Koopas Kingdom

[Gill]

So I Set the tartarium up and scaped it etc. And once done, I had a change of heart and decided to get some Musk Turtles instead.
I will set up the BW/SW tank another day.
Tank: Ciano Tartarium 40 - Did not use the Dock, just the white bracket to rest the light unit on.

Lighting: Fluval 2 sky - Have ordered a UVB basking lamp for them.
Heating: Hydor Nano heater
Filtration: Nano internal 250lph & Superfish Biorb Style filter for up to 60l.
Substrate: Unipac black sand
Hardscape: Red/Black Lava rock stacked around the air driven filter.
Planting: Anubias, Buce, Bolbitis, pennywort and Salvinia as floating (need to add this). Will be adding some more plants soon
Inhabitants: Koopa n Troopa - Musk Turtles 50pence size so lots of growing to do, and can upgrade as and when needed as there are 3 more sizes of the tartarium. Lots of cherry shrimp and loads pest and ramshorn snails for them to predate upon which they were doing within minutes of going in.
I have a tub in the garden for breeding snails and shrimp, But feel free to send me your pest snails.

They are so cute and a joy to watch climbing about the scape. Will be interesting keeping these again. last time my Son insisted on having them with fancy goldfish, which ended of which the slower ones were eaten.

 

[Gill]

Ok, so they are still hunting snails and digging in the substrate looking for them. So they must have been hungry.
Such little Characters already

 

[Gill]

Been watching them for a bit today. And they are great Recyclers, they eat the shrimp molts. today they have been taking mealworms, after they have softened in the water for a while.
Keep trying to catch them yawning, but have missed it so far, they look so cute.

I have removed the Air filter, did not like it how much evaporation it was casuing, and have ordered a HOB to replace it with. Also alot of Christmas Moss to cover the exposed Lava Rock formations.

 

[tam]

They are adorable! How big do they get?

 

[Gill]

They are adorable! How big do they get?

They really are adorable aren't they. They max out at about 4inches. So stay small.
They are leaving the shrimp alone as too fast for them. As they are not great at connecting the strike. Which is also funny to watch. So snails are easy pickings as they are so slow.

Will get them some mini crickets to try one day, As they like those aswell.

The dog 🐕 is fascinated by them and will sit and watch them clambering about.

 

[Gill]

So I fixed the issue with the splatter from the air stone. Stroke of genius on my part, Used the lid from a Slushie and it now contained all the splatter from the bubbles and you don't really notice it much.
Also went to Deans on the way home from town, and got some dithers - Purple/Blue Kerri tetras still small so will colour up in a few weeks time. And Only 6for£5 bargain.