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Nano Shrimp Tank

Z

Zoe

Member
Joined
5 Aug 2015
Messages
113
Location
UK
Hello all! It's been a long old time since I've been on this forum! I made the mistake of planting up an ikea vase as a water garden and it only served to relight my desire for a shrimp tank! So I have ordered a tank and away we will go 🙂

I was initially debating low tech but as the tropica nano CO2 should last almost two years per cylinder for the tank I'm getting I thought I would treat myself and go mid-tech 😀
I will only be having cherry shrimp and possibly a couple of snails in this tank
The tools:
Aquael Shrimp Set 10L (comes with filter, heater, light)
Tropica Plant Growth System Nano
Aqua Shrimp Powder
Seiryu Stone

The plants:
Bacop Caroliniana
Java Moss
Phyllanthus fluitans
Eleocharis acicularis Mini

I kept them all 'easy' category except the eleocharis because that's my favourite aquatic plant!

I'm loosely planning a big rock with a couple of small rocks in front layout, I've found these images that are similar to what I'd like:
1719167499952.jpeg
1719167515097.jpeg
This is a UKAPS tank (10l Nano Shrimp Tank DSM)
1719167528414.jpeg

Please share if you have any similar pictures, I would love to see them, I'd also love some recommendations for ferts to use on such a small tank.
Just got to impatiently wait for the tank to arrive!
 
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I really recommend Tropica ferts over TNC. I originally used TNC then made the switch, noticed a really big difference in my plants.
 
Aqua360 said:
I really recommend Tropica ferts over TNC. I originally used TNC then made the switch, noticed a really big difference in my plants.
Click to expand...
That’s the one I had decided on! The tropica is one pump per week for a 10l tank so that should make my life easier, I don’t want to be faffing with pipettes and syringes for tiny measurements if I can help it. Thank you!
 
CO2 arrived today, ordered from acres aquatics as they had it for a great price, first time ordering from them and I’m very pleased with the service, I accidentally selected pick up in store and they called me to check and changed it to delivery with no fuss!

The tank (from proshrimp) and some extra bits (from aquarium gardens) are arriving today, which means I’ll be able to get scaping this weekend!
 
Naturally unpacked everything as soon as I was home from work!

I’ve tried a couple of layouts but not sure I’m entirely happy with either, I think I might need a slightly bigger piece of stone for the main piece

IMG_1388.jpeg
IMG_1390.jpeg

Though in pictures I’m preferring the second one
 
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Popped to the lfs on my way home at lunch today, first piece of stone I saw and picked up was perfect!! Had to do a lot of fiddling to get it positioned correctly but I managed it, now I just have to pray it doesn’t fall over when I pick it up to put it back on the stand!!

IMG_1397.jpeg
 
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Looks good mate. I’d personally be inclined to build more substrate at the back, as high as you can slope it. Flat slate helps to build retaining walls that can be buried in the soil.

Edit: I see from the previous pic that the above won’t work with your filtration and heating.
 
seedoubleyou said:
Looks good mate. I’d personally be inclined to build more substrate at the back, as high as you can slope it. Flat slate helps to build retaining walls that can be buried in the soil.

Edit: I see from the previous pic that the above won’t work with your filtration and heating.
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Yeah unfortunately it wouldn’t work, the temptation to swap for a HOB filter is strong right now, but I’ll see how we get on!
 
Finally got the bubble rate sorted, it's about 2 bubbles per minute (tropica recommends 1 per minute for easy plants in a 10l but that was impossible!) I picked up an anubias bonsai today, I will be attaching it to the rock in several spots. I also ordered an Oase Filtosmart 60, the filter that comes with the tank is small but it takes up so much space, I've got a nice bit of room behind the tank so hopefully it does a good job 🙂

How long do we think I need to run the tank for before I get shrimp?
 
Shrimp really prefer a mature tank so ideally I would wait six weeks or so, but if/when after a couple of weeks you get a diatom outbreak I can see no problem adding 5 approx as long as the ammonia and nitrite levels have reduced to zero. If you are intending to keep a/some snails then it would preferable to add it/them at this point rather than the shrimp. Of course it can be done sooner but it's very small amount water (probably 6 or 7 litres after displacement) and is liable to fluctuations in this early stage so why make life difficult for yourself and risk the shrimps lives. For the next few weeks I would concentrate on getting plant growth and creating a stable system. I see you are injecting CO2, it would be beneficial for you to do daily 50% water changes for a week or two as the plants transition and start growing. Don't forget to carefully drip acclimate your shrimp, they are vulnerable to with sudden changes.
As always though others will offer differing advice but maybe this post will spark a debate.
 
bazz said:
Shrimp really prefer a mature tank so ideally I would wait six weeks or so, but if/when after a couple of weeks you get a diatom outbreak I can see no problem adding 5 approx as long as the ammonia and nitrite levels have reduced to zero. If you are intending to keep a/some snails then it would preferable to add it/them at this point rather than the shrimp. Of course it can be done sooner but it's very small amount water (probably 6 or 7 litres after displacement) and is liable to fluctuations in this early stage so why make life difficult for yourself and risk the shrimps lives. For the next few weeks I would concentrate on getting plant growth and creating a stable system. I see you are injecting CO2, it would be beneficial for you to do daily 50% water changes for a week or two as the plants transition and start growing. Don't forget to carefully drip acclimate your shrimp, they are vulnerable to with sudden changes.
As always though others will offer differing advice but maybe this post will spark a debate.
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Thank you for the very detailed reply, bazz! I am intending to get some snails so I will be sure to get those first and leave the shrimp to last once I am sure it has all settled in
 
New filter came a few days earlier than expected! So got that set up and added in the anubias nana bonsai:

IMG_1420.jpeg
IMG_1421.jpeg

I put one bit on the back face of the rock too!
 
First algae has appeared, bba, mostly on the moss! And I’ve also got some diatoms, so looks like it’s all kicking off. Will up my water changes for the next couple of weeks
 
Any chance of a picture of the BBA. seems rather soon to have developed to me although it's probably not unheard of, did you get it new or was it from someone else's tank?
 
bazz said:
Any chance of a picture of the BBA. seems rather soon to have developed to me although it's probably not unheard of, did you get it new or was it from someone else's tank?
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I didn’t but I’ll try and get a pic later in the week if it comes back.
 
bazz said:
Any chance of a picture of the BBA. seems rather soon to have developed to me although it's probably not unheard of, did you get it new or was it from someone else's tank?
Click to expand...
Got a pic today:
IMG_1479.jpeg
 
I've zoomed in and I personally don't think it's BBA. Difficult to tell for sure from the photo but could be filamentous diatoms mixed with a bit of die off or possibly some form of cyanobacteria. Hopefully someone who has experienced this will chime in and enlighten.
 
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