My First Aquascape

[JPT81]

Sad news.
Yesterday when I got home from work, I found 1 of my shrimp had died.
I’m wondering if it’s due to my water change the day before, could it have been stress!?
My other shrimp seem happy enough so I don’t know what it is.

Water perimeters are -
PH - 6.0
Nitrate - 5
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Temperature- 23

I’ve also turned off my Co2 just in case.
I’ll monitor them over the next couple of days but I’m hoping things are going to be ok.

 

[JPT81]

Little update.
My shrimp seem fine since the sad shrimp death on Tuesday. They seem lively and are feeding well.
I’ll do my weekly water change tomorrow and hope that it doesn’t cause too much stress or any deaths.
I’ve also turned off my Co2 as my shrimp seemed to be swimming fast around the tank and to the top of the water. I had the Co2 as low as I could get it and it still seems too much. 🤷‍♂️
After the death on Tuesday I feel like it’s too much of a risk and don’t want to kill any more with too much Co2. Maybe I’m being over cautious? Maybe they were just swimming around fast for fun? I dunno.
I may slowly introduce the Co2 again next week but all seems fine in the tank right now. No algae and water perimeters are good.

Here’s a little picture of feeding time.

 

[JPT81]

MY FIRST SHRIMP MOLT!
So today whilst checking over my tank, I noticed my first shrimp molt.
I’m super excited about it, as were my kids. It’s the little things, right!?

Here’s a picture of it!

 

[Karmicnull]

Yep that's it alright. You are one step further towards shrimp multitudes!

 

[JPT81]

I’ve decided that I’m going to get rid on my Co2 system.
Today, I heard a big pop and bubbling sound from my tank, only to find that the tube had popped off the diffuser.
Luckily it hasn’t killed or stressed out my shrimp so I guess I’ve been lucky.
I don’t really fancy taking a chance with this system now. It’s been brilliant since I got it but I’m not risk using it again in case the worst happens.
To be honest, I hadn’t been running it much since I got my shrimp so I think my tank will be fine without it.
My plants aren’t dependant on Co2 and have been thriving this week.

If needs be, I’ll have to purchase a better Co2 system in the future!

By the way...it’s a Fluval 95g Co2 kit. I know they’re not the best, but it’s suited me perfectly up until now!

 

[JPT81]

Haven’t posted a full tank picture for a while so here’s how things look at the moment.
Nothing much going on.
The plants I moved around are settling in well and I’ll need to trim a few during my next water change!

 

[JPT81]

Tank update!

So I’ve had a bit of a re-jig of my plants...again! 😂
I’ve added some Staurogyne Repens along the left front side, moved the Alternanthera Reineckii Mini to the front middle section and I’ve also added Limnophila sessiliflora to the sides with a little bit of Limnophila Hippuridoides in front of it.
Hopefully everything will grown in well and I won’t have too many issues.
I also put my Co2 kit back in but this time I’ve put it in the back compartment next to my heater and water pump. Seems to be working well as the Co2 gets sucked in to the water pump and distributed around the tank better than last time.
The shrimp seem happy and I’ve had my 5th molt today. All 5 shrimp have now molted (is that a word!?) which is great. No sign of any berried shrimp yet but I’m hoping it’ll happen soon.
I really want to get some Neon Tetras in the tank but I’m going to wait until the shrimp are more established. 🤞

Here’s a picture...doesn’t look like much has changed but if you look closely, you’ll see a couple of shrimp posing for pictures. 😂

Thanks for looking! 😊

 

[FishKeeper55]

Nice looking setup, my advice would be don't panic to much if things start to go wrong, small adjustments with lot of patience is needed, I know is one of the hardest thing to do when you constantly looking at the tank , from personal experience cherry shrimps are very hardy and they love moss, so if you could maybe add something in your tank to accommodate, I started with only 6 shrimps and after few months now I donated I think about 50+ to local fish shop because was getting out of hand, I never feed mine with any special food they will eat whatever they can find, make them work for it

 

[JPT81]

Thanks @FishKeeper55
I did consider moss but I’ve read a few posts that have put me off. People saying it got in to their filters and pumps and that it spread and took over their tanks.
I’m still thinking about it though!
As for feeding the shrimp, I have been trying to limit it to maybe once or twice a week. I’ve noticed they’ve done a good job of cleaning quite a few of my dirty leaves!!
I just love them!!! 😍

 

[JPT81]

Not the greatest day today.
I did my weekly clean and water change along with cutting back a few plants.
Sadly I noticed a dead shrimp at the back of the tank.
It must have been there for a couple of days as it’s well eaten. There wasn’t much left at all.
I also noticed that one of my other shrimp seems to have started molting but just from the head. I’m hoping it’ll be ok but I’m worried I’ve got another slow death on my hands. 😔

Having another one of those days where I’m left wondering if fish keeping is really what I should be doing. Gutted.

Apart from the death and issue with the other shrimp, the tank is actually beginning to look ok. My plants are growing in nicely and my water levels seem fine.

Here’s a picture of my poor shrimp. At first I thought it was Vorticella but on closer inspection, it looks too much like the beginnings of a molt.

 

[Underwater stories]

Hey all,
So here it is.
The beginning of my very first aquascape.

I’m using a Fluval Flex 57L, along with a Fluval 95g Co2 kit...I know, not the best Co2 kit but it’s all I can afford for the time being. Will hopefully upgrade to a better kit in the next few months.

Here’s the tank so far. I’m hopefully going to put some plants in tomorrow...depending on how crazy my day is!
I also want to add a little bit more substrate to the back right corner to make more of a slope.

Please let me know what you think and be as brutally honest as you like! It’s all a learning curve to me.
Thanks for looking!

This is my first 😁

 

[JPT81]

Disaster tonight!
As I was heading to bed, I realised that my Co2 was still on...I forgot to turn it off earlier today! I must have been on for 10-11 hours. I’m always really careful with it but today I just completely forgot! Gutted!
What made it worse is that it was pumping out a crazy fast amount of bubbles, dunno what happened but when I left it this afternoon, it was only doing 1 bubble every 2-3 seconds.
My drop checker is yellow and I can only see one of my 4 shrimp, which was upside down at the bottom of the tank.

I immediately turned my pump nozzles up out of the water to try and get some oxygen in to the tank.
After 5-10 minutes, the shrimp that was upside down seems to have come alive a little and is now near the top of the tank, trying to get some of the oxygen.

Can’t say for sure if this is going to save the tank, I guess I’ll know in the next couple of hours.
I fear the worst though as the other shrimp are know where to be seen.

Praying for a miracle!

 

[Karmicnull]

Fingers crossed mate. How's it looking?

 

[JPT81]

Fingers crossed mate. How's it looking?

Well, you won’t believe it but they’re all ok!!
I could see 2 of them after about an hour but today all 4 have come out!
Phew!!! Disaster averted!!!!

 

[Karmicnull]

Nice. I'll crack open a celebratory beer on your behalf 😎.

 

[JPT81]

Little update.
Here’s how things are looking.
Have been holding off on putting Neon Tetras in as I was hoping my shrimp would have some babies. It’s not happening, and I’m not getting impatient. 🤣
Might get my fish in next week!
starting with about 8 neon tetras.

Tank is looking a bit bland, but it’s growing very well.