I'm want to add some (possibly 10) Amano shrimp to my newly (2wks) planted tank. No other stock in there at the moment, I plan transfer fish in about a week this will include 3 small angel 3/4", 2 pleco's 1 sm 1 approx 5", 2 pearl gourami's about 3" some cardinals, danio's, corydora's. Tank pic and info in Journal.
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Advise me please
- Thread starter Carpman
- Start date
GotCrabs
Member
Wait another 2 or 3 weeks mate.
Tank has been running for about 2 months now, it was cycled at the start using amonia but I did do a 95% water change last saturday forgetting about the filter / cycle.
GotCrabs
Member
2 months? Should be ready by now then.
GotCrabs
Member
Your original post says that the tank is 2 weeks old mate, not really ready to have fish/shrimp in, but 2 months is different.
Its been planted for 2 weeks sorry bad terminolgy was running prior to planting.
GotCrabs
Member
Oh OK, would still leave it though, wait a few more weeks.
I'd add shrimp - no reason not to 
BUT I'd be somewhat concerned over the 50ppm nitrates - is this tap water related, or does tank need further water changes before adding livestock ???
If your tap (& tank) water does have 50ppm nitrates, check with local shops as to how they are keeping their shrimp ... worth the extra $ to buy local shrimp that are acclimated to 50ppm nitrates
Note that shrimp are very sensitive to changing parameters shortly before moulting & 24h - 36h after
If possible I'd add in 3-5 shrimp, observe & purchase the rest 1 - 2 days later
BUT I'd be somewhat concerned over the 50ppm nitrates - is this tap water related, or does tank need further water changes before adding livestock ???
If your tap (& tank) water does have 50ppm nitrates, check with local shops as to how they are keeping their shrimp ... worth the extra $ to buy local shrimp that are acclimated to 50ppm nitrates
Note that shrimp are very sensitive to changing parameters shortly before moulting & 24h - 36h after
If possible I'd add in 3-5 shrimp, observe & purchase the rest 1 - 2 days later
rebel
Member
- Joined
- 4 Aug 2015
- Messages
- 2,269
ammonia value?
2 Months. You are ready for stocking. Go for gold! POst some pics pls!!
My above posts were based on 2 WEEKS. Please ignore.
2 Months. You are ready for stocking. Go for gold! POst some pics pls!!
Hi all,
I think there are still a few unknowns.
The first is the filter. Adding ammonia can <"cycle"> a filter, but the microbial assemblage you get with high ammonia loading is different from the assemblage that you get when a planted tank is running. I won't go through the reasons again, but they are in this thread <"Oxygen levels required...">.
The same applies to the plants. They have been <"commercially produced emersed"> (you can see the flowers of <"Juncus repens"> etc) where they have had access to 400ppm CO2.
Even if you are adding 30ppm CO2 it is going to take them a couple of weeks to adapt and start producing submerged leaves. As the new roots spread through the substrate they create conditions for a lot of extra microbial nitrification, "plant/microbe" systems are much more effective at biological filtration than "microbe only" systems.
I like floating plants (either just sub-surface like <"Ceratopteris thalictroides"> or <"Ceratophyllum demersum">) or fully floating like <"Limnobium laevigatum>" or <"Pistia stratiotes"> etc. that can make use of atmospheric CO2.
Plants are very effective at assimilating any form of fixed nitrogen. People who don't keep planted tanks often don't appreciate this.
cheers Darrel
I'd still wait for a couple of weeks.
<"First Planted Trigon">.
I think there are still a few unknowns.
The first is the filter. Adding ammonia can <"cycle"> a filter, but the microbial assemblage you get with high ammonia loading is different from the assemblage that you get when a planted tank is running. I won't go through the reasons again, but they are in this thread <"Oxygen levels required...">.
The same applies to the plants. They have been <"commercially produced emersed"> (you can see the flowers of <"Juncus repens"> etc) where they have had access to 400ppm CO2.
Even if you are adding 30ppm CO2 it is going to take them a couple of weeks to adapt and start producing submerged leaves. As the new roots spread through the substrate they create conditions for a lot of extra microbial nitrification, "plant/microbe" systems are much more effective at biological filtration than "microbe only" systems.
I like floating plants (either just sub-surface like <"Ceratopteris thalictroides"> or <"Ceratophyllum demersum">) or fully floating like <"Limnobium laevigatum>" or <"Pistia stratiotes"> etc. that can make use of atmospheric CO2.
You don't need to continually feed the filter ammonia, the microbial side of nitrification is governed by the availability of oxygen, ammonia is required but the continual trickle from the normal tank processes will fulfil this requirement.
Yes, you should find that it declines over time once your plants are in active growth.
Plants are very effective at assimilating any form of fixed nitrogen. People who don't keep planted tanks often don't appreciate this.
cheers Darrel
Not that this is really advisable, but I've added shrimp immediately to new tanks before; and had no casualties, but I made sure the tanks were heavily planted with mosses etc, and had leaves with biofilm on them; as well as a lower pH to reduce the harmful effects of ammonia etc.
I'm sure someone will now come and tell me how wrong I am, but regardless; I've done it.
I'm sure someone will now come and tell me how wrong I am, but regardless; I've done it.
kadoxu
Member
You aren't wrong at all... the thing is, most people aren't able to do it that way, and specially beginners... and you can't be sure if you're greatly reducing the life expectancy of the critters by putting them in a possibly stressful environment.
No one says it can't be done... but whenever you can give yourself better odds of success, don't you go that way?
It's like having a goldfish in a small bowl... it can be done... and I've done it before... but I now realize that I shouldn't have.
"Cycled" can mean many things depending ....
But like Tropica, I set up a new tank, add substrate & plants from Day 1, add some "cycled" media to the filter, add shrimp any time after day 3 (enough time for any surprises to have happened & me to have sorted them)
Result: plants grow, algae crew tidy up algae as it begins, shrimp have a chance to get established before I even think of adding fish, frequent water changes take care of any "unevenness" that may be occurring in the "Cycle"
(unlike Tropica I like to add a Seachem Ammonia & pH Alert ... any ammonia detected & I perform a water change)
If it's a high tech tank,I run low levels of CO2 24/7 during the first weeks
If it's low tech, no CO2
Neither experience much algae or any livestock deaths
Fish are added once plants are established ... though if it's a "rescape" fish go back in on Day 3
It works for me
Note that setting up a tank with predominantly 1-2-Grow differs somewhat from setting up a tank with potted plants, lately I mostly use a mix of both.
There are also some decent "cycling" products available on the market, Seachem Stabiility is the one my lfs uses - again it "works" just fine (in real life experiences).
If people like to wait weeks to months before adding plants or shrimp or livestock, that undoubtedly "works" just fine too
- I'm just way too impatient
But like Tropica, I set up a new tank, add substrate & plants from Day 1, add some "cycled" media to the filter, add shrimp any time after day 3 (enough time for any surprises to have happened & me to have sorted them)
Result: plants grow, algae crew tidy up algae as it begins, shrimp have a chance to get established before I even think of adding fish, frequent water changes take care of any "unevenness" that may be occurring in the "Cycle"
(unlike Tropica I like to add a Seachem Ammonia & pH Alert ... any ammonia detected & I perform a water change)
If it's a high tech tank,I run low levels of CO2 24/7 during the first weeks
If it's low tech, no CO2
Neither experience much algae or any livestock deaths
Fish are added once plants are established ... though if it's a "rescape" fish go back in on Day 3
It works for me
Note that setting up a tank with predominantly 1-2-Grow differs somewhat from setting up a tank with potted plants, lately I mostly use a mix of both.
There are also some decent "cycling" products available on the market, Seachem Stabiility is the one my lfs uses - again it "works" just fine (in real life experiences).
If people like to wait weeks to months before adding plants or shrimp or livestock, that undoubtedly "works" just fine too
- I'm just way too impatient
