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Loas Micro - Crab/Shrimp Pix added

Gill

Gill

Member
Joined
17 Mar 2008
Messages
3,916
Location
Coventry
Have been wanting to do another shrimp bowl, and found a great deal on some Crystal Reds.
So dug out one of my Glass Bowls to use.

Now in preparation of a new scape, I have been experimenting with plants.
Took a Large Wedge of HG and Chucked in with the Paradise Fish outdoors, and left it floating. This has become a lovely raft of HG and sent out lots of new shoots. I really like how this has turned out, so using this as a ready made carpet to cover the base of the bowl. Used a Little Coral Sand, as did not want alot of substrate.

And Decided to redo the Pico External I made a while ago for the Barren tank.
Decided to Mod the inlet, so added a Tpeice as the joint to distribute the water more inside the canister. Then Glued a Planting Basket into place, to stop the filter media from blocking the inlet.
Used mature Ceramic Media mixed with K1 media, topped with Filter Floss.

For now just a few pix of the Mod to the filter, Pix of the Bowl will follow over the next few days. As a few plants coming in to finnish it of, A few Mature Willow Moss Rocks and some Peacock. And that will be it for Planting. Still have a packet of Co2 tablets left over, so going to use those and add a few liquid ferts.


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Re: Grass

i love your ingenuity but i would be too worried it would leak!
 
Re: Grass

Never have had a problem with it leaking, hot glue is surprisingly strong. And when you are finished with it, you simply snap it off.
 
Re: Grass

Connected up the Filter and just waiting for the trapped air to dissipate.
Running very well and more flow as adjusted the flow to Maximum.
Bowl is teaming with Ostracods and the Male Heterandria Formosa has plenty to eat, so prob wont feed the tank for a while. Might add some Daphnia every so often.

Lighting will be an LED Desk Lamp, and just need to make a Lid for it to prevent any losses. Will prob use and old peice of acrylic.



Also found a deal on Cherry Shrimp so have 100 or so coming this week.
 
Re: Grass

Outlet done, Lid made from the LId for the K1 media. And Lighting added.
 
Re: Grass

The Fauna Arrive today:
10 Crystal Red Shrimp - been delayed will be here in the morning
10 Micro Crabs

Don't worry, Used Mature water and media to cycle the tank

Decided against using a spray bar, so instead Used a T-piece and distribute the flow in 2 directions. Working really Well, and looks ok. Might change it to Clear Acrylic T-Piece for aesthetics, although you can't see the inlet or outlet due to the curve of the bowl.

Will take some pix tonight with the LED Lighting On.
 
Re: Grass

Micro Crabs arrived and they are minute, smaller than a a single peice of pea gravel, some are the size of a hikari micro wafer. Ordered 20 of them, and there are some interesting color differences between them all.
 
Re: Loas Micro

Quick acclimating pic, you can see just how small they are. I am not adding them to the scape today, as plants not here. And I don't want to crush them moving hardscape.
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Re: Loas Micro

All the Moss has arrived, and great quality. Have it soaking at the moment ready to scape up later on today.
 
Re: Loas Micro

Gill said:
Quick acclimating pic, you can see just how small they are. I am not adding them to the scape today, as plants not here. And I don't want to crush them moving hardscape.
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They are strange little beasts. Do you see them when they're in a bigger tank, or do they tend to hide?
 
Re: Loas Micro

Lol, You do see them clambering amongst the plants, i purposely order a large amount so that i would see more of them.

Will be scaping up the tank in a bit, and might take a few pix of them. The CRS are doing great and have some great markings on them.
 
Re: Loas Micro

Ukaps went down earlier, so just got the chance to post the pix.
Will take a FTS later on as a little messy after moving around the hardscape and planting up the pico malaysian bogwood with riccia.

I love the view from the recliner looking over at it on the windowsill.

You can see the reflection from the LED bulb i am using. Lighting is great and very clean with this bulb.
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Some of the Crystal Reds
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Another thing I should mention, is that I am using Aged Rain water for water changes to see what difference this will make. This water is teaming with ostracods and copepods.
 
sarahtermite said:
Wow, I don't know if it's the wee crabs, or the near-globe proportions of your bowl, but there's something very other-wordly about this set up.I like it! It's very compelling. :clap:
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Ahh thanks Sarah, I am loving this. It does have an off world aspect to it, as the bowl is very rounded and has a small opening at the top.
The HairGrass has grown very quickly in this bowl with the natural sunlight and LED lighting.

The crabs have now crept away in to all the little nooks and crannies, and will see them again towards the evening time. And the shrimp are clambering round on the Lava Rock Covered with various moss'.
 
8)
Great little set up Gill.
CRS are lovely looking shrimp, be interesting to see how the micro crabs fare, they seem interesting but can't make them out too well on my tiny phone screen, I'll have to wait to get a decent sized image on a computer :lol:
Cheerio
Ady
 
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