Rodan76 Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 Maybe i am a worrywart, but i always feel like i don't have alot of biofilm going on in any of my tanks. I am wondering if anyone has anything special they use or do to make sure the biofilm is more than enough for their inhabitants. Normally i dose each tank with bacter ae or bw shield once a week and after any wc's. My lights are timed for about 15 hours everyday. Anyone have any pointers or special recipes for really getting all your surfaces coated up with the good stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r45t4m4n Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 15 hours of light a day? No issues with algae? I dose 3/4 scoop bacter ae every other day and have lights on 8 hours a day and my shrimp ignore any food I add to the tank. Quite a few leaves (IAL,Papaya,Mullberry), alder cones and chola wood. High5's, miwu and EricM 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMG Aquatics Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 If you see shrimp picking on things 24/7, it means you have enough biofilm. 15 hours of light is way too much. I only have my lights on for 8 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodan76 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 15 hours of light a day? No issues with algae? I dose 3/4 scoop bacter ae every other day and have lights on 8 hours a day and my shrimp ignore any food I add to the tank. Quite a few leaves (IAL,Papaya,Mullberry), alder cones and chola wood. yeah i surprisingly don't have any algae problems in any tanks except one where the sun hits it in the afternoon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evabug1 Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I don't know why, but I swear turning the red light on a few hours a day on my finnex helps me grow biofilm. It could be something else though lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 dont mistake biofilm for algae growing on the glass. 2 different things. Ch3fb0yrdee, Rodan76 and FinsNthings 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodan76 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 i hear you, i guess not really seeing it makes me feel like its not there, but they are always picking...i just keep thinking i should see blobs of stuff on everything...what i want to see and what is real may not match up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch3fb0yrdee Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 dont mistake biofilm for algae growing on the glass. 2 different things. Can't agree more with this statement. Bio film doesn't mean algae and algae doesn't mean bio film. My tank has no algae on the surface of my glass but I do have biofilm. Just want folks to know you CAN have a nice shrimp tanks that's not overly infested with algae. But again theres a difference between mass breeding and display shrimp tanks. My shrimp tanks are display tanks so I put more effort into it. There's no negative correlation (from personal observation) that would indicate a clean tank without presence of algae (on surface of glass) would result in less prolific breeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodan76 Posted January 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Right on I am not going for the algae look at all. Just didn't know if I should actually see film on anything Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roborep1 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 What does biofilm look like or do you just know? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ANBU 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 When doing a water change, you'll see a blurriness when looking through the glass. Like looking through clear thin gelatin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chibikaie Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 When doing a water change, you'll see a blurriness when looking through the glass. Like looking through clear thin gelatin.... is that normal for tanks if they do not have anything that would eat it? Do snails eat the same kind of biofilm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 It occurs naturally as well. Yes they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodan76 Posted January 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thanks soothing! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 My tanks have green algae on the sides, when I dose products like Bacter AE it clings to the walls the microorganisms populate the algae then the shrimp pick at the algae. I also use leaf litter, driftwood and alder cones they are great surfaces for growing bio film. I also keep snails in my tanks for the production of infusoria found in there mucus secretions, Because I believe it contributes to bio film development. Rodan76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGardenofEder Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Also the baby shrimp eat the snail slime Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Also the baby shrimp eat the snail slimeThey also pick threw the snail poo for microorganisms. The snail slime contains some really awesome stuff depending on the species of snail they can have multiple glands that secrete different things like, lipids, protein, calcium and glycoproteins. Rodan76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpie Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 What kind of snails do you keep High 5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Ramshorn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 great info! snails are important additions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpie Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 So who has some ramshorn for sale? My last assassin snail died - I had him for almost 4 years - so I am thinking maybe old age? Did not want to get any other snails until I did not have any assassin snails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High5's Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I have lots of them, I could send you some if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtletanks91 Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Bacter ae, and a semi bright light builds best along with time. Time in shrimps is your friend Rodan76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimpie Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Thanks High 5 - I just realized I do have some ramshorn in my tank. I am looking for some other guys as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenteam Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Just don't overdo bacter AE because it can cause nitrate spikes or it did in my tank. Rodan76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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