shalu's 10 gallon shrimp tank(WARNING: multiple images)

[shalu]

Here is my low tech 10 gallon shrimp/snail tank:
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/560/shrimptank1qa.jpg

Lighting: 2x15w screw-on CF bulbs, 2700k(yellow, but plants don't care).
CO2: NONE.

Yes, you can still have red plants without CO2, ludwigia arcuata:
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9498/ludarc3yo.jpg

Virgin Nerite snail, I bought them as SALTWATER critters, but acclimated them to freshwater(do it VERY slowly):
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6613/neritemoss5jv.jpg
Olive nerite:
http://img346.imageshack.us/img346/5923/olive1fr.jpg
Purple apple snail, a cherry red shrimp checking it out:
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/6460/cherryapple9bk.jpg
Some asian freshwater clams in HOB filter, they improve water quality
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3082/clam6uu.jpg
bumble bee shrimp babies:
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/9002/bumblebee3hw.jpg
mature female red cherry shrimp:
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4994/cherryadult5dt.jpg
crystal red shrimps:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8347/shrimpfeed4ef.jpg
Hope you like it!

[jojoecute]

Hi... that's nice setup.
Only thing i don't like is the snails, too big size already..

By the way is your liking...

Keep it up...

[GunmetalBlue]

Hi Shalu, that is quite nice for a "low tech" tank! How many hours do you keep the light on? Can you offer additional info like are you using any special substrate and do you add anything to the water? How often is your water change routine?

I've never kept snails before (except the kind you end up with accidentally when you buy plants :rolleyes: ) and don't know much about them, but I think your Virgin Nerite snail is very pretty. Your "mature" Red Cherry has excellent color coverage.

Just curious, is there any chance of Bumblebee and CRS interbreeding? They look great in the tank together but I always wondered if there was any danger of that. Anyway, thanks for sharing! :)

-GB

[Walter]

Beautifully planted! Beautiful Shrimps! Beautiful!!! :D:D:D Keep it up! :D

[shalu]

thanks all.

GB,
My single light strip can not provide full coverage from front to back. I initially had the problem of the tall plant at the very back does not get light on the top half, and the low plants in the front are blocked by taller plants. So I implemented this solution: split the light periods into two with timers, 6 hours at the back or front, take a few hours break, move it to the front or back when I get back from work, 6 more hours. This has worked great, all plants are happy now.

For substate, plain aquarium gravel, innert. I dose some KH2PO4, K2SO4 weekly after 20-50% water change, and dose small amount KNO3 and a few drops of Flourish daily. Some aeration 24/7. I find plants would stunt badly if NO3 runs low and I don't want to dose high NO3 in a shrimp tank, hence the small daily dose. Most traces have some copper in it, and I lost some shrimps when I overdosed CSM Plantex, so now I also dose trace carefully and Flourish has less copper.

I don't know if the bumble bee will cross with crystal reds. I have not seen it yet. Actually there is no way to tell, unless the babies look somewhere in between right :)

By the way, saw your pictures of the cherries, the clarity was very impressive! And I learned something new about how they breed, I thought the male goes on top of the female, here is a pic(apparently this is just playing, hahaha):
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8210/cherrycouple3vf.jpg

[GunmetalBlue]

Hahaha! Yes Shalu, my Cherry shrimp get right down to business whereas your shrimp want to fool around first. lol

Thanks for the additional info - so your "low tech" tank has a fair amount of "manual tech" in it too, I see, like maneuvering the light up and back and also, dosing. The results are certainly worthwhile.

I am having trouble converting from "no tech" to low tech. Probably because I've done poorly with plants for so long that I don't even bother anymore. I'm also afraid of adding anything extra to my tank for fear of killing shrimp (especially with shrimplets). So I just try to listen to everyone, trying to learn and hopefully one day transition into it. :uhoh: :smug2:

-GB

[discusdubai]

Nice Tank you have there..Im getting a lot of Ideas..

[Jozebs]

Just beautiful thanks for sharing

[shaobo]

Last Activity: 19th Oct 2005 ? I guess I won't ask for any update pics. Nice tank though. :)

[JadeIceGreen]

Wow, old thread, but still what a beautiful tank.. I wish we can get some updates if its possible. This tank has really inspire me.