My low tech setup.

[spinex]

I'm a newbie in shrimps and planted tank.

This is a lowtech setup i have done on 23 July 05.

Size of the tank is around 40cm length x 25cm width x 23cm height.

I got 1 packet of OceanFree base fertiliser which are like small peats 1mm in size recommend to me by Nature Aquariam (NA) for the size of my tank.
Sand as the substrate also by NA which is suppose to be easier to maintain than ADAsoil.
Fan.
Light.
No CO2
A hangon filter

Plants : Can someone help me name the plant in the background ? On the DW and the foreground i got some Java Moss. I wanted to get Glosso and Petie Nana into the tank because the tank seem to be quite barren.

Any suggestion or recommendation are welcome. I'm here to learn.

Sorry that the photo is low quality as i only got phone camera

http://www.shrimpnow.com/mygallery/files/4/6/4/IMAGE_00022.jpg

[turbomkt]

Interesting little tank. Which plant in the background are you trying to get an ID on?

Is that moss on the gravel in front?

[spinex]

Yes it's also Java moss tied to wire mesh at the foreground. I will go to get some more plants for my tank after work. I'm thinking of Glosso and Petite Nanas which should be quite easy to maintain.

The plant at the back is narrow and long and spiral upwards.

[Lotus]

Those plants at the back look like Vallisneria spiralis. Looks good so far!

[silane]

spinex,

Did you lay the base fert all cross the tank or just at the back portion of the tank?

[spinex]

spinex,

Did you lay the base fert all cross the tank or just at the back portion of the tank?

I lay it all across the tank because i might wanna plant some glosso or whatever plants with roots as time goes by.

But i seem to have a problem now. From my observation today the spiralling plant and the background seem pale and getting like translucent. Sign of dying off ? What does that mean ?

I did apply liquid Seachem Flourish excel which is suppose to add organic carbon to my tank (i just put a few drop) and i have base fertiliser .. is it becos the substrate is sand so the root of the plant can't tap the base fert below ? :huh:

[turbomkt]

Given time the plants should grow roots deep enough to get to the ferts. If you aren't adding any to the water besides Excel, I'd recommend some sort of macro element source. At the very least you can dose and see if the plants respond over the course of a week or two.

[spinex]

Given time the plants should grow roots deep enough to get to the ferts. If you aren't adding any to the water besides Excel, I'd recommend some sort of macro element source. At the very least you can dose and see if the plants respond over the course of a week or two.

Mmm.. went to LFS and was told maybe the plant need sometime to adapt ? How true is that. So in the end never get any liquid dose. Bought some Nana and Malayan shrimps (cos they are cheap) into my new tank and see how they fare before i decide.

So far the malayan shrimps seem at home with the new tank. I also got 3 guppies inside given by my friend. I will update with new photo when i'm home.

[silane]

I did apply liquid Seachem Flourish excel which is suppose to add organic carbon to my tank (i just put a few drop) and i have base fertiliser .. is it becos the substrate is sand so the root of the plant can't tap the base fert below ? :huh:

The minerals at the base fert will reach the root for sure, give it sometime, if not, it has already reached.

I am thinking will the unused base fert in the forground leak into the water column and the water is concentrated with minerals that are not necessary for fishes and shrimps?

[spinex]

The minerals at the base fert will reach the root for sure, give it sometime, if not, it has already reached.

I am thinking will the unused base fert in the forground leak into the water column and the water is concentrated with minerals that are not necessary for fishes and shrimps?

Any ways to check for leakage of the mineral ? Definitely since the base fert is also in water definitely some of the minerals will leak to the water unless the gravel is totally clogged which i think is almost impossible right ?

2 days ago i put 5 malayan shrimps and 3 guppies into the tank. Guppies is fine and yesterday night found 1 dead malayan shrimp. The 4 others seem like doing fine.

I got another 10 Zebra shrimps from Joe last night and placed them in ... seem fine so far.

[turbomkt]

Do you know what nutrients are in the Oceanfree? I can't find any readily available references.

[spinex]

Do you know what nutrients are in the Oceanfree? I can't find any readily available references.

Unfortunately i have thrown away the box which contain the information. I will go to the LFS again which i bought the base fertiliser there and will have good look again.

The plant i got in the background seem to be Corkscrew val
(Vallisneria americana v. 'Biwaensis') and Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) after checking at PlantGeek website. The Wisteria seem to be doing better. At least i can see new roots growing which is a good sign i suppose.

[silane]

Any ways to check for leakage of the mineral ? Definitely since the base fert is also in water definitely some of the minerals will leak to the water unless the gravel is totally clogged which i think is almost impossible right ?


Azoo has a test kits that check for mineral in water.

We have the same thought, I think more important here is the plants can take up the mineral instead of the water getting concentrated with base fert leak. Shrimps definately don't like high level of fert in the water.

[gnatster]

When you fertilize the substrate it takes time before the plant can utilize it. First the plant needs to acclimate to the tank and start growing new roots. These must penetrate to where the ferts are located. There are also biological processes that must occur to make the fert usable to the plant. This take time to happen in a new tanks as the microbes must get established and start working.

As to leaking into the water column, this will happen some unless the substrate is so dense that water can not flow within it, and frankly you will have other issues with the plants if that is the case. Roots will not be able to grow and the lack of oxygen in the substrate will turn it anaerobic eventually releasing Hydrogen Sulfate into the tank.

[spinex]

Seem like all is not well in my tank. I got 5 malayan shrimps now only 3 is surviving (for a week) and seem to be doing week. Got 10 zebra shrimp for 3 or 4 days and survival rate is like 50-60%. Got another 10 cherry shrimp yesterday and it's like history repeating itself.

The cherry turn over and seem like dying after 2 hrs. I quickly scoop 4 of them up and place them in my small plastic container which i put my extra moss in it and now they seem to be doing much better than they are in the tank. :huh:

Read other forums and realised some people took few hours to condition their shrimps to the new water and some even few days. So if it because my conditioning period is too short or something wrong with the water ? I will get that Azoo mineral test kit later.

The living shrimps are doing fine so far.

[spinex]

I have checked out the OceanFree substrate fertiliser i'm using. Seem like on the back of the box or anywhere they did not indicate the content. The packaging look almost similiar to OceanFree Root Monster but mine is called OceanFree Booster + Base Fert.

So far all my shrimps are still not doing well (cherry, malayan and zebra). Almost all die off :( . I have transfer some of them to a plastic container and some of them are doing better than they are in the planted tank.

For the pass 2 weeks .. everyday i do a 10% water change with aged water. At weekend i will do a 40-50% water change hoping to cycle the tank faster. For the past 2-3 weeks my guppies in the tanks are doing well with no problem. My plants also seem to be growing well now.

I got myself a PH PEN and my PH level is around 6.8-7 range usually.

Anyone know what's wrong with my setup ? In the hangon filter it come with black carbon inside. I have also added some coral chips some bio ring similiar medium. Could it be the reason my shrimps are dying ???

[NanoDave]

I lay it all across the tank because i might wanna plant some glosso or whatever plants with roots as time goes by.

But i seem to have a problem now. From my observation today the spiralling plant and the background seem pale and getting like translucent. Sign of dying off ? What does that mean ?

I did apply liquid Seachem Flourish excel which is suppose to add organic carbon to my tank (i just put a few drop) and i have base fertiliser .. is it becos the substrate is sand so the root of the plant can't tap the base fert below ? :huh:

I believe plants becoming translucent is from a lack of light. I had pelia that has some algae on them thats impossible to remove manually. I put them in a container under the bed and when I took out them all they look translucent.

[Chris Low]

I believe plants becoming translucent is from a lack of light. I had pelia that has some algae on them thats impossible to remove manually. I put them in a container under the bed and when I took out them all they look translucent.
Hi Spinex, so what your tank status now?

[loneshive]

Seem like all is not well in my tank. I got 5 malayan shrimps now only 3 is surviving (for a week) and seem to be doing week. Got 10 zebra shrimp for 3 or 4 days and survival rate is like 50-60%. Got another 10 cherry shrimp yesterday and it's like history repeating itself.

The cherry turn over and seem like dying after 2 hrs. I quickly scoop 4 of them up and place them in my small plastic container which i put my extra moss in it and now they seem to be doing much better than they are in the tank. :huh:

Read other forums and realised some people took few hours to condition their shrimps to the new water and some even few days. So if it because my conditioning period is too short or something wrong with the water ? I will get that Azoo mineral test kit later.

The living shrimps are doing fine so far.


From what i observed its better that you stop adding in more livestock. Fixing the problem is more important now instead of getting more livestock and increasing the bioload thus causing more shrimp to die. A small tank is harder to maintain than a big tank too. Considering to get a bigger tank instead ?