Jump to content

Pinto - Aquamaxx - Contents from Shrimpspot Members Only


Nikolaus777

Recommended Posts

Hello Everyone

 

I've set up an AquaMaxx 12 gallon long bookshelf tank filled with everything exclusively from Shrimpspot members.

Here is my journal and I will also throw in some tools and tricks that I use in my tanks that I haven't seen on this site.

I love the site and have gotten so much info over the years.  Once some of the big time original posters stopped coming around I decided to quit lurking and join up to spread my two cents here and there.
 

I got the idea after I received the tank as a gift, or I would have gotten an UNS tank from Buceplant, but so is life.

If anyone remembers last year there was a complete drought on Mr Aqua tanks, MD had a sale on tanks so I took the chance on a name that I had never seen.

$89 shipped got me this tank, super deal, so I wasn't expecting much.

As you can see from the pics, the glass in incredibly clear, I was impressed.

 

Also gifted to me was a Finnex 24/7 planted light and I needed to start setting it all up, that's when it hit me that I should make a Shrimpspot exclusive tank.

So first things first I ordered some SL Aqua Nature Soil from Discobee as soon as he had it back in stock.  Best product on the market.  I put a giant scoop of eco complete from an established tank and a HOB from another tank to get the party started.  When cycling a tank I usually only fill it up about 1/4 with water,  just something I have always done after I noticed my nano tanks cycled faster than larger ones.

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

4.1.jpg

5.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet tank, looking forward to seeing the progress as it comes together!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The tank sat in the current state for 2 weeks, with the HOB noise driving my girlfriend
crazy.  So I started shopping for a stand, not and easy or cheap exposition since its a
strange shaped tank  Turns out 36 inch long by 8 inch wide isn't very popular, ha! Caught
a break, someone put a like new glass top computer desk out by the dumpster at my
apartment, so it will work for now.  Anyone know a good stand?

 

Ideas for the layout came from a book I got about 3 years ago, called WildShrimp by Chris
Lukhaup.  Its about a trip to china to see the habitats of wild shrimp.  He talks about
the streams where the shrimp live, and how the enviroments consist of completely leaves,
branches and large river stones, little to no plants or mosses.  This book completely
changed my entire outlook on tanks, scapes, and shrimp altogether, it was like an
epiphany to a reborn shrimper.  Chris Lukhaup in my opinion one of the godfathers. His
writings, photos and products have pushed the hobby to where it is. So if you don't know,
now you know.

 

No driftwood, no Seiryu Stones, no moss trees. Im so tired of seeing these exact same
scapes in aquariums. These layouts are so unoriginal that I want to pull my hair out.
I could tell that creating a good scape that gave the illusion of depth would become
difficult since the width is so small. The flora / fauna were going to be tough because
not many members sell plants. Plus the for sale section on the site has slowed down
dramatically with the auctions completely stopping.

Dazalea came through with some foreground plants and some leaves.  She actually labeled

what each plant was, and that is Amazing.  The plants sit in the tank like 4 little pieces of sushi.
 

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I have come to the conclusion that the Finnex 24/7 should be renamed 24/7 - 365 Algae Pro Deluxe.
With something in the tank now, I was starting to get my ideas together for the scape. Tons of cholla wood on the right and leaves on the left.  

I want to make some sort of wave out of mesh to give the shrimp multiple hiding spots.  Crypts creating a canopy, with some floaters to block the intense light.  

After a few months of waiting I Gave up on members only idea, and hit up the vendors section to look for plants, technically they are members too.  Got a few things from Han, risers to try to dim the light, choice bubbler because of DETA, an assassin, some steel, and some crypts.  The plants looked pretty miserable but I'm confident that I can turn them around.  Got some minerals from buypetshrimp.com and also had some pieces of duckweed in a bag from Plamski last year.

 

Here is a trick that I have done with my last 4 tanks, put plants in glass bowls.  Putting organic potting soil in the bottom and substrate to cap it off then  I use them as feeding dishes about one time a week.   The excess food helps the plants and so does the shrimp poop while they are eating.  It can turn into mold if you don't keep it mixed up.

1.jpg

2.jpg

20170315_180307.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big beautiful cholla wood from http://www.theshrimptank.com/woods-leaves-natural-products/cholla-wood/.  
The 12 inch piece was so huge that I had to soak it in the kitchen, it took 6 days to sink to the bottom.  I cut the large piece in half at 45 degree angles to give it a different look.

 

Wanting a natural scape lead me to one place, Tannin Aquatics.  Scott Fellman hasn't posted at the shrimpspot in a while, but you can read all his writings on their website https://tanninaquatics.com/blogs/news.  He is 100% dedicated to the hobby and seems to push the boundries daily.  
No words can describe opening of the hand crafted package, it felt like Christmas morning.  The thought and care that went into this box is outstanding. Everything labled and sealed, cool packaging and notes.  I can't wait to boil this mess and dump it into my tank.


Running total so far

$89   Tank 
$125 Light 
$0     Stand 
$40   Discobee.com 
$28   Buypetshrimp.com 
$48   Dazalea 
$73   Han  
$36   Theshrimptank.com
$43   Tanninaquatics.com
_____
$482 total so far and still no shrimp

4.jpg

01.jpg

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

My girlfriend went out of town and I accidentally drank too much to post the last 2 weeks, oh boy.

She bought me 2 Azoo Mini filters from Buceplant but Im not sure where to position them yet.

More wood from Theshrimptank.

Finally got some Blue Bolts from Sbarbee54, and acclimated them the same way I always do.  Use a chip

clip and the put a 2oz shot of tank water in the bag about every hour until it starts to get full, usually about 4 hours.

Here is my idea for the mesh "wave" to make hiding spots.  Han's snail came with some Subwassertang so I split it

up to propagate it as fast as possible.  Gluing the leaves bunched them up too much in the curves so Im starting with an arch 

and will bend it later once it has grown out some more.

 

 

Running total so far

$89   Tank 
$125 Light 
$0     Stand 
$40   Discobee.com 
$28   Buypetshrimp.com 
$48   Dazalea 
$73   Han  
$36   Theshrimptank.com
$43   Tanninaquatics.com

$34  Theshrimptank.com

$82  Sbarbee54

$38  Buceplant.com

 

$636

 

 

1.jpg

2.jpg

4.jpg

5.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Finally time to get the botanicals in the tank!  As I was putting them in, the shrimp jumped right on them.

The products from Tannin Aquatics add so much color and diversity to the tank.

 

I'm moving this month, so I have to break down 4 tanks, including this one.  I'm so depressed about the

situation because its so easy to loose some of the shrimp.  Blah.

 

1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

4.jpg

5.jpg

6.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...