Beginnings of a Shrimp Tank

[drsteeeve]

First want to say thanks to @MichaelJ @kammaroon @Aqua sobriquet @dw1305 @sparkyweasel and @SteveMid for their water advise.
This tank will be stocked with cherry red, armano and a suitable tetra depending on my final water chemistry.
Plants just went in today to a bit hazy, but looking just how I wanted it, can't wait for it all to grow in.

 

[drsteeeve]

Hard to believe this is only 11 days later, plants are growing nicely, added some more plants and some floaters and yesterday some ember tetra, Oto catfish and horned neurite snails moved in.
Having some wood from an old aquarium certainly helped kickstart the bio, water has settled down so quickly and is running really well, next month some shrimps will take residence.

 

[drsteeeve]

Tank really maturing now, loads of life in the gravel and barely a hint of nitrate in the water (fluvial 307 filled with foam and biomax, no chemical filtering, also have a split from the filter line in that has a lower flow rate going through a fluidised bed filter filled with a liter of de-nitrate, stuff is amazing!)
20 Bloody Mary shrimp have moved in and are doing really well so far!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Tank really maturing now, loads of life in the gravel and barely a hint of nitrate in the water (fluvial 307 filled with foam and biomax, no chemical filtering, also have a split from the filter line in that has a lower flow rate going through a fluidised bed filter filled with a liter of de-nitrate, stuff is amazing!)
View attachment 209165

Try it without the <"fluidised bed filter">. With the normal proviso that nitrate (NO3-) testing is <"somewhat problematic">, it is more likely to be <"the plants that are depleting the nitrate">.

Which brings us on to the next bit, why do you <"want no nitrate">?

Cheers Darrel

 

[drsteeeve]

I guess what I should have said was that I am aiming to be consuming as much nitrate as I'm producing, either my way of bio filter or the plants.
I'm aware that at the moment the bio load on the filter is very very low, but I'm assuming that once the shrimp start breeding and maybe I add a few more small fish, then the load will increase, maybe then the filter will be a little less OTT 😅

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I guess what I should have said was that I am aiming to be consuming as much nitrate as I'm producing, either my way of bio filter or the plants.😅

I like low levels of fixed nitrogen, but I'm much less <"concerned about nitrate (NO3-)">, when compared to nitrite (NO2-) and <"TAN (NH3 / NH4+)">.

The way I would look at it is that if I get <"anaerobic denitrification in the substrate"> that is fine, but I definitely <"don't want it happening in the filter">. Honestly plants are what you need, you can see <"their growth and leaf colour"> and that growth is a measure of fixed nitrogen (and CO2) removal.

<"My personal opinion"> is that the <"aquarium industry doesn't want people to find out just how effective plants are">, because it removes <"a revenue stream">.

In terms of your <"low flow loop">? I don't think it offers any advantage and it could potentially reduce the total amount of dissolved oxygen in the system, and it is the <"amount of dissolved oxygen that limits nitrification">. If I was a betting man (<"and I'm not">) I'd guess that it isn't have any effect, positive or negative.

The problem with all discussion of nitrification and denitrification in the aquarium is that we don't have any <"accurate way of telling where the nitrogen (N) that enters the aquarium ends up">. I'm pretty sure that it nearly all ends up in the <"plants in my aquariums">, but I don't have any proof.

Cheers Darrel

 

[drsteeeve]

Cheers Darrel, it blows me away how much the normal at home hobbiest has to contend with compared to my first aquarium 27 years ago, under gravel filter and a heater, done 😅
But it's certainly creating more of a biome than a fish bowl 👍

I'm definitely on the plants are the best filter side now, but can't let go of my backup/lifeline just yet 😊

My only evidence for the denitrate and low flow is from about 10 years ago. I had a fairly well stocked tank, a few live plants but had not really started down that route yet. Our tapwater had about 50 ppm nitrate at the time so water changes to lower it in the tank were near pointless. I heard about de-nitrate, constructed a DIY add-on filter that I used a loop of hose off the inlet and a inline tap to create resistance on the mail line and divert a slow flow through the second filter (denitrate says it works best with a low flow to limit oxygen, the mail filter is still running full steam and full flow).
On that old tank it worked wonders, I went from a minimum of 30-40ppm to near zero and very low maintenance, a year or so later I discovered plants and moss and it just got better.

It may be inacdotal but I've just stuck to using it ever since.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

has to contend with compared to my first aquarium 27 years ago, under gravel filter and a heater, done

Yes, in <"many ways"> the past is a <"different country">. I have been a truly <"terrible fish-keeper"> and I'm still not very good at it, so <"I need all the help I can get">.

cheers Darrel