Daniel's 16l Shrimp Nano

[DHenry]

This week I am putting together a 16l nano. The tank itself was rescued from my green house. I found it here when we moved in with a crack in the bottom. It is a clearseal tank, 40cm x 20cm x 20cm. I have replaced the glass on the bottom and cleaned it up to good results. What I am planning is a low budget, low tech shrimp only tank. It may evolve over time but for now it will follow this spec.

light: DIY high power LED
filtration: Algarde biofoam
substrate: cat litter
flora: java moss, java fern, anubias nana
fauna: CRS
dosing: TPN+, EasyCarbo

I will use a peice of Redmoor root for this aquascape and I will be keeping to just the most basic and hardy plants. I will dose small levels of TPN+ and EasyCarbo to help keep algae away and grow a lush green moss forest for my CRS.

 

[beeky]

Sounds promising. How are you doing your LEDs?

 

[nayr88]

a moss tank

i like a good moss tank haha, nice find too. ill be watching this

 

[DHenry]

Sorry for the long wait. Busy Summer and I never got around to getting this set up properly. So last night I planted this tank, cat litter with a bit of mixed aquarium gravel. I used 2 granite stones and some roots. I have had the moss growing over the roots all summer and are well established now. I also planted some grass along the back and I'm attempting a moss carpet. The simple foam filter seems to work surprisingly well. I am amazed at how much flow it produces. I have also tried out one of Hydors 15w mini heaters. It doesn't look like much but initial tests have been positive. I placed it under the substrate. Yesterday evening the tank was at 18 degrees, when I went to bed it was up to 20 and when I got up this morning it was up at 22.

I have a few more bits to do. Not quite happy yet. I set this up in the kitchen and attached the high output LED to the underside of the kitchen cabinet. I ran a long wire through the house back to the power supply and timer on the LED's on my lounge tank. Happy days.

 

[DHenry]

Here is the first photo, a few days on. So far so good. This was just taken with my phone. Will get some proper photos taken this week. Going to put my minnows in there tonight a I think.

 

[doobiw55]

Looking good, I've never heard of putting the heater under the substrate. Can you only do this with a hydor heater?

Tom

 

[Iain Sutherland]

I ran a 50w heater in gravel in my soon to be torn down crab paludarium (also to a shrimp moss tank) and the heater worked ok, only problem was it needed to be turned up higher than the temp you require as i guess the substrate absorbs a lot of the heat and disipates it through the glass...??? im no scientist