MABJ Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Hey guys, I figured I'd try out my journal here for the last tank I have standing that I still really love. This started as an idea for a tank that would be 100% ADA products, it would be perfect. Well it didn't turn out that way. I will someday do an ADA tank, but I am a college student, to which every dollar is precious. I learned about some high quality tanks from AquaTop, and I found the identical size to the Mini S and I went from there. The AquaTop tank is beautiful. I really enjoy it, and other than a few finesse things, it was really on par with ADA glass I've seen. It was like $25 with free shipping. The filter is my favorite nano filter, the ZooMed 501. Really nice flow, and really well priced. I believe they were $30 shipped on Amazon when I got them. Substrate is Fluorite Dark, as I was looking for something inert to keep neos. I set the tank up super fast, and I probably cut some devastating corners. I seeded it from other filters, and I've never really gotten ammonia reading, and I've always had a touch of Nitrates, so I suppose it was Ok. My original intent was to fill this with Blue Diamonds. I ordered six from Nick on TPT, and I was in love. They were so beautiful! They didn't make it. Likely due to the aquarium being so new, perhaps some to age. I have one beautiful shrimp left, but was looking to take one last shot at shrimp (I tend to only do 1-2 species at a time) before I give up on shrimping in a dorm room. I'll be moving to an apartment in a matter of months, so maybe then I'll expand my operations. I recently did a ton of trimming, replanting and added a few species, so it looks different. I snagged the juvenile tigers off Will. They're beauts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted December 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 One jumped ship, but they've stopped aimlessly swimming. I want to think the jumping ship was an accident.. He probably just got up on the filter tube, got scared and did that jumping backwards thing, but jumped out :/. I'm just sad I didn't get to him in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Sorry to hear that dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OblongShrimp Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Nice tank! Sorry to hear about the jumper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted December 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Thanks guys. I hope it was isolated. Any commentary on what the shrimp were doing swimming up and slowly swimming down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Molting dance perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted December 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 I hope that's it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Fingers crossed for ya, buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted December 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Thanks bruh. Like I said. My last shot at shrimp until I'm out of college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted December 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Found another dried up jumper this morning. Ok guys. Preventative measures. What can I do? Do I move the filter outflow down so they can't climb it any longer? Decrease the water level? I'm grasping at straws because the parameters are fine, and none of them are acting up any longer. It was just that acclimation period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Two things strike me right off- cover for the tank and/or lower the water a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenBliss Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Agree with Soothing. I haven't had jumpers yet. I keep lids on all tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted December 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2013 I've lowered the water level and the spray bar. We'll see if we get any more. Update; winter break is upon me and I moved my tank to my dorm. One of the crypts died in the transport and replanting. The Monte Carlo got completely uprooted, and the water was cloudy about 70% visibility when I finished monkeying around in there. I added some paraguard for good measure. Crossing my fingers I get no bacterial infections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted June 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Long time no talk! I can get some pictures in here, but not much has changed. All my guys and girls are still alive, but they haven't been breeding. I was hoping someone might help me work out how to get that to happen. They seem to be doing quite well in my opinion, though. Now.. One more thing I do have to inquire about is snails have a hard time living in this tank for some reason. They get pits in their shells and eventually die. The GH is 8, the KH is like 5 (I'll need to retest the KH, but it's no more than 8 as well) The TDS is 200. I suppose I don't understand, and I hope them not having enough calcium isn't why the shrimp aren't breeding. Well thanks for checking in guys, I hope to get you some pictures soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Low ph will pit shells. Too acidic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted June 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 Low ph will pit shells. Too acidic. So no snails in a low PH tank? Should I just remove them all? I love the little boogers. I'll check the PH for you. I had it a few months ago but would like to be sure before posting it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 You say you like snails. You can still keep them in there with the pitting, however have you thought about an all snail tank? That way you can control their params to suit them better? The best looking ramshorn snails I've seen have been in params similar to mystery snails: ph 7.8, gh 8, temp 76F They attack spinach and cuttlebone is great for them. Some people even use crushed coral as substrate (however ph above 8 seems to erode shells, too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted June 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 That's a fantastic idea. I'll work on it. Do you know of anybody that has a good strain of blue Ramshorns? I'm afraid my 2 year old strain of tiger Ramshorns is getting a bit stressed out, and I've always wanted the blue strain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 I have some, but since I haven't bred these for a strain, I don't know if they'll throw other colors too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted June 2, 2014 Report Share Posted June 2, 2014 Love the moss bridge, they probably love that. Pika 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted June 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 Love the moss bridge, they probably love that. Thank you! They do love it, and it gives them a great space to hide and hang out since most of the tank is open, minus the sides where I hope the crypts eventually fill in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted June 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 I actually have a good bit of news today. One of my females molted and for the first time on any of the 8 shrimp in there - I see a saddle! I take it to mean they're doing okay . You can't really see the saddle in this picture (or maybe some of you can). It's hidden by a thick part of her shell with markings on it, but it's there! Here's another image. Full tank shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted August 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 BOOOOOOOOOOOM. PREGNANT SHRIMP. I'm so happy I can't contain it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MABJ Posted August 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 metageologist 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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