmmmm.

    Will see what happens when I am back this weekend (after 2 weeks cycling of a brand new tank with GeX and fresh plants) to put in Fauna.

    The 1st tank took quite a while to cycle, put in Fauna (newbie that time) and they did not survive too well. 50% casualty . Now nothing dying except the 1 or 2 that wants to jump out.

    Then setup the 2nd cube tank. Was running a canister on the old tank for a month or so and considering this as a mature canister, put on the new tank with new plants and GeX (not sure if it leaks ammonia) and immediately put in some shrimps (RCS and red nose). It may be too soon again even with a mature canister. Casualty rate is 15% (much better) on the 1st day.

    Then I have this 3rd 2 feet tank. New setup, put in new plants and mosses and canister filter/Fluidbed but dose it heavily with bacteria culture and see if it would be more quickly cycled. This is the 2 week cycled tank which I am going to put in some CRS (may be an expensive bet ). Will report progress.

    Thank for the info on the cycling.
    Alex

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Tampines
    Posts
    315
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    1
    Country
    Singapore
    Woah Quixotic,

    You really go the extra mile to explain stuff. Good job.

    Alex,

    If you want to hasten the cycling process, you can get more plants and place them in your tank. They will consume the ammonia and nitrates fast enough. Place some floating plants for even faster result since they take up CO2 from the air direct and nutrients from the water. Try water lettuce, duckweed and salvinia natans. Besides I notice a lot of shrimps like to hang upside down on the roots of my floating plants even though I got other plants around. Think they are consuming the particles trapped in the roots.

    Oh yah, if your tank is small like the 1 foot tank you are using, note that anything you dose will have a big impact on the water parameters and CRS may not be able to tolerate the changes. Be careful when you dose ferts for the plants or overfeeding.
    Yours Truly, Avan

    I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

    ~ Henry David Thoreau

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang
    Posts
    338
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    1
    Country
    Singapore
    but i read that moss do not need much fert right? however if i wish to see them bubble, is CO2 a must? and what kind of bacteria solution can i buy, sorry coz i have never seen one before so can recommend any brand to me ? thanks

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Yishun
    Posts
    109
    Feedback Score
    2 (100%)
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by hebi View Post
    but i read that moss do not need much fert right? however if i wish to see them bubble, is CO2 a must? and what kind of bacteria solution can i buy, sorry coz i have never seen one before so can recommend any brand to me ? thanks
    You can try Biozyme, however this is powder form but it work pretty well for me.. most of the shop should sell this. But do take note that there is a seawater (red) and a freshwater (yellow), do not end up buying the wrong 1.

    As for the plant part i cannot really help... hehe

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang
    Posts
    338
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    1
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by zyblack View Post
    Woah Quixotic,

    You really go the extra mile to explain stuff. Good job.

    Alex,

    If you want to hasten the cycling process, you can get more plants and place them in your tank. They will consume the ammonia and nitrates fast enough. Place some floating plants for even faster result since they take up CO2 from the air direct and nutrients from the water. Try water lettuce, duckweed and salvinia natans. Besides I notice a lot of shrimps like to hang upside down on the roots of my floating plants even though I got other plants around. Think they are consuming the particles trapped in the roots.

    Oh yah, if your tank is small like the 1 foot tank you are using, note that anything you dose will have a big impact on the water parameters and CRS may not be able to tolerate the changes. Be careful when you dose ferts for the plants or overfeeding.
    do you know any LFS that sells floating plants? seldom see them being sold.
    anyway, yesterday i successfully created my DIY CO2 generator and bubble rate is around 1 every 2 sec and i use an inverted 300ml bottle to collect it till it 'overflow'. then i decided to poke a hole at the top and most of the CO2 escaped except for a small 2cm mark of CO2 remaining(due to pressure i think). want to ask if my setup is good? so now for every 2-3 bubbles from the tube, one small CO2 bubble will escape through the hole.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •