# Any comments on use of Aquanano 40 for aquascape & shrimp ?



## ian_m (15 Mar 2013)

Just about to buy a Aquanano 40 (and stand), to aquascape and keep shrimp.
aquanano.php

Anyone got any comments and/or advice. I understand the light is described as "adequate"

Reason for choosing this tank are.
- Has to high WAF (wife acceptance factor) as likely to be in lounge.
- Has quite a powerful filtration system hidden away at back of tank.
- Easy to change filter media, add purigen etc.
- Can be bought with a stand to hide things, like fire extinguishers, dosing pumps, extra filter etc.
- People have kept shrimp in these already.

Can get at local fish shop for £100 & £60 for stand.

Not too sure how to aquascape, but moss, branches, HC and stone all spring to mind.


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## Alastair (15 Mar 2013)

Ady uses exactly the same tank for scaping and shrimp keeping and looks fantastic 

Aquanano40 CRShrimp tank....spring clean. | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## ian_m (15 Mar 2013)

Alastair said:


> Ady uses exactly the same tank for scaping and shrimp keeping and looks fantastic
> 
> Aquanano40 CRShrimp tank....spring clean. | UK Aquatic Plant Society


Thanks. Work has currently stopped, whilst I do the much more important job of reading this link !!!


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## nduli (15 Mar 2013)

ian

there are a few on here that use them do quick search for aquanano.
they are fantastic tanks and you are right sticks and stones are the way to go, suggest picking an appropriate substrate for the shrimp you want to keep as its a ball ache to rip out if its not right (hard lesson)
you don't have much room to play with but you can get alot in there.


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## ian_m (15 Mar 2013)

Any suggestions on substrate ?

I have 3/4 of 4kg bag of Fluval Stratum & 12.5KG of Unipac Limpopo black sand left over from my main Vision 180 tank, which could be used. Fluval on top of sand appears to stay in place.

Or would you suggest a proper "shrimp" substrate ? LFS has used Tropica Plant Growth with shrimps OK apparently.


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## Ady34 (15 Mar 2013)

Yep, great little tanks. The filter is excellent imo, little bag of purigen on top of the bio media and the jobs a 'good un'.
Really depends on what type of shrimp your looking at keeping as to whether you need a dedicated shrimp substrate or not. What you have may well be fine if your planning on cherry shrimp for example which have a wider acceptable range. Check out the sponsor section, Freshwater shrimp, and im sure Sharnbrook shrimp too, have requirements for each species which will give you a good idea as to what you need. Also worth checking out your local water authority report to give you an idea of your tap water perameters which may also help in decision making. Maybe if your fancying something like CRS then Aquasoil would benefit both shrimp and plants...... 
As for the light, well the supplied light it is rather dull to the eye, the only way to be sure would be to use a par meter, but i swapped it for a fluval 11w which gives a nicer colour rendition imo which is all i wanted for my less demanding plants. Try it and see first, you may like it. With good c02 distribution and flow you should still be able to grow healthy plants.
Cheerio,
Ady.


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## nduli (15 Mar 2013)

Ady34 said:


> Yep, great little tanks. The filter is excellent imo, little bag of purigen on top of the bio media and the jobs a 'good un'.
> Really depends on what type of shrimp your looking at keeping as to whether you need a dedicated shrimp substrate or not. What you have may well be fine if your planning on cherry shrimp for example which have a wider acceptable range. Check out the sponsor section, Freshwater shrimp, and im sure Sharnbrook shrimp too, have requirements for each species which will give you a good idea as to what you need. Also worth checking out your local water authority report to give you an idea of your tap water perameters which may also help in decision making. Maybe if your fancying something like CRS then Aquasoil would benefit both shrimp and plants......
> As for the light, well the supplied light it is rather dull to the eye, the only way to be sure would be to use a par meter, but i swapped it for a fluval 11w which gives a nicer colour rendition imo which is all i wanted for my less demanding plants. Try it and see first, you may like it. With good c02 distribution and flow you should still be able to grow healthy plants.
> Cheerio,
> Ady.


 
+1 on decide what shrimps you want to keep before deciding on the substrate - i am on ebi gold
+1 on look at water params you'll get out of the tap i have very low TDS and thus need to add in GH etc to make the water right for CRS (although i am moving to RO now after losing a very heavily berried female and just not sure why others have not bred yet

interesting to note ady's feedback on the light i am thinking of adding another to up the lighting in my tank.


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## ian_m (15 Mar 2013)

I am aiming probably only as far, in terms of difficulty as CRS. Two local fish shops on same tap water as me sell shrimp, including CRS.

One shop cuts all their shrimp water with RO water 50:50 (though they state easier shrimp are OK with tap water) and other shop uses tap water for most shrimp (including CRS), except delicate shrimp where they use remineralised RO water.

My water is 2nd hardest the country at 21°Clark (yes I can grow stalactites on the taps), nitrate 30ppm, pH 7.3 and conductivity 560uS/cm.(oh and a hose bursting 8bar pressure !!).


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## ian_m (21 Mar 2013)

All stalled at the mo, as the WAF, also included a new sofa !!! (don't recall that being part of a new tank scheme...). Local Maidenhead Aquatics can get tank and stand for £160 odd, which is not bad.

However, does give one the chance to investigate things...
- What CO2 regulator (if any) to use ?
- Double or even triple (one for liquid carbon ?) peristaltic EI dosing system ?
- Substrate, Fluval shrimp looks OK.
- TMCMini LED 400 as replacement light ?
- Timer control using an industrial PLC controller... hmm maybe £150 is overkill to replace time switches ?

And lots of other things one could but before even having bought the tank or shrimp...


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## nduli (22 Mar 2013)

Tmc light needs the controller so circa £150 investment.
Substrate - fluval hmmmm I have used and got 2 batches of babies from it in the old tank. Do your research though on some shrimp specific websites and its 50/50 on it. Loads of people seem to think baby survival rate is poor. If you investing as much as your wish list suggests then think about ebi gold or something similar from one of the site sponsors. 
And consider going down the ro water route. I cannot believe the difference In activity from my shrimps in ro water v tap water. Even the better half who takes the Michael out of my concern for my shrimp is in agreement that they are happier in ro with the additives added in.


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