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can read those posts where people share how they setup their tanks with details. very useful. i am learning from those too.
Hi!
Have been reading up in this forum but am still
abit lost with all the lingo and terms used..
I have been keeping large marimo balls and am thinking of rearing it with shrimps.
My first step would be to get a tank setup (thinking of dymax IQ5)
and setting it up with black sand to it.. before actually getting shrimps
Reading here and there, I understand that certain parameters must be met so
I'm asking if there are specific types of sand (substrate?) to look out for when getting it?
Any one know anywhere I can read up more on starting a shrimp tank as I'm still abit lost on all the lingos?
can read those posts where people share how they setup their tanks with details. very useful. i am learning from those too.
Just wondering have you make up your mind of having what kind of shrimps?
What is your reason of having black substance sand?
Thanks for the reply. =)
I've not decided on the shrimps yet. Probably will start with the cherry shrimp since it's the hardiest, but am only going to start with a simple plants only tank first.
The focal point of the setup is the marimo's that I have (a few medium size and abt 15 small mini balls)
The dark sand is for aesthetic purposes so that the green and (in the near future,) shrimps might stand out. My idea for scaping it is just some small rocks & driftwood surrounded by the marimo moss and some small shrimp. I want to keep the setup as simple to maintain.
At present the IQ5 comes to mind because it's a sleek all in one system versus getting a tank and pump etc.. but am afraid it all seems to naively simple for me so I have been looking around the few threads to get an idea..
The black sand (quartz) is ok if you don't intend to have rooted plants. Otherwise you may need soil like GEX or ADA brand.
Nana is good hideout for shrimps as I find that they like to take cover in those broad leaves when the light is off. If you are lucky, your nana plants might bloom white flowers which happened in my tank couple of times. Marima moss is good for shrimp. I also notice, among other moss, Java moss is shrimps most favourite "food" and breeding ground. As for rocks, you need to test whether they fizzle under vinegar, if so it might not be suitable for shrimps. Example like Coral or seashells are not recommended unless you intend to keep Sulawasi shrimps. Lava rock, dragon rock or river sand is neutral reactive so it is ok for your shrimp tank. Low light plant, hardy shrimps and simple setup is all you need for simple pleasure until you pick up more informations from forum before getting adventurous. Remember to cycle your tank for at least a month before adding shrimps, you can add some plants/rocks or dw first.
My humble thoughts.
Last edited by bluebubbles; 26th Apr 2012 at 20:53.
My aquarium blog: http://aquasense-aquasense.blogspot.com/
I read meaning you already have Marino balls in your tank? I think you need to make up your mind 1st before you can actually narrow down and than get the correct info for your setup. No point asking now and get different answer and end up instead of getting to enjoy the hobby you end up makin yourself more fustrated from troubleshooting here and there.
My shrimps are in room temperature, hopefully they can make it. how often do we need to change water? can i dun change water?
Yup I have kept the marimos as plants in those decorative apothecary glass jar filled with water.Originally Posted by avex30
So now I'm deciding to transfer the plants into an aquarium..
Actually I've narrowed down to the following
Dymax IQ5
ada amazonia powdered soil as substrate
Lava rocks and marimos for the aquascaping.
My question now is,
1. Would this setup be ideal for shrimps in the future after cycling it for a month
with the plants..
2. I read some people rinsing the substrate (or was it the sand) and sterilizing the lava rocks
Do I need to rinse the soil before setting the tank up?
3. I plan to use tap water to fill it. I usually leave the water overnight to naturally declorinate when changing water for the marimos.. Same concept for changing aquarium water too? I usually change abt 50% for just marimos but for the aquarium I've read to just do 10% change?
4. Is the tank choice (dymax iq5) ok in terms of maintaining the parameters for shrimp keeping?
Meaning the iq5 is an all in one system, is the unit robust enough to the demands of shrimp keeping or should I
be looking at getting tank, filter pumps, lights seperately? Im keepin it in an air con environment
So I don't think I need a chiller In the future so the unit Should be ok for keeping a small colony of shrimps..
I'm lost when it comes to all the equipment to cycle water with all the different choices so the iq5 seems like the idiot proof choice..
Hope it help
Hi, as my previous experience with IQ5 rearing shrimps, i have to discourage you from using IQ5. The overflow filtering system is lousy. Your water has to reach a level before it will flow into the filter and then get sucked out by the pump on the other side.
When your tank starts to have shrimplets, these shrimps will flow into the filter and got stucked there. They might die there also. This causes me alot of time to suck the trapped shrimplets with a dropper. And when i tried all ways to stop shrimplets from being flowed into the filter, the water flow will be affected, causing an increase in NO3. Shrimps starts to die when NO3 is high.
To keep my IQ5 cool, i used a strong fan which most often dry up my water. And when i add Life brand distilled water, some shrimps cannot survive until i tried and tested with the right proportion of water to add in. Another time wasted here.
I would really recommend you a bigger tank or at least a tank with a good filtration system. External filtering system like canister filter is worth to be considered.
For cycling, do keep hornworts or frogbits as they are nitrite killers. They provides shelter and food for the shrimps too!
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