Help Me For The Switchover Lol

[lilacamy931]

Right so I have the largest tank to date I would have owned coming hopefully during this week a 5ft in the region 354 litres. I have tanks to shuffle around but need some help with switch over..
Currently have in the following tanks:
14g - empty but heater and filter ready to apply if necessary
17g - with 12 cories
96 litre - with 2 female irrubescos
160 litre - 9 neon tetras, 2 male irrubescos.

The 96 litre is good to hold those fish but the160 litre I need to distribute elsewhere so that I can move it and get the bigger tank in its place. Would the 2 male irrubescos be ok in the 96 litre? Im worried about the 2 males being in a smallish cube shape and also the fact I havent introduced the females to the males before this point. Perhaps putting one male in there and the other in with the cories might be ok as an overnight thing in preparation for the new tank, so can drain and already move the 160 litre.

The next plan then would be to use some of the established tank water but mostly new water and reacclimatise all fish slowly back into the larger tank. The mature filters will be ready in place so may only end up with a mini cycle. Am I batty with my thoughts? There is an inkling the tank may be popped round Wednesday so the floor space and tanks would be emptied the Tuesday once confirmation received.

Ok the next question would be I have 4-5 cherry shrimp and I have had them a while. I would like to look into giving them their own small species tank to try and get them to breed. How big a tank and what sort of conditions to get them breeding? Have a choice of 3-4g, 14g, 17g and 96 litre or can always source a better sized tank. Are heaters and filters essential for shrimp only? Also what plantation is best?

Thanks for any help peeps!

 

[ellena]

I'm no expert on the puffers, but I'd say you need to choose their temporary home on the basis of their likely aggression. 96l the most risky, followed by 17gall, followed by risk free 14gall. I'd be tempted to go with that last option just 'cos you can do without any added stress of fish ripping each other to shreds while you're trying to set up a new tank.
Are you moving all your media from each tank's filter into a new filter?

 

[lilacamy931]

Hey ellena thanks for that, I think the two males separated is probably going to be best option. I currently have.. at least 6 filter with very mature media to ram in as convenient! When the tank is first set up there will be 4 puffers, 9 neons and some cories to try so relatively low bioload in the water quantity.

Edit: p.s. sorry to sound so ditzy with all this, it must be the excitement

 

[ellena]

Are those puffers OK for cummunity setups then? They look great!
With a massive tank like that, you have so many options-any thoughts on future stocking?

 

[lilacamy931]

With any puffers it is touch and go whether they will be ok with other fish or not, irrubescos are one of the good options to try and I have not lost a single neon to them and it has been a month at least now. The females didnt even touch shrimp (typical as now I have pet shrimp ). My thoughts was to have about 6-8 irrubescos and then 6 south american puffers, neons tetras and possibly a large shoal of tetras to help bring the puffs out more and settle them in more naturally. I absolutely love puffs and so this tank is around their needs with other fish trying to see how they fit in x Thanks for the help hon x

 

[mattlee]

the 17G will be fine for a shrimp tank

cherry shrimp love java moss or any moss to be honest, heater is required as is a filter but i would use a sponge filter as these wont suck up the smaller/baby shrimp. also they prefer quite still waters and a sponge filter provides this, they will also feed from the residue on the filter.

try the temp about 24-26 oC mine breed at this

 

[lilacamy931]

Alex has actually agreed for me to use his nice cube tank which seems a neater idea.

As to the filter, I cant stand sponge filters! Simply as which ever pump I have used makes it far too noisy (I know Im being awkward..) I have got mini elite filter which unsure if would cover bioload? Or have a HOB filter that I could cover the intake with stocking and has realtively gentle flow? Heating is not a problem

So could do a play sand base with all the java moss I have (which is a fair amount me thinks can always add) and also thinking a couple of low lighting live plants, as didnt particualrly want lighting on this tank (it would have a good amount of natural lighting which would be good for algae).

Thanks for the specifics mattlee Hope the above sounds better??

 

[mattlee]

Alex has actually agreed for me to use his nice cube tank which seems a neater idea.

As to the filter, I cant stand sponge filters! Simply as which ever pump I have used makes it far too noisy (I know Im being awkward..) I have got mini elite filter which unsure if would cover bioload? Or have a HOB filter that I could cover the intake with stocking and has realtively gentle flow? Heating is not a problem

So could do a play sand base with all the java moss I have (which is a fair amount me thinks can always add) and also thinking a couple of low lighting live plants, as didnt particualrly want lighting on this tank (it would have a good amount of natural lighting which would be good for algae).

Thanks for the specifics mattlee Hope the above sounds better??

sounds ideal amy although im not sure how the plants would cope with only sunlight.... but im new to plants myself so might be worth asking in the planted section!

 

[lilacamy931]

Thanks again hon, I have been told that the darker the plant the less light it needs but that is all I know I may be able to rig up a clip on from current lighting have, I think watch this space

 

[lilacamy931]

Another idiotic line of questions, someone has just wonderfully given me a load of ramshorn snails, they have been put in a quick tank no heater but filter. Could they go in with the shrimps in same tank? Would there be problems?

 

[mattlee]

Another idiotic line of questions, someone has just wonderfully given me a load of ramshorn snails, they have been put in a quick tank no heater but filter. Could they go in with the shrimps in same tank? Would there be problems?

in my experience snails and shrimp live together in peace but beware ramshorn snails can breed like mad if fed enough.......

 

[lilacamy931]

thanks again mattlee I have about 20-30 ramshorn and 4-5 shrimp so will put them all intogether in the cube tank with heater etc and go for it with live plants. They can breed like mad for the puffers which shall be their doom mwah hah

 

[mattlee]

thanks again mattlee I have about 20-30 ramshorn and 4-5 shrimp so will put them all intogether in the cube tank with heater etc and go for it with live plants. They can breed like mad for the puffers which shall be their doom mwah hah

oh i see why you want the ramshorms now..... you evil person! well free food is a bonus i guess, plenty of food and you will have loads of them

 

[lilacamy931]

believe me I do feel slightly guilty when I do it, but it is essential for their beaks, still though mwah ha

 

[mattlee]

believe me I do feel slightly guilty when I do it, but it is essential for their beaks, still though mwah ha

well it happens in the wild so.... why not! survival of the fittest hey? (even though the sanils dont stand a chance..... )