aec34
Member
The ‘big tank’ (well, 60p) set up is on hold for the foreseeable while we wait for building work, so I’ve treated myself to a Dennerle scaper’s tank 35 as a caridina shrimp tank. I’ve fancied having a go at some caridina for a while and the excuse is that this tank is small enough to move round the house as needed, but big enough to give me options. Anyway, here’s the kit, mostly from stuff kicking about:
Tank: Dennerle scaper’s tank 35
Filter: Aquael pat mini (or Dennerle eckfilter - or maybe both?! There’s also a versamax mini, but I’ve really struggled to cover the inlet successfully to make it shrimp safe and still get any flow.)
Light: Aquael Leddy smart 2(6w)
Substrate: Tropica soil + gravel
Wood, a few rocks, botanicals, etc. Got some nice pods from Blackwater UK.
Plants: Assorted buces, crypts, java fern, floaters, and mosses plus other random trimmings/survivors from the two dinky tanks I’ve broken down (10 litre + work bowl). I’m also going to cross my fingers and have a go at some Monte Carlo and Sagittaria subulata. It’s worth a try...
My plan is to plant relatively heavily from the outset, WCs with tap water for the first few weeks, then move to remin-ed rainwater/RO (found out last week that my v near LFS does RO, which is a nice back up if the garden butts fail). I’m expecting it’ll be a few months before I’m ready for any shrimps - no idea yet exactly what to get, but apart from the shrimp choice I feel like a more or less know what I’m doing with the set up and planting.
BUT, livestock. Since I won’t have shrimps for a while, in the interim does this mean I should really steel myself for snails as a small clean up crew? 😬 I’m not really a fan, but I know how good they are for tanks. I came across the suggestion of red racer nerites (yay, no breeding), but then found out they lay eggs anyway (boo, things on glass). I’ve been told rabbit snails are a good option, but I’m worried about how big they might get? When I say I’m not a fan, I mean I really don’t want to have to touch the fleshy bits. (This is where snails win over slugs in the garden - snails have a handle.)
I had not intended keeping fish in this tank - and definitely not with the shrimp - but read that some like to move in a pair of fish (only when the tank is already hospitable, obviously) for a couple of months to help maturity before replacing with shrimp. I mean, fish for a bit would be AMAZING, but this is a little tank and not something I thought was doable. Has anyone tried this? I really still don’t know fish, apart from my plotting of CPDs/chillis for the 60p.
(Photo of one of the piles of bits to start tank)
Edit: also, can caridina water parameters = happy snails...?
Tank: Dennerle scaper’s tank 35
Filter: Aquael pat mini (or Dennerle eckfilter - or maybe both?! There’s also a versamax mini, but I’ve really struggled to cover the inlet successfully to make it shrimp safe and still get any flow.)
Light: Aquael Leddy smart 2(6w)
Substrate: Tropica soil + gravel
Wood, a few rocks, botanicals, etc. Got some nice pods from Blackwater UK.
Plants: Assorted buces, crypts, java fern, floaters, and mosses plus other random trimmings/survivors from the two dinky tanks I’ve broken down (10 litre + work bowl). I’m also going to cross my fingers and have a go at some Monte Carlo and Sagittaria subulata. It’s worth a try...
My plan is to plant relatively heavily from the outset, WCs with tap water for the first few weeks, then move to remin-ed rainwater/RO (found out last week that my v near LFS does RO, which is a nice back up if the garden butts fail). I’m expecting it’ll be a few months before I’m ready for any shrimps - no idea yet exactly what to get, but apart from the shrimp choice I feel like a more or less know what I’m doing with the set up and planting.
BUT, livestock. Since I won’t have shrimps for a while, in the interim does this mean I should really steel myself for snails as a small clean up crew? 😬 I’m not really a fan, but I know how good they are for tanks. I came across the suggestion of red racer nerites (yay, no breeding), but then found out they lay eggs anyway (boo, things on glass). I’ve been told rabbit snails are a good option, but I’m worried about how big they might get? When I say I’m not a fan, I mean I really don’t want to have to touch the fleshy bits. (This is where snails win over slugs in the garden - snails have a handle.)
I had not intended keeping fish in this tank - and definitely not with the shrimp - but read that some like to move in a pair of fish (only when the tank is already hospitable, obviously) for a couple of months to help maturity before replacing with shrimp. I mean, fish for a bit would be AMAZING, but this is a little tank and not something I thought was doable. Has anyone tried this? I really still don’t know fish, apart from my plotting of CPDs/chillis for the 60p.
(Photo of one of the piles of bits to start tank)
Edit: also, can caridina water parameters = happy snails...?
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