Pokeshrimp Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 I don't have any more room for any big tanks but i think i can sneak a couple of 2.5 gallons around the house. Would these be ok for breeding shrimp? I was gonna probably use them for cards since it'll take them longer to over populate the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 I read once about a member keeping a neo in a champagne cup. LOL So yeah, it's doable. The thing you have to keep on top of is water params. If anything goes wrong it will go wrong fast, but keep on it and you should be fine. svetilda, Wygglz and Pokeshrimp 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimp Life Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 I had a bunch of orange sakuras breeding in a 2.5 gallon like crazy. I just topped the water off and they did really well. It was one of the most effortless breeding tanks ever... Think it would be fine for hardy neos like orange or cherry , will be more risky for the caridinas... Soothing Shrimp and Pokeshrimp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokeshrimp Posted March 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Yea that makes sense. Less water volume less room for error. Welp guess I'll be getting more neos soon. Wygglz and Soothing Shrimp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt.dru Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 You should be ok. Im breeding my BV's in a 3 gallon and they are doing fine. Just doing water changes once every 2 weeks. Neo's are pretty hardy. Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk Wygglz and Soothing Shrimp 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellcr Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 I use 2.5's for temporary housing (knowing full well it might be for longer than I like), very small colonies, and projects/experiments. A year ago I didn't use a tank less than 10g. I have about 20 2.5s going now based on a big expansion. My experience with them so far is like most people say - things can change quickly. The real truth of the matter is that 2.5s are just like any other tank - you need to understand effect of the biomass and volume and couple that with filtration and water quality management... Some mistakes that I have made with my 2.5s have been with tannin leaching driftwood and leaves. I will no longer use driftwood in them unless the wood is 'done' leaching. I don't know if wood ever really does stop leaching tannins, but color in the water for a 2.5 makes me nervous now. I also started pre soaking my leaves in a plastic shoebox. I soak them for at least a week before I use them in a 2.5 and I generally use smaller pieces of leaves instead of an entire leaf. I cut the leaves into pieces about the size of credit cards and use one or two pieces in a 2.5. One last comment about the smaller tanks. I won't use the nano filters any more. I like the small double sponge that is popular in threads here. It seems like overkill for a 2.5, but I'm done with the nano sponge filters... Regards, Chris Soothing Shrimp, Ianhamm, brocknorman and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Good info, Chris! newellcr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jem_xxiii Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thats some real good insight right there. Always wondered about making a mini rack with 2.5s Shrimp Life 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimp Life Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 6 minutes ago, jem_xxiii said: Thats some real good insight right there. Always wondered about making a mini rack with 2.5s Agreed! It would be cool to see how others have their 2.5's set up. Especially a 2.5 Mini Rack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt.dru Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Not a 2.5, but here is my 3 gal setup with a Finnex Planted+ Clip light, 50 watt heater and an Azoo 10 gal sponge filter. Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk lizam, Soothing Shrimp and brocknorman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellcr Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 I wasn't trying to keep the rack efficient wrt the 2.5s. I added this chrome rack late last fall. With the duct work in the way, I simply set the rack up to handle 10g tanks and put in 2.5's instead. The thought was that I may not like the 2.5's and want to replace them with 10g's. There really wasn't space for a 3rd tier of 2.5's so this worked out well. A lot of fish keepers don't like using 2.5's mostly because of the whole 'they go badly quickly' thing and setting the rack up for 10g's just made sense. My racks are all set up with water, overflow, central air, and DIY LED lighting. The 2.5's get the same percentage and timing of water changes so I have yet to really encounter the overloading of biomass problem. I can see how it would be easy to procrastinate doing hand maintenance on these smaller tanks. Regards, Chris jem_xxiii, Soothing Shrimp, waterbear and 9 others 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jem_xxiii Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 What the... Looks great! && i am super jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellcr Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks. You've never been in a basement with over 100 tanks? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrimp Life Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 I love the setup with all the small tanks. Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShrimpP Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Very nice! I have that same rack, good to see they can hold all that weight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellcr Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks Dazalea. ShrimpP, these are the Costco racks and are rated at 800 lbs per shelf. There is a label on each shelf. I have seen some other racks that look like this but they don't have the center reinforcing bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaj Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 15 hours ago, newellcr said: I wasn't trying to keep the rack efficient wrt the 2.5s. I added this chrome rack late last fall. With the duct work in the way, I simply set the rack up to handle 10g tanks and put in 2.5's instead. The thought was that I may not like the 2.5's and want to replace them with 10g's. There really wasn't space for a 3rd tier of 2.5's so this worked out well. A lot of fish keepers don't like using 2.5's mostly because of the whole 'they go badly quickly' thing and setting the rack up for 10g's just made sense. My racks are all set up with water, overflow, central air, and DIY LED lighting. The 2.5's get the same percentage and timing of water changes so I have yet to really encounter the overloading of biomass problem. I can see how it would be easy to procrastinate doing hand maintenance on these smaller tanks. Regards, Chris Very nice setup you have there. I have a similar shelf that I would like to use for 5.5 gallon tanks. What are you lining the shelves with? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellcr Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Thanks Seaj. The material I use is a hard wallboard insulation. It is foam, but very hard and rigid. Lowes carries it in 4x8 foot sheets. You can cut it easily with a razor knife. The 10g's have a 2 inch strip along the front and rear of the shelf and the 2.5's have a full shelf cover. I went for the full shelf piece with the 2.5s for two reasons - there is a lot of space in front and back of the 2.5g and I can replace 2.5s with a 5.5 or 10g without fussing with a new foam strip. Having the full shelf piece lets me set stuff on the shelf easily. With just the wire rack, it is hard to get a flashlight to stand up and airstones fall thru, etc. Regards, Chris seaj, ShrimpP and Soothing Shrimp 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokeshrimp Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Great looking setup! Are the 2.5 used for mainly breeding projects or do they permanently house shrimp, if so how much do you usually keep in there before moving some out? Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShrimpP Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 3 hours ago, newellcr said: The 10g's have a 2 inch strip along the front and rear of the shelf and the 2.5's have a full shelf cover. Yea, I got the rack from Costco (don't have the one with wheels). I see the rated weight limits, but always sketched out on trying it haha. Do the 10 gallons over hang the shelf? Could you get a picture of the 2 inch strip you are talking about placing? What's the purpose? Is it just to give a better/flatter supporting edge or to better/evenly support the front and rear of the glass that may be overhanging? Do you notice less breeding success in the 2.5's due to the smaller water volume being less stable toward temperature and water parameter concentration fluctuations (TDS, etc)? Some even say, just the sheer lack of room that shrimp may breed less. Just curious to hear your experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaj Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Chris, Do you think R-Tech from Home Depot is comparable to what you use? The wire shelf I have from Lowes is only rated for 350 pounds, and the two tanks I have on it are causing the shelves to bow in the center. I only plan on getting three more 5 gallon tanks, so I think the shelf will be fine until I get another one, but I want something underneath the tanks to better distribute the weight. What thickness would you recommend? Also, what lights are you using? They are much sleeker than the LED shoplights I'm using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. F Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Currently running 2x 2.5g and 2x 3g for cherries, crystals, blue rilis, and orange Sakura, respectively. As everyone said, water checks and changes regularly are the key to success with small tanks. Also a longer-than-average cycle helps! Honestly the hardest part for me was finding heaters that don't cook your shrimp. cobalt 5W work nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josu2 Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 I have a couple 5g running, haven't gone the 2.5g route just yet. I do have a 1g cull grow out jarrarium, though. The main thing is that for all the tanks I invest in livestock-wise, I have imposed on myself the requirement to aquascape and make it beautiful, to the extent that I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellcr Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 I started to chime back in last night and wanted to spend more time with my reply. Mr.F touched on some of what I wanted to say. Bigger tanks are more forgiving for minor errors. A lot of shrimp keeping information on the web stress the 'need' for bigger tanks even though the shrimp are small. That is a safe piece of advice, but it isn't an accurate piece of advice. 2.5's work in a limited way, but I wouldn't (and didn't) start with these smaller tanks. Become a good hobbyist and a good shrimp keeper. My experience goes way back with multiple community tanks of fish, then I breed a few Bettas, then I somewhat systematically added tanks based on my interests. What I didn't realize until about a year ago, is that shrimp are attracting a lot of new people that don't have a lot of experience with keeping a balanced aquarium. Now, I am not evaluating/judging anyone's experience, but I think it is important to frame this the right way so anyone who comes across this thread understands 2.5's come with some risk. Soothing Shrimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newellcr Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 ShrimpP, you have the right of it. The foam eliminates the point load of the metal frame lip on the 10g plastic frame and yes, the 10g's overhang front and back. I think I have a pic posted and will look for it. I didn't notice any behavior differences and the neos and cards that I have kept in 2.5s grew out just fine. When I found shrimplets, I moved the entire group into a larger tank. You asked about parameters. I like to keep hornwort in with my shrimp. It adds a new exploring/feeding area in the top of the water column. I have found that hornwort can remove a lot of hardness as it grows. My water comes out of the tap at around 100-110 and is pretty consistent. Routinely, I will find tanks with the hornwort growing like crazy and the tds pen shows a hardness of 55-60. I've been meaning to look at this more closely, but it didn't take me long to figure it out when I got a tds pen and went from tank to tank. This was less noticeable with the 10g's but was very easy to see with the 2.5's. phreeflow 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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