Herc's Shrimp Hotel

**Herc** · 27th Apr 2011, 10:18 PM

hi all,

Almost 2 weeks ago I finally bought a barely used tank.
The first goal is to create a nice tank where I can keep some happy shrimps.

The tank is a Juwel Rekord 600, size 60cm x 30cm x 36cm, containing max 63 liter.
Included are a Pump Set BioFlow 280, 50 watt heater and a Monolux 60 lighting hood with a 15 watt T8, 10kg Dennerle sand (Sulawesi black), a Colombo Flora Grow CO2 nano set and some driftwood. The hood was already modified with a Arcadia Ultra Seal Controller, which holds another 15 watt T8.

After thouroughly cleaning, the tank started cycling on Sunday April 17th.

The tank will contain a lot of moss. Most of it has arrived, but I expected the items to be somewhat larger. So for now, I have just put all portions in the tank so it can grow a bit before I put everything in its place.

The plants ordered are Flame Moss, Taiwan Moss, Christmas Moss, Creeping Moss, Utricularia Graminifolia, Hemianthus Callitrichoides, Riccia Fluitans, Pellia Epiphylla, Fissidens Splachnobryoides and Fissidens Fontanus.
I am sure that is way too much, but I just couldn't choose when I was ordering.

Most of the plants were ordered at a nearby LFS, and now its just waiting for an order from AquaticMagic in Malaysia.

Besides pressurized CO2 I use EasyLife ProFito and EasyLife Ferro as a fertilizer.

2 days after filling the tank, a white fungus started to appear on the driftwood. The last time I've seen that was a few years ago, I ignored it and it vanished after a week or so. So now I hope that it is gone by the time the tank has completed cycling.

There are obviously no shrimps or fish in the tank yet, and I don't expect to add livestock within the next few weeks. One of these days I should figure out which shrimps I want, so I can try to get pH//kH/gH to the desired levels.

In the meanwhile I will try to upgrade my photography skills, as I now have the skill of a 2 year old. Because of that, I have no pics yet.

**hibi** · 9th Jun 2011, 09:43 AM

Any updates bro?

**vandominic** · 11th Oct 2011, 01:41 PM

Ask a friend to take pics sir. Or just put your camera on a tripod.

**Herc** · 18th Dec 2011, 01:23 PM

update!

Things didn't go like they should, which resulted in failure before the tank was cycled properly.
So I cleaned the tank, got rid of everything that was in there and shelved the tank for a while.

Now the time is right to setup my tank again, so it is cycling for a few days now.
This time I am using Hirose Volcamia substrate and planted the tank with HC and, Pellia and Flame Moss.
I already hate the Pellia so i am quite sure that it will be replaced soon.

The substrate should lower the pH to 6,5-7,0. This seems to be purrrrfect for Crystal Reds and Crystal Blacks.

pictures will follow when the tank gets interesting (and when i can beat a monkey in camera-skills).

**FishFan85** · 18th Dec 2011, 02:25 PM

What happened?

Ahw come on

try some pictures, is it really that bad??

Anyway goodluck/veel succes,

and keep us posted!

Take care now,

Joey

**Herc** · 18th Dec 2011, 03:45 PM

I was gone for a few weeks, and when I got home again there were a gazillion snails and a brazillion mosquito larvaes having fun in the tank which had more or less changed to a green clump of algae.
It turned out that the tank received a bunch of reflected sunlight every day which was pretty nasty.

**FishFan85** · 18th Dec 2011, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by Herc

I was gone for a few weeks, and when I got home again there were a gazillion snails and a brazillion mosquito larvaes having fun in the tank which had more or less changed to a green clump of algae.
It turned out that the tank received a bunch of reflected sunlight every day which was pretty nasty.

That's really a bummer, especially when you have put a lot of work into it.

Looking forward to the result of your new attempt.

Take care,

Joey

**Herc** · 27th Dec 2011, 10:48 PM

update!

I saved 18 red cherry shrimp yesterday that otherwise would have end up as GSP-food today.
now I am stuck with a foster home that is in the middle of its cycling period.

to make things even more complicated, I discovered at least 9 babies this morning.

pics soon now