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Jasons Learning Curve

So we are 3 1/2 weeks planted and i can see diatoms starting on the carpet, hardscape and glass. My lighting intensity and duration was reduced a while back and i am doing 70-80% waterchanges twice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays. Should i continue what i am doing or should i increase waterchanges or reduce the light even further until the diatoms start to disappear?

I have some bloody mary shrimp on order that should be here next week.

Jason
 
Increase water changes when noting visible algae :)

I suspect that various snails and otocinclus will be more effective than a few shrimp (100 and more shrimp can be pretty efficient ;) )

Tank is looking grand
 
Increase water changes when noting visible algae :)

I suspect that various snails and otocinclus will be more effective than a few shrimp (100 and more shrimp can be pretty efficient ;) )

Tank is looking grand

Thanks Alto,

Ottos are on the list just a bit hard to get given the current situation here in Ireland, only allowed to travel 2km from your house. I will up the waterchanges so. Thank you.
 
I often just add Nerite snails as I have smaller tanks these days
- Clithon corona are my favourite as much smaller and haven’t seen any egg laying from them, these are the only ones which will eat (young) BBA
- “Batik” nerites are mid size and attractive patterns, I’ve seen a few eggs from them but they seem to lay below the soil
level
- sun horn or horned or sun/zebra thorn nerites look much like a larger version of Clithon but will lay some eggs (mostly on wood)
- larger Nerite sp such as zebra, onion, tire track, olive grow much larger and will often generously share many many (quite large) white eggs ...everywhere :eek:
(the eggs usually hatch releasing tiny immature larvae which quickly die in most freshwater aquaria, the remaining egg casings are well stuck to wood, stone etc)

Snails should be fairly active if healthy

Where are your Bloody Mary coming from?
 
Do Nerite snails disturb plants? I think i read that they were great for algae but that they might uproot plants. I had ordered some zebra nerites a few weeks ago while i was ordering bits to set up the tank but they didnt survive the shipping unfortunately. I never heard about Clithon corona before, they look like they would be perfect but probably difficult enough to source over here. I will definitely have a look for them though.

The Bloody Mary shrimp are coming from a private breeder who i found on facebook that does overnight shipping. This is his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Emerald.Shrimp/
 
I often just add Nerite snails

So since you have mentioned Clithon corona i have been on the look out for some but i havent actually had any luck in sourcing them. An online store, Pro-Shrimp do sell them and do deliver to Ireland but it was this company that i ordered nerite snails from in the past but all arrived dead so i am reluctant to order from them again. So i will continue my search for them

On the subject of Nerite snails, i know the eggs need brackish water to hatch, i have searched for information but their doesnt seem to be any good or decent information on breeding nerite snails, so if anyone have any good links it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Do Nerite snails disturb plants?
:oops: meant to reply sooner
Not in my experience :)
I suppose if you’ve planted plants too shallowly, this could happen but the snails just hoover along ;) ... quite amusing to see a rather large snail attached to a slender grass stalk and bending it almost completely over

Most algae crew don’t destroy heathy plant leafs (occasional exceptions such as otocinclus and my Nymphoides hydrophylla 'Taiwan‘ - the plant still grew happily enough, but my leafs were always well rasped by inconvenient stubborn Otos :mad: )
 
but it was this company that i ordered nerite snails from in the past but all arrived dead so i am reluctant to order from them again
They should have at least credited you the snail costs (not such a relief when shipping costs are significant)

Snails are odd shippers, sometimes they seem very hardy, other times much less so - and difficult to determine life at times - I place them in shallow water (from aquarium) with extra Prime (re ammonia) and wait for signs of life (cling film top for humidity - and to block escapees - make sure there is a large “air zone” above the water so oxygen is not limited)

I suspect that snails get little respect at transfer farms/wholesalers with little attention given to snail health and care and feeding
 
suspect that snails get little respect at transfer farms/wholesalers
I'd have to say that this was definitely the case in this situation. It was early February when I ordered them, along with the substrate for the tank. There was no extra care/insulation given to them, just them bagged and in a box.

I never bothered to tell them about the DOA's, I just though that it would be more hassle than what it's worth.

So I shall keep my eyes open and hopefully I will find them as I sort of have my heart set on them
 
I managed to source some snails so i ordered:

5 x Clithon Corona
3 x Zebra Nerites

Hopefully they well do well being shipped this time.
 
Our 1st little inhabitants are in the tank. 22 shrimp 🦐
IMG_20200514_110028.jpg
 
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