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Shrimple shrimping


Shrimple minded

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After months of lurking, I've decided to step out of the shadows and attempt to contribute to this fine forum.  I'd like to use this space to document and share my journey into the ever-addicting world of shrimpkeeping.  

 

Before I begin, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to thank everyone for their openness, kindness, and sharing of knowledge.........I quite simply wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you.  

 

Shrimple Minded's 40G TB breeder setup 

  • 40 gallon breeder with 36" Finnex Stingray lighting
  • Eheim 2213 with Seachem Matrix & Eheim media
  • 2 sponge filters - 1 Hydro-Pro III and 1 Como corner filter
  • Hydor inline heating
  • Controsoil black (fine) substrate
  • Mosura Old Sea Mud Powder, Mosura BT-9, Seachem Stability, Prodobio biodigest used per directions
  • Purewaterclub.com RO remineralized with Salty Shrimp GH+

Currently the tank houses the following:

  • Buces - Giant Theia, Apple, Red Sekadu Velvet
  • Mosses - xmas, mini-xmas, triangle, flame, mini-pellia, fissidens, mini-fissidens
  • Teddy bear cholla
  • Black lava rock

-The majority of the shrimpkeeping supplies were sourced from www.theshrimptank.com

-Mosses/buces/other goodies were obtained from www.hanaquatics.com

 

*If anyone has questions about this setup or process, please don't hesitate to ask.  If anyone has guidance or suggestions I'd love to know your thoughts.

 

The tank is currently 8 days into initial cycling and giving the following parameters:  pH 6.8 (Pinpoint, raised with baking soda), TDS 182, GH 6(API), KH 0(API), 80F temp, Ammonia 1.5ppm(API), 0 nits

 

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Great setup! Glad you were able to share this journey with us! Clean and sleek! I have looked at that stand before, did you do anything extra to reinforce the plywood it comes with?

 

Thanks! Can't wait to see updates.

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Thanks everyone for the kind words.  

 

I'm just using the supplied particle board for shelving, the aquarium (as r45t4m4n noted) has nothing underneath and just sits on the lip of the metal stand.  

 

Filter guard from Han is in-hand and ready to go once the real party gets ready to begin :)

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Cycle is ripping along, it's high nitrite time so I'm doing a lot of big water changes.  I'm starting to realize one of the downsides to a 40G tank  :huh:  

 

For anyone curious, nitrites showed up on day 12, with nitrates pretty much the same time.  I'm using Dr. Tim's for ammonia feeding, and have used the following products for beneficial bacteria:

-Mosura BT-9 (days 1,4,7)

-Seachem Stability (first week and some water changes)

-Prodobio Biodigest (1)

-1-time mulm bomb

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I do have a question about (what I think is) Black Brush Algae that has shown up on ONLY my fissidens.  Pictures are below.  Looking back at my original day-8 post I can safely say this was already emerging.

 

I have some theories about why I'm facing this problem, many of which I'm working to address.

  • Photoperiod - was at 12 hours for the first ~12 days.......I was thinking "hey more light more food/biofilm for my new friends".  I've since dropped the photoperiod to 6 hours as a precautionary measure until I have a more stable system and understand this tanks balance.
  • I'm reading that BBA can take hold during periods of fluctuating CO2 levels.......I'm not running CO2 but I am doing a lot of water changes, which could have differing levels of CO2 depending on how much off-gassing has occurred.
  • I lightly (25%) dosed ferts (on day 9), as my original thinking was that I could dose ferts while my tank is free of inhabitants and "jump-start" my moss/buce growth.  In retrospect, because my tank is sparsely planted, this dose was probably still too much.  This shouldn't be much of an issue anymore because of the water changes.  Now that I'm noting the date I dosed in relation to my day-8 pictures, I'm not sure if this is the cause, as the problem already existed.  

I'd love to hear any and all thoughts about why BBA, as well as guidance on how best to treat/resolve this issue.  I see mixed information about peroxide/excel treatment with fissidens......while it looks like either would treat the BBA, I'm unsure how the fissidens would respond.  

 

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This only affects my fissidens, and is pretty much my only issue, aside from some "white stuff" in my flame moss (which is growing far more than all the other mosses), and some slight melting? in my mini-pellia (pic below, flame on the left, mini-pellia on the right)

 

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Excel works really well to kill BBA. Within 24 hours, it will turn pink/purple, then a few days later, it disappears. Excel has been known to melt fissidens as well but I had no problem in my tank.  Try on a small area first

 

If I were you, I'd pull the fissidens screens and drop full strength Excel directly to the BBA. Let it soak for and hour or two, rinse lightly, then put it back.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Update time........checking my calendar, the cycle completed in 22 days.  I've performed several 50+% water changes to flush nitrates, and one 90% water change 5 days ago in preparation for new-arrival shrimp (as well as a 50% water change last night).  Controsoil is keeping pH steady between 6.2 and 6.3 (currently 6.25).  

 

I've had a bout of the green fruit-looking flies, which I battled with 4 pristella tetras.  I've since battened up the hatches on my glass cover, and redirected my eheim outflow for more surface agitation.  As mentioned in a previous post, I've also tried "trapping" the flies with apple-cider vinegar, but so far this has yielded zero results.  I'm pretty sure the flies are no longer an issue, but I'm still open to anyone's ideas if they have a good way to knock them out.

 

I also have some new friends that I believe are nematodes, which I'm hoping aren't an issue, as discussed previously.  I don't have a good way to shoot macro video currently, but once I do I plan to post something so I can have verification.  They don't have pointy heads, and generally just float in the current, occasionally swimming with a "figure-8" movement.  Their numbers dropped significantly when the tetras were in the tank, but once the fish were removed I seem to notice a few more.  The several massive water changes also dropped their numbers but didn't remove them altogether.  I'd also love to hear anyone's input on this topic, please.

 

Now on to the fun part.  :)  Tonight I received some mischlings/bluebolts/shadowpandas from Shrimpscales, who was awesome to do business with, and has great shrimp.  All were drip acclimated over 3 hours, and seem to love the new digs.  None are lethargic, all are milling about, seem to be eating from pretty much everywhere.  The coloration of these shrimp are beyond my expectations.......I was mentally prepared for "shipping stressed" shrimp, these are nothing of the sort.  Great variety of coloration and patternization on the mischlings, and the TBs are just fantastic.  Pictures below:

 

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Beautiful setup.  That is a pretty short cycling time.  I have a 22 gal I will be setting up soon. I have all the goodies for it.  But a recent hip replacement surgery has set me back.  So all I can presently do is look at my empty tank next to my 10 gal already established tank with a few crs and goldens in it.  When I am able to start getting the 22 set up, I would love to do a  quick cycle. Your 40 is beautiful and the shrimp are lovely.

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I have always liked this setup from the beginning! Did you kill all of your BBA, I have a couple remedies when I used to aquascape quite a bit. 22 days is fantastic, shrimp look great, looking forward to many more updates.

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Hey DET, thanks for asking.  So I think I've killed the BBA, however I burned my fissidens pretty badly.  Here's the story:

 

I first tried a Hydrogen Peroxide dip, once at about 50/50 for ~10 seconds, and a second time at probably 75% H202 for 20+ seconds.  With each dip I'm used 3% hydrogen peroxide and rinsed/flushed with RO afterwards before I placing them back in the tank.  Neither dip resulted in red/pink/white or dying BBA.........there was no perceivable effect either time.

 

After doing some research and finding good information on TPT, I moved on to Excel dips to see if that would work any better.  The article I read said to use a 20:1 ratio, so I put 5mL excel and 100mL RO water in a container, and dipped for 30 minutes (the TPT article stated 45 minutes was safe).  The BBA turned pinkish-red within 24 hours, hasn't increased in size, hasn't been "eaten" but then again I just added shrimp last night.   At about the 2-3 day mark I noticed yellowing of the fissidens.  A few days later I treated 2 of my other fissidens pieces, reducing dip time to about 15 minutes.  The reduced dip time still resulted in pinkish-red BBA, and with less yellowing/burning of the moss.  

 

I don't think any of the three pieces is ruined completely, but they aren't lush and green and seem to be trying to recover more than "growing".  At this point I'm thinking about moving them to another tank and replacing them with some new fissidens............I really love the look of fontanus and would like to someday have an overabundance of the stuff.

 

I'll edit in some pictures later tonight, and would definitely love to hear any tips you might have in regards to their current state or how to fight this in the future, should it re-emerge.  BTW, I don't think I have a persistent problem, once I lowered the photoperiod there has been no new BBA and this only affected the fissidens, all other mosses/surfaces were unaffected.

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Good news is that you have no reoccurring BBA. I treated BBA in the past with a syringe and hydrogen peroxide. I would fill syringe with HP, then squirt directly onto BBA within the aquarium. This always seems to turn the BBA to the pinkish dying off color. Either way, give it time the fissidens will bounce back, just a slow grower.

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Thanks Joe. I used two full bags of Controsoil. I could see someone getting away with using less but since this is a rimmed tank I wanted to be able to see at least a thin layer of substrate goodness for the shrimp to pick through.

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  • 1 month later...

This evening I've been watching what was previously a Crystal Black Mischling go through periods of inactivity, some limited twitching episodes, going so far as laying on his sides at times........it doesn't look good.  His seems quite pinkish and the markings that were previously black are notably brown to almost red.  I'd like to know if based on this limited information, someone could give guidance/diagnosis.  

 

Is he by chance recently molted and recovering, or does the above description add up to something worse, possibly infection?

 

All other shrimp are fine and acting normal.  Water parameters all seem good (GH6, KH 0, pH 6.2, Temp 73, ammo 0, NO2 0, NO3 0, TDS 129).  

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