CRS in My Office :)

[amidala]

Hi all, my office tank has undergone a couple of rescapes since the beginning of the year and finally I've decided that CRS are still my favourite. :smitten: So I've set it up this time with the intention of keeping CRS only, and hopefully soon I'll get more than the 10 I'm starting out with! :D

Tank specs

Dimensions: 45cm x 22cm x 18cm (1.5 footer)
Lighting: 13W PL (7 hrs/day)
Filtration: Eheim Liberty 200
Parameters: (Only measured ph) about 6.5 - 7
Water temp: about 22 degrees C (24 degrees C over weekends)
Substrate: Dennerle crystal quartz (brown)
Decor: twiggy driftwood
Background: Oyama paper (black)
Plants: Taiwan moss (frogbits and hornwort for additional natural filtration)
Bioload: 10 CRS, 16 boraras brigittae, 4 otocinclus affinis

CRS not in yet at the time when this pic was taken. Will update soon. All comments are welcome! :grin2:

[retardo]

very nice! looks like it will grow out nicely. post periodic updates when you have them.

[amidala]

Thanks retardo! I'm hoping that my moss floor will grow out okay, so that it would make my CRS comfortable enough to have their little shrimplets. :D Keeping fingers crossed!

[jojoecute]

Very nice setup...
Since temperature is 24oC over the weekend...
I advise you try off the fan on weekday & on it weekend...

What i am worry is the filteration not strong enough for future..

Good luck....

[spinex]

A bit offtrack but would like to ask where you get your boraras britgatte. Been searching high and low to no valid.

Nice tank you have there. I have a similar size NANO tank. Have to get a digicam to update.

[amidala]

Thanks jojoecute for your suggestion - that was what I tried out this weekend. I left the fan on over the weekend and found the water temp this morning to be close to 21 degrees. So I switched off the fan and in about 2 hours' time, the temp rose to about 24 degrees despite the central airconditioning. So I'm probably going to just leave the fan on 24/7 and see if I can reduce the temperature variations.

Spinex - I was at Biotope just over the weekend and they've got some boraras brigittae in the shop. You might want to try going there. :)

[silane]

amidala, any off spring from your last batch of CRS? Or these 10 are from the previous batch?

[amidala]

fruitpie,

i had some offspring from my previous batch, but lost the shrimplets and adults during a tank crisis - hand itchy and went to do an overhaul, but was not careful enough with acclimatising them (too much water change). So lesson learnt - no more major adjustments to shrimp tank!

So this is a new batch of ten - and just this morning I spotted the first preggy CRS! Dark-coloured eggs in her swimmerets. :D Hope to see more gravid females soon!

[amidala]

I have a question though - read in an article that CRS eggs seem to hatch faster in slightly warmer water of say 24 deg celsius than in colder water. My tank temp is about 21 deg celsius - should I attempt to raise it?

Or would the CRS generally be happier with the low temperatures? (I don't mind waiting for a longer time for the shrimplets if it means they are more comfortable that way.) :yes:

[imi_sky]

CRS can live fron anywhere between 18-25dC and some of my friends even say they like it in the 18s better then the 20s but thats all personal preference. CRS like coolder water, and anything in warmer water would get sped up in there life process, take ick for example if you've had fish. i would generally keep the water between 21-23 and nothing higher. but thats just me

[jojoecute]

Well Crs do love cooling temperature.
I'm keeping mine Crs at 26-28oC, so far so good and they do offspring faster and also to large quantity .

[ice-cream]

Well Crs do love cooling temperature.
I'm keeping mine Crs at 26-28oC, so far so good and they do offspring faster and also to large quantity .
bro, how do you maintain the low temperature? Do you use a chiller?? :D

[amidala]

Hi guys, it's been a couple of months and finally I see shrimplets! But they're still way too small for my humble DC, so I'm posting a wider shot of the tank to show how the moss has grown instead. :D

Lots of hiding places for the shrimplets, which is rather annoying really, since all I wanna do is watch them! lol

[Pconnieae]

Wow! Really nice set up :) .

I had some offspring from my CRS for the first time ten days ago :cool: . The first few days, the shrimplets always hide in the moss :D .

[gr81]

That is absolutly cute tank :2thumbsup:

[jojoecute]

Hi,
I am only using DC fan to cool my tank.



bro, how do you maintain the low temperature? Do you use a chiller?? :D

[jojoecute]

2-3 months your tank so nice already.
How's your filteration, did you upgrade it to other filteration type?



Hi guys, it's been a couple of months and finally I see shrimplets! But they're still way too small for my humble DC, so I'm posting a wider shot of the tank to show how the moss has grown instead. :D

Lots of hiding places for the shrimplets, which is rather annoying really, since all I wanna do is watch them! lol

[silane]

Jan,

The tank has became prettier, so is your CRS. :)

[spinex]

Amidala,

Your water seem crystal clear :cool: . Care to share the filteration you are using and the feeding pattern ?

My new 1.5ft cube just arrived. Now busy buying stuff to set it up.

[silane]

The filter is a Ehiem Liberty 200. ;)

[amidala]

Hi all, thanks for all your kind comments!

The shrimplets have almost doubled in size since the time I posted the pic - they begin as really tiny little critters but seem to grow pretty fast! They're also starting to come out into the open and climb onto the dw - now that they realise that there are no predators in the tank (I've only got 3 otos in there with them). Cute! Like candy canes on a Christmas tree :santa2:

And the 2 females are carrying eggs again! :smitten:

My water temp is kept low by a small DC fan (or AC??), as well as air conditioning. A bit of an overkill! But I realised that if I turned off the fan, the temp fluctuations over the weekday nights and weekends (when the aircon is turned off) are quite pronounced, so have decided to leave the fan on - temp is maintained at 21-22 deg Celsius. The evaporation rate is thus quite high, so I top up the water in the tank almost everyday. So far so good - maybe this is how the water looks clear!

I change water once a week, draining about one small pail full and then topping up with fresh water. Every 2 months or so, I rinse out the bio balls in the bags inside my filter with aged water, and replace my carbon cartridges in my Eheim 200 Liberty filter. (jojoecute: I noted your advice about upping the filtration but other than upgrading to a small canister filter, this is the most powerful hang on filter I know. Unless I use 2 Eheim 200s! Thanks though - will watch the bioload. :) )

Oh by the way I've tried boiled spinach but my shrimps don't seem to like it? :bs_quesex But they love the Wardley flakes I feed them - smell them so quickly that they'd swim up and grab the flake from my tweezer the moment I dangle it in the water. lol

More updates soon! :D

p/s: fruitpie, it's June. :P

[yippy76]

nice and simple setup!!!

[imi_sky]

my shrimps didnt like spinach at first, until i stoped feeding them for a couple of days and then, they went for it, at first they were kind of shy i guess or not interested. but then one went for it then the whole crew came. and after that day everytime i put in spinach they ate it.

[amidala]

Hmm! So they need a bit of training huh! lol Right then, I shall try it again - but it is a little cumbersome to prepare the spinach. Maybe I'll wait for my shrimp population to grow a larger!

Thanks people for your compliments too! :)

[swy106]

I change water once a week, draining about one small pail full and then topping up with fresh water. Every 2 months or so, I rinse out the bio balls in the bags inside my filter with aged water, and replace my carbon cartridges in my Eheim 200 Liberty filter. (jojoecute: I noted your advice about upping the filtration but other than upgrading to a small canister filter, this is the most powerful hang on filter I know. Unless I use 2 Eheim 200s! Thanks though - will watch the bioload. :) )



I think this Eden 501 filter is good for you if you can find it at singapore.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/swyeo106/eden501.jpg

[dantanch]

Hi i remember seeing this filter when i was in Hong Kong last month but can't recall seeing any of them in Singapore. I think it was one of the smallest Ext. filter i ever came across.

[silane]

Hi June,

You may want to consider to DIY a canister filter with air tight box and small powerhead, since Eden 501 which is good for small sized tank is not available here, if you are worry about under-filtration.

I did one sometime ago for my 1.5feet tank with flowrate of 250l/hr with over 1000cm3 of medium capacity, it works very well.

[amidala]

Hi swy106 and fruitpie,

Thanks for the recommendations!

Fruitpie, that DIY canister looks great - think bro damnit also tried out something like that? But to be honest I'm not quite the "technical" sort and am unlikely to enjoy putting something like this together - which will probably not work properly, considering my lack of skill :huh: - so I shall have to give it a miss! :p

But I'm sure your ideas will be useful to other forumers who are thinking of rigging up their own filters. :D

[gr81]

Hi June,

You may want to consider to DIY a canister filter with air tight box and small powerhead, since Eden 501 which is good for small sized tank is not available here, if you are worry about under-filtration.

I did one sometime ago for my 1.5feet tank with flowrate of 250l/hr with over 1000cm3 of medium capacity, it works very well.
What type of glue did you use to connect tubes and canister? All I tried was not much safe. not much firmly connection..

[silane]

What type of glue did you use to connect tubes and canister? All I tried was not much safe. not much firmly connection..

Just normal silicone.

[retardo]

Make sure the silicone is aquarium safe. Not all silicone is made equal and some may leech toxins if it is not aquarium safe.

[terryschild]

Hello there amidala,
I like your setup. It is simple and effective. Now I know this sounds weird but I have the same exact filter as this Eden 501 but mine is from Zoo Med and it was sold as a Turtle/aqua-terrarium 501 external filter. The only difference is that mine had an activated carbon sachet insert included. It also comes with the same ceramic rings and the rain bar. Perhaps the Eden 501 is the asian version of what I own?

The filter works very well for a nano tank (European Aqua 40) I think it is 36 liters? I attached a sponge filter for the intake and use the spray bar to distribute the water just below the water line. The tank contains Crystal Reds, Rainbow Shrimp, Bumblebee shrimp and a pair of Bamboo Shrimp.

As for spinach, the shrimp needs to get used to new foodstuff. Chinese Cabbage (just the leafy parts) is another possibility. I boil mine for about 5 minutes and cool it down in cool water. Do give it a try!

[amidala]

Thanks peeps! :D Just returned from Hong Kong not too long ago actually - saw the Eden canister but there weren't too many pieces so eventually I didn't get any. :) But my Liberty 200 seems to be doing ok so I'll leave it as it is for now.

Have revamped the tank since my previous post! Will update as soon as I get a decent pic. Cheers!

P/S: Definitely gonna try spinach again! :D

[Moses703]

:wideeyed: Is it just me??

I don't see any shrimp in that tank... ...

maybe I am getting old ~:cheesy:~

[amidala]

Moses, sorry about that; here's the latest update! Look at them cleaning up the brown algae on my Eheim filter! :D

[amidala]

A closer view of the inhabitants - and baby shrimp for scale. :D

[BaLuKu]

amidala, congrats to you too.

[twitch]

Don't you cover your Eheim somehow? The little Shrimplets get shreddered or not?
What is the thing left to the Filter?

And where did you buy this light?

Cya Dario

[peter2883]

Hi June,

You may want to consider to DIY a canister filter with air tight box and small powerhead, since Eden 501 which is good for small sized tank is not available here, if you are worry about under-filtration.

I did one sometime ago for my 1.5feet tank with flowrate of 250l/hr with over 1000cm3 of medium capacity, it works very well.

Silane,

I was just wondering if you used 02 powerhead? I think if I'm not wrong the powerhead at the top of the DIY Cannister is carrying the water to your tank... But how do the water get to your canister in the first place?

[peter2883]

Anyway looking at your DIY canister I'm tempted to do one up myself... I could do it fairly fast as I've played around with such stuff before & I'm confident of making one...

The trick is to get those connector thingy to screw the pipes in place once done it should not leak... I have the glue to stick the connector things but I'm worried that they would be toxic... As you need to apply the glue preferably on both sides... If you do not apply the glue chances of it leaking is very high...

[peter2883]

I think this Eden 501 filter is good for you if you can find it at singapore.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/swyeo106/eden501.jpg

Actually I saw the cheapo China version of this at the big LFS at Marine Parade Central... Don't know how much it is but hey it's from China how expensive can it be...

[nano]

Hi June,

You may want to consider to DIY a canister filter with air tight box and small powerhead, since Eden 501 which is good for small sized tank is not available here, if you are worry about under-filtration.

I did one sometime ago for my 1.5feet tank with flowrate of 250l/hr with over 1000cm3 of medium capacity, it works very well.

silane, do you mind sharing what's in your DIY canister? Looks like you got lots of stuffs in it... what does each of those medium for?

thanks in advance