JLui83 Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 The shrimp bug has definetly hit me. After successfully starting and establishing my 10 gallon Crystal Red shrimp tank. I quickly realized that I want more! So here's my journey/journal of the Taiwan Bee tank. Or more specifically Blue Bolt tank. I don't know why but the lower grade blue bolts look awesome to me with the blue head and white body. Or of course the extreme blue bolts. Tank Size: 10 gallons Substrate: SL Aquasoil Filtration: Dual Sponge Filter rated for 50gal! Whisper tetra air pump rated for 40 gal.(a bit overkill but overfiltration = cleaner water IMO) Heater: Aqueon Pro 100W. (I probably could have went with the 50W easily but the 100W was cheaper.) Lighting: Nicrew 20" LED 11Watts Additions: cholla wood, Alder cones, Indian Almond Leaf Plants: still deciding on which moss to use. Keeping it low tech. I should be getting everything in the next couple of days and plan on seeding the tank with beneficial bacteria from the filter in my CRS tank. I was also thinking of running the dual sponge filter in my current tank and then using that in the new tank. Or would I be ok with just squeezing the existing filter into the new tank? pics to come! ***Side Note... Salty Shrimp gh+ with a TDS 100 = to GH 6 Undershrimp and ImDisclose 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undershrimp Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 Can't wait to see it! I like those low grade blue bolts too. The bicolor definitely does it. Good to see you're giving the SL Aqua a shot! ImDisclose and Shrimporama 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
II Knucklez II Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 Awesome, excited to see how it comes out. I want to start another tank on my shrimp rack with blue bolts as well. Just have to a good source of USA breed extreme blue bolts.Sent from my SM-G930T1 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techsmith Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 @ II Knucklez II check with@Plamski when your ready for some blue blots.Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk II Knucklez II 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illest_to_fly Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 The shrimp bug has definetly hit me. After successfully starting and establishing my 10 gallon Crystal Red shrimp tank. I quickly realized that I want more! So here's my journey/journal of the Taiwan Bee tank. Or more specifically Blue Bolt tank. I don't know why but the lower grade blue bolts look awesome to me with the blue head and white body. Or of course the extreme blue bolts. Tank Size: 10 gallons Substrate: SL Aquasoil Filtration: Dual Sponge Filter rated for 50gal! Whisper tetra air pump rated for 40 gal.(a bit overkill but overfiltration = cleaner water IMO) Heater: Aqueon Pro 100W. (I probably could have went with the 50W easily but the 100W was cheaper.) Lighting: Nicrew 20" LED 11Watts Additions: cholla wood, Alder cones, Indian Almond Leaf Plants: still deciding on which moss to use. Keeping it low tech. I should be getting everything in the next couple of days and plan on seeding the tank with beneficial bacteria from the filter in my CRS tank. I was also thinking of running the dual sponge filter in my current tank and then using that in the new tank. Or would I be ok with just squeezing the existing filter into the new tank? pics to come! DO NOT SQUEEZE THE FILTER INTO THE TANK BECAUSE YOULL GET A HUGGGGEEE SPIKE Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ImDisclose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted April 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 3 hours ago, illest_to_fly said: DO NOT SQUEEZE THE FILTER INTO THE TANK BECAUSE YOULL GET A HUGGGGEEE SPIKE Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk What do you recommend then? illest_to_fly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illest_to_fly Posted April 30, 2017 Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 What do you recommend then?I always take a little bit of substrate from other aquariums , if you don't have any to spare I would go with just using the sponge fliter in the tank for a week to get it kicked in . Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk JLui83 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plamski Posted April 30, 2017 Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 11 hours ago, techsmith said: @ II Knucklez II check with@Plamski when your ready for some blue blots. Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk Thanks for recommendation,Highly appreciate it. II Knucklez II 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted April 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 Some of my equipment arrived. The Nicrew LED light is awesome. I"m really digging the nice bright LED lights and the inexpensive cost that came with it! So far I really like it. Still waiting for my sponge filter and substrate. Both should be arriving tomorrow. Can't wait to fill this bad boy up and start the cycle process! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 Painted the back of the tank with some Plasti dip that i had left laying around. Started the tank today May 1, 2017 With my order of SL-Aqua soil i was given a little sample of SL-Aqua Milione. I added it all on top of the SL-Aqua soil. Filled the tank up with RODI water and remineralized it with salty shrimp gh+. Not sure if Added just a tad bit to much but it raised the gh a little much. I also added Tetra Safestart. I wonder of this bumped the gh up a little. TDS is at 140 Gh 7 Kh 0-1 Ph is around 6.4 Temp set at 75*F -Added the whole bottle of tetra safestart which was for a 20 gal tank. -Added 3 pieces of cholla wood -Not of fan of the tannins so im soaking an Indian Almond Leaf and a handful of Alder cones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dluxeshrimps Posted May 1, 2017 Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 Looks great, now get some subwassertang right in the middle to grow out like a green ball of beauty. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 Yup! I have some subwassertang tied to a filter in my current tank that i will be moving into this one. Along with 2 big Marimo Balls. Dluxeshrimps 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy6107 Posted May 1, 2017 Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 cholla wood stairway. Shrimporama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2017 -Added some Beneficial Bacteria from another tank's filter -Added 3 ml of Pure Ammonia.... should get me to 2ppm Ammonia The concentration is pretty low on this Ammonia. Tank cleared up real quick! Probably from me over filtering the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2017 -Ammonia is around 2ppm im really liking the double sponge filter more than the hydro single spong filters. Makes the tank feel like it has more room in there since the sponges are up against the glass. I may switch over my other tank with a double one too. Aqueon Pro heater is also a nice addition being all black, it blends in nicely with he painted black background. I probably didnt need to put a heater in there but at least it give me a consistent temp rather than rely on the room temp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy6107 Posted May 2, 2017 Report Share Posted May 2, 2017 I used to use those Hydro sponges too. and loved them. But now I use the double sponge filters that suction to the glass as well and I like them better as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 Friday May 5, 2017 -Tested Ammonia still around 1-2ppm -I've been keeping the lights on on 24/7 hoping to hurry up and bloom some biofilm and algae. -Temps have been raised to around 78*F I'll check Ammonia again probably sometime next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy6107 Posted May 6, 2017 Report Share Posted May 6, 2017 the biofilm will form. be careful trying to bloom algae. You may end up with too much of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 Tested Ammonia today May 8, 2017 -Ammonia still around 1-2ppm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2017 Day 12 May 12, 2017 -Ammonia still reading steady at 1ppm-2ppm no change. -Nitrite = 0ppm -Nitrate = 5ppm-10ppm Doesn't look like theres much cycling going on here. My last tank i used bio spira and tetra safestart for my bacteria..... This tank is only tetra safestart. I dont think my seeded filter gunk was enough to do anything. I might go spring for some bio spira again or just wait it out. I'll try squeezing some more of the filter media into this tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy6107 Posted May 12, 2017 Report Share Posted May 12, 2017 what is the current ph? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2017 current PH is looking around 6.0. maybe 6.2 EricM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2017 Day 15 -Added a little bit less than a spoon full of Mosura BT-9. Should boost the beneficial bacteria and aid in cycling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2017 Day 17 Added second dose of Mosura BT-9 per the instructions. a little less than a spoon full. There is a TON of biofilm built up in the tank now. Added 2 Marimo Balls from my other tank and some subwassertang and a couple of frogbit floaters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLui83 Posted May 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2017 Day 21 Dosed Mosura BT-9 *EDIT* Checked parameters tonight. Looks like the cycle is moving!! Ammonia = .25ppm - .50ppm Nitrite = Really high. Very purple. maybe 5.0ppm Nitrate = Around 20ppm My previous tank during cycling, I did not show any Nitrite at all during the whole cycle (probably because whatever beneficial bacteria i had converted it right away. I'll check in a few days to see if the Nitrite goes back down to 0ppm. If it does then I"ll add a little bit of ammonia to make sure the cycle is strong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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