My LowTechTank (a different setup)

[ralp]

Hi everybody,

i just want to show You my LowTechShrimpTank, which is placed in our livingroom. The overviewpicture is from the first week (i will post an update soon). Now it looks more like a jungle - no nice aquascaping for sure, thats because i don´t have Your skills. Not yet. :D

This project started as an experiment and it is working really fine in four month now. Waterchanges are done every 4th or 5th day.

volume: 12 liter (3.2 US Gallon, 2.6 Imperial gallons, 0.42 cubic feet)
lightning: 11W energisavelamp from 0830 till 2100
filtration: none
co2: none
fertilisation: none
temperature: no heater, no fan, between 21-23 grad celsius
gravel: sand
plants: Javamoss, Frogbit (Lim. laevigatum), Cladophora aegagropila, and a unidenifyed plant
dekoration: some beech- or oakleaf, small piece of driftwood
waterparameter: 7.5 ph, 6 kh, 9 gh, 0 no2
bioload: 6 Cherry Shrimps (Neocaridina denticulata)

[simcb]

Nice setup.
However I cant help notice a dry leaf in your tank....are you sure its for aquarium use? Dead stuff tends to decompose and fouls up the water fast.

[ralp]

Thanks Sim. Iam not an expert and not sure about the leaf stuff. I just followed recommendations of german shrimpexperts. It has to be old, dry leafs, which you collect in autumn. The leaf should be good for the moulting (right english word?) of the shrimps. Hopefully - Robert will explain it better to us. :)

Greetings from Sweden. Ralp

[cairocks]

Hi everybody,

i just want to show You my LowTechShrimpTank, which is placed in our livingroom. The overviewpicture is from the first week (i will post an update soon). Now it looks more like a jungle - no nice aquascaping for sure, thats because i don´t have Your skills. Not yet. :D

This project started as an experiment and it is working really fine in four month now. Waterchanges are done every 4th or 5th day.

volume: 12 liter (3.2 US Gallon, 2.6 Imperial gallons, 0.42 cubic feet)
lightning: 11W energisavelamp from 0830 till 2100
filtration: none
co2: none
fertilisation: none
temperature: no heater, no fan, between 21-23 grad celsius
gravel: sand
plants: Javamoss, Frogbit (Lim. laevigatum), Cladophora aegagropila, and a unidenifyed plant
dekoration: some beech- or oakleaf, small piece of driftwood
waterparameter: 7.5 ph, 6 kh, 9 gh, 0 no2
bioload: 6 Cherry Shrimps (Neocaridina denticulata)


Interesting setup. You are very lucky be able to have a light so close yet able to maintain a temp of 21C-23C. Here in Singapore, most of us are trying very hard to keep it below 28C without a chiller. Also for such long hours with lights on, how do you manage to keep the algae problem in check?

[Walter]

dried leaves are good... i do put in a little too... they produce humic and tannic acids which is quite good for some shrimps :) but not too long though...

anyway i think this set up can work because of your location? over here in singapore the water reaches 27-28 or more with that set up :(

[ralp]

Interesting setup. Thanks - cairocks.


You are very lucky be able to have a light so close yet able to maintain a temp of 21C-23C. Here in Singapore, most of us are trying very hard to keep it below 28C without a chiller. The gras is always greener on the other side of the fence. ;) We have had a realy long winter here (actually it is still under 0 Celsius during the night). So i yearn to warmer weather. Iam not sure how this setup will do under the summertime.


Also for such long hours with lights on, how do you manage to keep the algae problem in check? Cherries don´t eat algae or do they? For some reasons i never had any problems with algae. My guessing: The plants are growing so fast so the algae have no change.

Regards. ralp

[silane]

Do you measure Ammonia before water change? I am expecting NO2 and NO3 is zero or not measurable by test kits as there is no filter.

[ralp]

If NO2 is Ammonia - yes. I just have a standard droptest with ph, kh, gh and NO2. But not every waterchange. Three or four times a month. So far - i never ever had NO2 - it is always zero (maybe the test is bad ;) ).

Regards. Ralp

[silane]

Ralp,

Total Ammonia which most test kits measure is NH3 + NH4, not NO2. :)

Since you don't have a filter, ammonia, if any will remain as ammonia and not convert to NO2, hence, your NO2 is expected to be zero.

[ralp]

Uhhh! :shocked: Sorry - fruitpie - iam bad at this chemical stuff. I always thought that NO2 is the bad guy and therefore i thought everything is okay with my little bowle, because i never measure any NO2 at all. :huh: Does this mean, that it is possible, that i have bad stuff in my water anyway and my little creatures suffer? Just i never measure it? What test should i buy then?

THANKS in advance for helping me.

Regards. Ralp

[silane]

Ammonia is highly toxic and nitrite is toxic too.

See this:
http://www.shrimpnow.com/modules.php?name=Content&file=viewarticle&id=16

on the relationship of NH3/4, NO2 and NO3

You need to get ammonia test kits to measure ammonia.

[ralp]

Hi fruitpie,

thanks for the information. I will buy the tests on friday and report later. Hopefuly the water is in that good quality, which it seemed to be so far.

Regards. Ralp