Update on Mr Aqua 12 Gallon Low Iron Glass Tank

[Doc4PC2]

The TB's have been in this tank for almost two months now and are doing great. Plus there is a lot of fry in the tank now too and quite a few berried shrimp. So far, so good on the tank. No deaths, and they really like the walkways, all of the Malaysia Drift wood stacked in a pile, and the HMF sponge filter. Keeping the leafs in the large container really helps and they clean it all up.

I added a LowKeys Absorption Board to the tank, and I put in one new Bio Digest, one new Cappa Bark, and one new Max Breed BioBall on the first of each month.

I made a vacuum cleaner that is smaller so I can get into the nooks and crannies easily and suck up anything that needs cleaning. I change about 15 to 25% of the water every two weeks and the water parameters have been staying steady and stable.

TDS - 150
PH - 6.4
Temp - 72 to 72.5
GH - 6
KH - 0

Water has been staying crystal clear. The light is on a timer and I use daylights for 8 hours now, blue night lights for 6 hours, and off for 10 at night. There is some natural light to the far right of the tank in the morning, but no direct sunlight hits the tank from any side.

I have been feeding a lot of different food. They are eating really well. They love Mulberry leaves, (their favorite), Bee Pollen, Bacter AE, several different kinds of powder food, organic spinach, stinging needle leaves, Indian Almond leaves, Fallen Oak leaves, dried organic Mulberry branches that are in small pieces that are used for making mulberry tea. Banana sprig, Alder cones, and then the dish of different plants, and xmas moss.

They love the long bamboo walkway that goes the length of the entire tank and the stone walkway, and hanging out in the stack of Malaysia Drift wood by the HFM Filter.
They also love the Cholla Wood and seem to clean up the bare bottom tank with the otos. No algae or other issues so far, and I can easily take anything out and clean it when I am changing the water.

I may try the new premium shrimp soil in the substrate containers that will be better for them and take out the inert substrate.

So that is the update on my Mr Aqua 12 Gallon Low Iron Glass Tank that was setup for the TB's and to make life easier on me to take care of.

I don't like the tank mat, and next time would not use it. If you get water from spillage, the tank mat soaks it up, and then you are not sure if you have a leak or if it is the tank mat, but once you dry it all up all around the tank and check, you discover that it is the tank mat that soaks up any water and sits under the tank, so next time, I would be inclined to go without the tank mat.

The Penn Plax Cascade 500 Canister Filter is doing an excellent job and is easy to take care of. Combined with the three Tom's mini canisters, three air sponges, and the large HMF Filter with a Tom's mini canister behind the HMF filter, and the four air stones and bubble wand, the tank is staying clean and healthy so far. I will give you an update at about four to six months, then I will see if this setup will really be the way I wanted it. Plus, I have the emergency 10 gallon tank beside it, with pretty much the same water parameters, just incase anything should happen, then I have a tank to put the shrimp right into for emergency.

I appreciate any tips, comments, suggestions, help, and your opinions.

Thanks, Doc

 

 

 

 

[Soothing Shrimp]

Wow.  That's an awful lot of filtration.

[Ch3fb0yrdee]

Great tank. Strangely I'm having difficulties viewing the pictures.

[Doc4PC2]

Great tank. Strangely I'm having difficulties viewing the pictures.

Strange, that u can't see them very well, but there are more photos are in my gallery too, and with the journal. Just click to my gallery to see all of the photos and other information on this tank.

[Doc4PC2]

I was always told, you can have never have enough filtration, and that there is no such a thing as too much filtration.

But so far, it seem to be great, even with the over kill on the filtration.

 

The Penn Plax Cascade 500 for a Mr Aqua 12 gallon tank all by itself should be more than enough. Combined with

the HMF is plenty. I could probably take out the others no problem, but so far it all seems to be working great, but

we will see as I get to the 6 month mark and so on to be sure that it is still all working out the way I want.

 

I think I am going to switch out the inert substrate in the substrate containers and go with the new Marfied Controsoil

for shrimp. So both substrate containers will have the Marfied Controsoil, and the plants will still have the Fluval

Shrimp Stratum and some inert substrate on the top.

Marfied Controsoil 10L

[eozen81]

Wow very interesting layout friend also very attractive to sit and watch. Congrats. May I ask how you give Mulberry leaves them, you pick them in autumn and give as dry like Indian Almond leaves? I had read lots types of leaves but I believe this is my first time seeing Mulberry leaves.

[Soothing Shrimp]

Mulberry in the states here are pretty popular as a shrimp food.  My shrimp tear into them as soon as placed in the tank.  I've done dried and fresh.  Dried almost always gets attacked first, but fresh may sit for a little bit and then shrimp attack it.

 

Either way, an awesome food.

[Merth]

Can they be frozen? or better to dry?

[Soothing Shrimp]

Frozen is fine.  It breaks down the cell walls as well, and kills some ickies that may be on it, so it's an added plus.

 

Some people even blanch it.

[Doc4PC2]

I use the Tantora vacuum sealed leaves, boil them in RO water for 5 minutes and put it in the leaf container. It is their favorite food by far. The shrimp love the mulberry leafs. One large leaf is usually gone within a day. But there is no doubt it is their favorite food.

[High5's]

Innovative set up Doc, be carful the new fluval shrimp/plant stratum dose leach ammonia when new.