# George's "Crystal Palace" - now with HD video



## George Farmer (20 Mar 2013)

Hi all,

This is my latest project. Please excuse the poor photo quality taken with my phone.


Crystal Red Shrimp non-CO2 aquascape by George Farmer, on Flickr

It's going to be dedicated to crystal red shrimp (CRS) and I hope to get them breeding. The tank is in my office at work.

The tank and cabinet aren't in the best condition after years of constant scaping but still perfectly useable.

Here is the spec so far -

Tank - German optiwhite 60x30x36cm and cabinet from Aqua Essentials circa 2007
Lighting - Fluval AquaLife LED (25w, 312 low power LEDs (white, yellow, red, blue))
Filter - Fluval G6 with sponge fitted to inlet to prevent sucking in shrimp
Substrate - Environment Aquarium Soil from Hobby Shrimp
Hardscape - Manzanita wood, Yamaya stone (not in photo)

The temperature is a steady 20C with no heater.

I have the spray bar pointing to agitate the surface to improve oxygen levels. No CO2 injection.

I have a few cuttings from friends to plant; Anubias nana, C. wendtii green, Hydrocotyle tipartia and a couple of experimental plants.  Lots of moss covering the wood and stones too, hopefully.

I will be using RO water remineralised with Salty Shrimp GH+ booster to give conductivity of about 200 microsiemens. This gives me KH 0 and about GH 6. The soil should buffer the pH at about 6.

I should be adding the plants and moss stones over the next couple of days, and shrimp next week hopefully.


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## cookie3985 (20 Mar 2013)

So your running this as well as your other scape. You have a very understanding wife.  

Will the moss growth be much different without the CO2 injection? 

I always look forward to your scapes George.


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## Ian Holdich (20 Mar 2013)

This would look great as a 100% moss scape! 

What grade shrimp are you getting George?


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## mi casa (20 Mar 2013)

Hi george looking good


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## clonitza (20 Mar 2013)

Nice wood George, best of luck with your CRS.
Can you post a close-up with the soil? Please don't use the iPhone 

Cheers,
Mike


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## fish fodder (20 Mar 2013)

Looking forward to this one


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## tim (20 Mar 2013)

Will be following this mate, didn't you state in your other journal just one scape at a time this year  looks good George


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## Pedro Rosa (20 Mar 2013)

You managed to get two wood pieces with a similar shape but slightly different curves... they work out nicely 
Like we all know.. You have the force with you


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## Gary Nelson (20 Mar 2013)

A very nice bit of hard scape mate - I will be looking forward to seeing more as this develops  and what a lovely addition to an office space.... I wish there was more room in my office to do a 2nd project.


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## Ady34 (20 Mar 2013)

Cool, 
Shrimp tanks are great  will mean however that you get no work done now 
Have you any par readings for the low power fluval led light? 
Wow, a G6, a super posh low tech  however you must not have turned it on yet, everything is still in place and the water not brown lol....guessing your running it at reduced turnover? Will add to your water volume though so helping keep things nice and stable for the shrimp, I'm sure you'll have great success and have them breeding in no time 

Looking forward to this set up George, so used to seeing your high tech scapes so will be a refreshing journal....I'm sure it will be a very nice aquascape too.
Cheerio
Ady


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## George Farmer (23 Mar 2013)

cookie3985 said:


> So your running this as well as your other scape. You have a very understanding wife.
> 
> Will the moss growth be much different without the CO2 injection?
> 
> I always look forward to your scapes George.


Thanks. 

This tank is in my work office so the missus can't really complain. 

I expect all plant growth to be much slower without CO2. I'm looking forward to seeing this one develop nice and slowly.



Ian Holdich said:


> This would look great as a 100% moss scape!
> 
> What grade shrimp are you getting George?


Thanks mate. I'm getting some PRL (pure red line) shrimp from Hobby Shrimp. They should be coming next Friday. 



Ady34 said:


> Cool,
> Shrimp tanks are great  will mean however that you get no work done now
> Have you any par readings for the low power fluval led light?
> Wow, a G6, a super posh low tech  however you must not have turned it on yet, everything is still in place and the water not brown lol....guessing your running it at reduced turnover? Will add to your water volume though so helping keep things nice and stable for the shrimp, I'm sure you'll have great success and have them breeding in no time
> ...


Thanks mate. 

I love your shrimp tank. The filter on this is about 50% flow.

No PAR readings for the light. It's quite bright though - to the eye at least. Brighter than a 150w MH suspended 50cm above a 90x45x45 anyway. 

Anyway, it's all planted now and ready for the shrimp that are coming soon. 


insitu1 by George Farmer, on Flickr


fts1 by George Farmer, on Flickr


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## Gary Nelson (23 Mar 2013)

George, I noticed on the first photo with the filter that you have not done the G6's pipe clamps up... Also on the last pic too, do you not tighten yours up?


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## Shrimpy (10 Apr 2013)

Any updates?


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## George Farmer (11 Apr 2013)

Gary Nelson said:


> George, I noticed on the first photo with the filter that you have not done the G6's pipe clamps up... Also on the last pic too, do you not tighten yours up?


Hi Gary, no I haven't tightened the clamps up. No excuse really, just lazy. They're a tight fit so no leaks....

Sorry for the lack of updates. Here's a few iPhone snaps of the shrimp, added last week. There are 6 in total and Hobby Shrimp are sending me more soon. They're really active and I've noticed a few shedded skins which is a good sign. I'm not changing any water for another week to let them continue settling nicely.


CRS by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS by George Farmer, on Flickr


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## Alastair (11 Apr 2013)

Really nice this George I like it a lot.  Its nice to see another well laid out low tech. Those crs will soon be popping out babies im sure


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## George Farmer (28 Apr 2013)

Hi all,

Apologies for the distinct lack of updates. I tend not to take my camera to the office where this tank is situated.

I had a HUGE algae nightmare. Even though it's no issue for the shrimp; I literally couldn't stand the sight of it. All the plants were covered in blanket weed, even the glass had blanket weed growing on it. 

The Fluval LED unit is clearly too much light without any CO2 or additional nutrients.

So I temporarily re-housed the shrimp and stripped out all of the planting, except the moss-covered wood. The tank now has no lighting at all, just a fair bit of ambient light from the office windows. The moss is growing nicely and there's only background levels of algae. 

I have 12 shrimp in here now, all courtesy of Hobby Shrimp. Some are carrying eggs but still no sign of babies just yet...

I took my camera into work last week and managed to get a few half-decent shots of the little critters. I'll try to get a full-tank shot this week.


CRS7 by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS4 by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS3 by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS2 by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS1 by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS6 by George Farmer, on Flickr


CRS5 by George Farmer, on Flickr

I have to confess to being quite ignorant about grading and the likes, so if anyone would like to share their knowledge, they're more than welcome...


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## Brian Murphy (28 Apr 2013)

Love it !


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## Ian Holdich (28 Apr 2013)

Quality pics, love your macro stuff George, always so sharp.


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## Ady34 (28 Apr 2013)

Lovely photos George.
I'm not hot on shrimp grading either, but they look pretty good to me, solid coloration and some nice colour in the legs too.....I'm sure that counts for something 
Shame about the algae issues, it clearly hasn't effected the shrimp though like you say. What sort of photoperiod were you running?
Usually takes around 4weeks from becoming berried to hatching.
Cheerio,
Ady


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## George Farmer (28 Apr 2013)

Thanks guys. 

Ady - apparently these shrimp are offspring from really high grade shrimp so their babies should be good. I really need to do some reading up on such matters. 4 weeks sounds about right from what I've heard. The photoperiod was 7hrs. I'm quite happy with just ambient light. I dare say the shrimp prefer it to high light too.


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## sa80mark (28 Apr 2013)

Looks fantastic George your shrimp do look to be quite good nice solid white and good division from red to white, heres a link that will give you a good idea of what you have 

Mark

Crystal Red Shrimp Grading Guide .:. Information to successfully grade the Crystal Red Shrimp


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## Shrimpy (30 Apr 2013)

When i read this thread on the mobile version only some of the comments show up, any idea why?


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## LondonDragon (30 Apr 2013)

Shrimpy said:


> When i read this thread on the mobile version only some of the comments show up, any idea why?


Just tried it, no issues seen.


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## Wallace (24 Aug 2013)

Is this still running George?


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## George Farmer (27 Aug 2013)

Wallace said:


> Is this still running George?


It sure is. 

I reckon there's over 100 shrimp in there now.  I'll probably take some to my LFS in exchange for some Amano shrimp for my home tank.

Here's a few recent pics.  You should be able to make out the intense surface agitation I have from the G6 filter. This is to help improve oxygen levels, especially during this lovely weather. Tank temp. averages around 25C, but the shrimp seem happy and very active.  














It's a really low maintenance set-up.  Non-CO2, 20% water change every 2-3 weeks with RO + Salty Shrimp GH booster to 225 conductivity.

I expecting a shipment of Super Reds from Hobby Shrimp soon.


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## aliclarke86 (27 Aug 2013)

I was wondering howany bags of soil you had to use for this one?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


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## David Shanahan (27 Aug 2013)

I like the tank George. Are you still using ambient light? Looks like you might have a single T5 tube or is that just for the benefit of the new photo's?


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## George Farmer (27 Aug 2013)

aliclarke86 said:


> I was wondering howany bags of soil you had to use for this one?
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


2 x 4 litre of this - Environment Aquarium Soil 4kg | Hobby Shrimp

I understand it is from the same guys that make the Salty Shrimp product line (Logemann brothers, Germany).



Planty said:


> I like the tank George. Are you still using ambient light? Looks like you might have a single T5 tube or is that just for the benefit of the new photo's?


Thanks.

I'm using 2 x 18w T8 with reflectors from an old Juwel Rio 125. There's a pink and a daylight tube. 7hr photoperiod.


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## aliclarke86 (27 Aug 2013)

Thanks mate. I took a closer look and saw that the bags are in liters not kg. That's what was throwing me off about it just couldn't guage how much a 4kg would hold. I have heard good reviews of the soil for buffering and water clarity. 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4


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## George Farmer (27 Aug 2013)

Yes, it's good stuff. Certainly grows plants well and keeps shrimp happy!


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## Jack12 (28 Aug 2013)

George, a quick question, which camera and lens specifically are you using? I am struggling to take good shots of my tank. The lamp I am using is HQI with green spectrum of light (ADA) and pictures have this strong green tint and not a pleasure to look at unlike yours. Thanks
Also, you got some nice work going!


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## George Farmer (28 Aug 2013)

Hi Jack

I use a Canon 6D with 24-105 for most stuff, and 100mm macro for close-up work.  I recently used a 50D which was also good.

The NA Green lamp is great for green stuff but I find it tough to get a nice overall colour rendition. 

I doubt any camera or lens could change that.

Thanks
George


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## Mr P (28 Aug 2013)

looks really nice now,have you tried taking a custom white balance with a white target in the tank,just thought it might be worth a go.well done on your photography ,all the best roy


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## George Farmer (17 Sep 2013)

Hi all,

I took the DSLR into work today so took the opportunity to take a few shots of my shrimp tank.

I've removed the tall Eleocharis as it was blocking too much light from the Alternanthera, and getting covered in algae.  I also removed the Bucephelandra as it was growing so slowly and getting covered in BBA.  The Buce is now in my Signature tank at home.

All the remaining plants are doing fine.  Growth is really slow and the shrimp seem very happy. I counted well over 80 in there today, and that was after off-loading some into my home tank.


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## Ady34 (19 Sep 2013)

Very vibrant George, really nice defined colour contrasts, works a treat with the shrimp


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## kirk (19 Sep 2013)

I  realy like this set up. The shrimp stand out and look awesome. I also noticed I've done the same for lighting as you , I didn't copy you honest.


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## LondonDragon (19 Sep 2013)

Looks great George, what kind of maintenance do you perform on this tank?


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## George Farmer (19 Sep 2013)

LondonDragon said:


> Looks great George, what kind of maintenance do you perform on this tank?


Thanks mate.

Every day I add 1.2ml of Tropica Premium/Specialised 50:50 mix.

Every couple of weeks or so I'll change 25% of the water with RO and Salty Shrimp GH+.  Prune any plants that need it.  Wipe the glass.  Clean the Fluval G pre-filter.  Add some Japanese powdered bacterial food and liquid.  That's it.  Takes less than an hour. 

It's the lowest maintenance tank I've ever owned.

I think the key to success is the RO and active soil, and clean water (Fluval G6).  Temperatures went up to 28C in the summer and the shrimp were fine. I encourage high O2 levels through loads of surface agitation.

This tank has really made me fall in love with shrimp!


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## Ian Holdich (19 Sep 2013)

Really nice mate, nice to see a black background as well. 



Some good grade crs as well.


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## LondonDragon (19 Sep 2013)

Thanks George more to make people aware that it is not difficult/demanding to keep a nice looking low tech tank, its not all about the bells and whistles that is going to bring you great success


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## nanocube (20 Sep 2013)

There is running T8 lighting or Its just my imagination?

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2


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## GHNelson (20 Sep 2013)

George said
(I'm using 2 x 18w T8 with reflectors from an old Juwel Rio 125. There's a pink and a daylight tube. 7hr photoperiod.)


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## George Farmer (27 Sep 2013)

Hi all,

1 minute HD video.


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## island lad (28 Sep 2013)

Awesome shrimp tank. Love it ! Also george , I have those lights over my Roma 125L. I think they give off a nice natural look but do you agree that they really restrict what plant species you can grow ?


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## sdlra (28 Sep 2013)

awesome


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## Ian Holdich (28 Sep 2013)

Love it mate, I like seeing all shrimp scapes, you see the shrimp acting so differently than when there are fish in the tank. 

You're getting addicted to this videography malarkey! 



Ps nice transitions ; )


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## George Farmer (28 Sep 2013)

island lad said:


> Awesome shrimp tank. Love it ! Also george , I have those lights over my Roma 125L. I think they give off a nice natural look but do you agree that they really restrict what plant species you can grow ?


I think 2x T8 over 125 litres may present some difficulties with more demanding species, but with good CO2 and nutrient management you should succeed with most plants.  Thanks.


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## basil (3 Nov 2013)

What a great thread. Topped off with the HD vid.....really enjoyed that. Your shrimp seem to be doing their mating dance in each clip too, must be happy!


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## NeilW (4 Nov 2013)

Looks excellent George, those shrimp seem happy too. The red really contrasts well with the green and seems like a nice alternative to the usual 'ornamental' fish choices.


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## George Farmer (4 Nov 2013)

Thanks guys.


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## Greenfinger2 (5 Nov 2013)

Hi George, Jaw dropping Aquascape Love the shrimp to


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## Tomfish (5 Nov 2013)

Wow, the tank looks as crisp and clean as ever. I suspect you have a very tidy house as well. What's the tune on the video? It sound like a 'totally enormous extinct dinosaurs' remix


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## George Farmer (5 Nov 2013)

Thanks Tomfish. 

You're correct with the music. It's a Calibre remix. One of my favourite drum n bass producers.


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## steveno (5 Nov 2013)

Hello George,

Lovely scape, shrimp look so health and great video to boot... Wow!


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## Tomfish (6 Nov 2013)

George Farmer said:


> It's a Calibre remix. One of my favourite drum n bass producers.


Calibre yeah, All I remember is, Drop... It... Down! always was a sucker for hooky vocal. I don't really listen to a lot of DnB nowadays (not enough parties). My 3 year old son loves it though, he described it as 'Crocodiles fighting music'.


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## George Farmer (6 Nov 2013)

If you like DnB then check out the new Etherwood album. 

In fact even if you don't like any electronic dance music at all,
you'll probably like it. It goes perfectly with aquascaping.


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## LancsRick (6 Nov 2013)

Brilliant tank George, more than a little frustrated that I can fail to compare by such a large margin even on a low tech!


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## Sweded (22 Jan 2017)

A bit late to the party but what is that moss? Moss ID isn't the easiest thing and I see a few options being possible.


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## George Farmer (23 Jan 2017)

Sweded said:


> A bit late to the party but what is that moss? Moss ID isn't the easiest thing and I see a few options being possible.


I think mini xmas but honestly not sure...


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## Sweded (24 Jan 2017)

Thanks!
Who is the biggest moss expert on this forum to confirm or deny?


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