First high tech - Following Tropica app regarding snails and shrimp?

[neofy705]

Hello all,

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I've gone and set up my first high tech tank. It was quite overwhelming researching and purchasing everything but here's my set up:
Tank: Fluval roma 200
Light: Chihiros wrgb2 slim
Filter: Fluval 307 (full of seachem matrix as per Green Aqua)
Wavemaker: Hydor koralia nano 2200lph
CO2: CO2Art Pro-SE with a bazooka diffuser

Tropica plant growth substrate at the bottom
Tropica soil and tropica soil powder at the front
And lots of tropica plants. Both potted and 1-2 grow ones.

I've been following Tropica's app instructions and Green Aqua's and they both suggest that I introduce snails and amano shrimp very early on. Like day 3.

So today I changed 50% of the water and added 2 horned nerites from my other tank. I'm worried though as I've never added fish this early. I used seachem stability to kick start the bacteria growth. Tap water is kh 0-1 and gh3. I add kh up to take kh to 3 as pH would drop to 5.5! Now it's 7.4 before CO2.

Is it ok to do add Algae eaters at day 3? Should I remove the snails? Add more? Add amanos?

Thank you,
Neo

 

[MichaelJ]

Hi @neofy705 Nice looking tank! Personally, I would wait adding any livestock until the tank stabilize and settle in and you start to see some plant growth and you get the filters going with beneficial bacteria... say, a couple of weeks. Just from the perspective of food sources, keep in mind there wont be any algae or biofilm for the snails, shrimps or algae eaters to munch on. They will essentially be starving unless you add algae wafters. I'd say just wait, don't rush it. Also consider this is your first high tech tank. You want to make sure you got the CO2 routine down without jeopardizing livestock.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[PARAGUAY]

I wouldn't add till at least 3 weeks plants settled in and water changes and everything in active growth. Most
were added quickly have used a filter seeded with bacteria. Agree to add algae crew first

 

[neofy705]

I'm so puzzled as to why Tropica and Green Aqua suggest it. They say it's to prevent algae.
I'm not worried about food source tbh as the wood is covered in biofilm (white fuzzy stuff) but more worried about ammonia. I add seachem stability every day to kick start the beneficial bacteria and normally I wouldn't worry but the soil is supposed to be leeching ammonia.
I'll take your advice and remove the snails for now.

P. S. I added a sodastream co2 to my other tank (54L) so I have some experience with co2. U can see in the picture I used sodastream and the aquario diffuser until the FE and co2art regulator arrived.

 

[MichaelJ]

I'm so puzzled as to why Tropica and Green Aqua suggest it. They say it's to prevent algae.

I am not entirely sure why they would. 3 days seems way off to me.

-

tropica.com

They also dont start talking about fertilizer until day 21... allegedly because the plants come with a "lunch-pack" ... not sure what is going on here. I'd say start fertilizer (on day 1) as soon as plants are in!


Cheers,
Michael

 

[neofy705]

So I bought the api master test kit.
Seachem Stability seems to have done the trick.

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 5ppm
Ph: 6.8 after CO2

Kh:4
Gh:4
Tds:130

Driftwood is covered in a thick jelly like biofilm (or fungus?)

The snails that were in there are still alive. I didn't manage to find them and remove them. Tiny snails big tank lots of plants. But I saw them both today munching on the driftwood.

Do u think I should just go ahead and add amano shrimp?


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[tam]

I don't think tropica substrate leaches ammonia, I've used it a few times and never measured any. Usual wisdom would be to let the plants start actively growing then start adding fish. However, that is aimed at fish that poop and get fed and are producing ammonia which needs actively growing plants or filter bacteria to cope with. Thinking logically, I'm struggling to think of actual potential issues?

You've tested and there isn't any ammonia the water quality looks good and I'm presuming you intend to continue water changes so that's unlikely to change at this point as shrimp are a tiny bioload and I'm guessing you plan on them eating what's in the tank rather than adding food (I expect the wood and plants transitioning from emersed to submersed will provide plenty).

Otherwise, in experience - if you haven't high tech'd before then no livestock gives you more scope for fiddling with settings without worrying about occupants.

I wouldn't add fish without a few weeks of growing time and/or transferred media, but I think they may be correct on the shrimp.

 

[neofy705]

I don't think tropica substrate leaches ammonia, I've used it a few times and never measured any. Usual wisdom would be to let the plants start actively growing then start adding fish. However, that is aimed at fish that poop and get fed and are producing ammonia which needs actively growing plants or filter bacteria to cope with. Thinking logically, I'm struggling to think of actual potential issues?

You've tested and there isn't any ammonia the water quality looks good and I'm presuming you intend to continue water changes so that's unlikely to change at this point as shrimp are a tiny bioload and I'm guessing you plan on them eating what's in the tank rather than adding food (I expect the wood and plants transitioning from emersed to submersed will provide plenty).

Otherwise, in experience - if you haven't high tech'd before then no livestock gives you more scope for fiddling with settings without worrying about occupants.

I wouldn't add fish without a few weeks of growing time and/or transferred media, but I think they may be correct on the shrimp.

These are exactly my thoughts. The mopani wood has a crazy amount of biofilm on it. I'm worried it's affecting the attached moss and epiphytes so I need the shrimp/snails to keep it at bay. I hope they actually eat that stuff.
I already have 4 amanos in a smaller tank so I'm tempted to try them out. Wait another week and if all good with parameters and algae is visible i might move some of my otos. Tropica suggests adding algae eating fish on day 10.


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