my 1st tank

[Timeless]

Hi peeps.

Just started rearing fishes/shrimps as a hobby.
started off with this current tank that my dad wanted to throw away and i stopped it
and yes. . . after this. . .its neverending visits to the LFS . . .lol

Anyway, just to share my basic and virgin tank setup.
Pardon my phrasing as i'm new to the forum and im still trying to learn more about the species of shrimps / plants / fishes etc.
i have abt 20 shrimps, 2 otos and 3 small fishes in the tank.
the moss is DIY-ed by me on the pc of wood.
all of them have been well and good for 2mths now (fingers crossed)
pH level is about 6.0 / temperature i am not sure as i dun have a thermometer, but i do have a fan that is constantly blowing 24/7.

here are the pics!
1st pic was the initial start-up and the 2nd and 3rd pic are taken today. hope to gain some critics and guidance from this as im thinking of starting a new 2ft planted tank project!

[BFG]

Welcome to AquaticQuotient!

Please note that short form replies are highly frowned upon in this forum. We do have members from other countries and your replies might not be readable or understandable by other members. Please read the forum rules and regulation. I hope you would understand our house rules and enjoy your stay!


Hope this helps!

[LifeisBoring]

looks great for first try

[felix_fx2]

Hi,

Good for a 1st try it's starting to mature, good choice of low tech plants.
you might want to be careful when you eventually do trimming of the moss as they can grow from fronds dropped and might be an eyesore to some.
6th Feb picture has Red nose shrimp (i just bought this today myself) , Sakura/Cherry & i might be mistaken CRS? ...

BTW: links good to read/briefly scan through are below. BFG has quoted one of the things i like about AQ. Readable English

Language Usage: Click to go link

Short and sweet version: Click to go link

[Timeless]

Thanks for the replies. I guessed i typed too fast and i missed out certain language.
By the way, thanks for highlighting this and i agree that we should all post in proper English to benefit others as well as self.

Hi Felix, Im not sure when is a good time to trim the moss thou. i was thinking isn't the thicker the better for moss? And yes, i believe its a cherry/sakura, i have CRS in the tank as well. Got them from Y618.

[felix_fx2]

you'll need to trim every now and then to get a nicer shape. (set aside the personal likling to younger fronds looking nicer)...
Moss in low tech tank seldom need to trim as the growth is not boosted by Co2 and higher light. Just good to know in advance...

[Timeless]

oh i see. thanks. just got home and check out my tank... and after hearing your advise, i think my moss does looks out of shape. Thanks!

[wind88]

Nice tank!

[Mossboss]

If you are keeping CRS, why don't you consider using chiller?

[Timeless]

Im just trying out this tank as my first.. So dont wanna spend so much money..
But i believe i will in a couple of months time.
Anyway i just noticed that some of my shrimps are pregnant!
Do i need to seperate them? Do shrimps feed on shrimplets?
I have a yamato inside as well. Will it attack?
Will my oto attack the shrimplets?
Gosh!!!

[felix_fx2]

in time if you have a liking, and may go for CRS tank it will make sense to get chiller then but not now.

2 bad points (if you get one now)
-Small tank with over-flow filter, lots of heat exchange.. you lose/gain temp easily.
-your chiller will very likely cost more then the tank from your dad.

2 good points
-CRS or rather shrimps do have better coloration (i mean generally speaking) when kept in cooler water.. so do plants & moss
-you have the perfect excuse to upgrade to 2 feet tank lol

Ok, now the things you asked.
Shrimp don't attack to the extent of killing another, abit of jerking away from being scared of a adult shrimp is fine.
However, if one dies and the shrimp are hungry... you might not being able to see even the shell. it happens to be ALOT...
Oto is omnivorous, it too will join in to eat the dead...

[Timeless]

Well, i guess i will leave the babies to survive their own. . .but seriously, seeing your shrimps getting berried is just like being as happy as a husband hearing his wife is pregnant! lol.
Yes Felix, im starting to love this hobby (i know it because i will step into every LFS whenever i pass by one, and im looking forward to go home everyday and check out how the buddies are doing etc lol)
Thus im so going to get a 2ft tank, but the question now is. . .should i get a 3ft tank instead? whats the difference in up-keeping a 3ft tank and a 2ft tank? which size do u suggest for me? space isn't a prob as i have sufficient space in my bedroom. as for chillers, where do u recommend me to get it from? do they consume lots of electricity?

[felix_fx2]

That reminds me of alot of folks in the fourm :P

Many shrimp keepers/planted tank hobbyist will recommend 2 footer for starters. Easier to maintain and control. Myself started with a oddball 2.5 footer (2nd handed) that lasted till erm let's say 4 years ago?

Big tank also will mean accessories will cost more. Filter volume need more ect ect.

I'm a poor fan boy, but you can check out the shrimp keepers threads about their setup. Eviltrain's setup is worth the visit.

[eviltrain]

Wa. How come my name is mention here? Haha

Send from my GT-P1000 (Overcome 7 Series v4.0.0)

[felix_fx2]

your setup is worth the time to go through.. i feel many pointers can be pickup from there.

[eddy planer]

Yeah Alan, Felix is right, I'm a big fan of yours! I love your great DIY set-up shrimp tanks!

Do seek and learn from eviltrain the shrimp maestro

[eviltrain]

*shy* im not that fantastic as other shrimp masters la. Me still very noob.

By the way, eddy, your diy skill much much more better than me lor.

Send from my GT-P1000 (Overcome 7 Series v4.0.0)

[Timeless]

Yup, i've saw bro eddy's vivarium. . .ITS AMAZING down to the fact that even the TANK is DIY-ed!

Bro eviltrain, does a normal HOF do well enough for a 2ft tank? or do i need to buy those like Ehiem 2026? whats the difference between those normal dolhpin HOF and Ehiem 2026? the current flow / filtration rate / set-up? what filters do you recommend for a noob like me?
Hailea HC-150A chiller: do we need to maintain the chiller? what is the lifespan? will chillers drain alot of electricity ?(my mum making noise already)
oh ya, by the way. . .if i spotted a berried mum. . .how long does it takes for her to give birth??

Sorry for the questions. New to this shrimpy things. and loving it . . .just wish to know more =)

[eviltrain]

Bro eviltrain, does a normal HOF do well enough for a 2ft tank? or do i need to buy those like Ehiem 2026? whats the difference between those normal dolhpin HOF and Ehiem 2026? the current flow / filtration rate / set-up? what filters do you recommend for a noob like me?

For shrimp keepers, we will get a canister which is able to filter 5-10 times the capacity of the tank.

example, a standard 2x1x1 feet tank can hold 54litres of water. recommanded flowrate will be between 270lph - 540 lph.

but due to the effectiveness of your chiller, you might need a canister rated 1000lph to let the chiller cool the water properly.

Canisters will provide more volume for media than HOF

Hailea HC-150A chiller: do we need to maintain the chiller? what is the lifespan? will chillers drain alot of electricity ?(my mum making noise already)

as you can see from my whole setup, my daily electricity bill is around 0.75cent.

use led lights if you are not going for light demanding plants. ( prevent tank water from heating up )

use a canister within the recommended flow rate suggested by the chiller maker. example,
haliea 150A is 250-1200lph. a ehiem 2026 will be 950 lph and after putting all the medias in,
flow rate might drop 20-30% which left with around 650lph.

650lph will still falls in the 250-1200lph recommended flowrate for haliea 150a

just to make sure everything runs well, take note the running and stop time for the chiller.
if its like 1/4 running 3/4 stop, the chiller is working well.

lifespan wise i cannot comment as i normally buy 2nd hand items. cross fingers that the previous owner never abuse the equipment lor. hehe

regarding your mom, just tell her this is a better and cheaper hobby than spent money at pubs or disco. hehe

oh ya, by the way. . .if i spotted a berried mum. . .how long does it takes for her to give birth??

for most freshwater dwarf shrimps, it will take around a month depending on the temperature. try google and find out more.

-good luck-

[Timeless]

Bro eviltrain, does a normal HOF do well enough for a 2ft tank? or do i need to buy those like Ehiem 2026? whats the difference between those normal dolhpin HOF and Ehiem 2026? the current flow / filtration rate / set-up? what filters do you recommend for a noob like me?

For shrimp keepers, we will get a canister which is able to filter 5-10 times the capacity of the tank.

example, a standard 2x1x1 feet tank can hold 54litres of water. recommanded flowrate will be between 270lph - 540 lph.

but due to the effectiveness of your chiller, you might need a canister rated 1000lph to let the chiller cool the water properly.

Canisters will provide more volume for media than HOF

Hailea HC-150A chiller: do we need to maintain the chiller? what is the lifespan? will chillers drain alot of electricity ?(my mum making noise already)

as you can see from my whole setup, my daily electricity bill is around 0.75cent.

use led lights if you are not going for light demanding plants. ( prevent tank water from heating up )

use a canister within the recommended flow rate suggested by the chiller maker. example,
haliea 150A is 250-1200lph. a ehiem 2026 will be 950 lph and after putting all the medias in,
flow rate might drop 20-30% which left with around 650lph.

650lph will still falls in the 250-1200lph recommended flowrate for haliea 150a

just to make sure everything runs well, take note the running and stop time for the chiller.
if its like 1/4 running 3/4 stop, the chiller is working well.

lifespan wise i cannot comment as i normally buy 2nd hand items. cross fingers that the previous owner never abuse the equipment lor. hehe

regarding your mom, just tell her this is a better and cheaper hobby than spent money at pubs or disco. hehe

oh ya, by the way. . .if i spotted a berried mum. . .how long does it takes for her to give birth??

for most freshwater dwarf shrimps, it will take around a month depending on the temperature. try google and find out more.

-good luck-

THANK YOU SO MUCH for replying!
Finally i got abit of light on choosing filters. As normally i only read post about forum members and their specs,
but rarely i see explaination on why they choose that model.

And thanks for explaining on the chiller portion. clears much of my doubt.
By the way, im using pH test strips in compare with the mixing of chemical type (LFS recommends me the strip one cos she say easier to use). which one is more accurate? likewise, i saw a digital meter in one of the bro's thread that monitors temp / pH etc. how accurate are these gadgets? he mentioned he got it off eBay. . .is this available in Singapore?

and yes. . .i've told mama if she wants me to stay at home. . .she better keep quiet about the electricity bills. . .lol