New shrimp and crab tank.

[sharkweek178]

I set up a quarantine tank. I'll set up the main soon and start planting. In the meantime, I'll cycle this one. When the time comes, I'll add the shrimps to the main tank and add one of these sponge filters. Then I'll quarantine the crabs in this one. When I do that, I'll add some salvinia minima here.

 

[sharkweek178]

Progressing slowly on this. I have the empty tank set up. I put a piece of plywood under it and used shims to level it off. I have some Fluval Stratum, slate rock and I ordered some manzanita sticks and shrimp tubes. Once I get those going, I'll order some plants. Right now the plan is Limnophila sessiflora, java moss, a crypt or two, some dwarf sag, and a bacopa of some kind. I also want to see if I can get some s repens to carpet. I want to get the tank set up and then I'll order the plants.

 

[sharkweek178]

Finally getting moving on this.

I've used gravel and play sand but I've never used Fluval Stratum before. I went by the formula of 1 pound of substrate per gallon for 1 inch of depth. I wanted it to be 2 inches deep. But that formula is for sand, not this stuff. I had a lot more substrate than needed.
I want to give the fauna a lot of shelter. I left a gap between those rocks in the back left and the glass for them to have a hiding place. The pvc pipe fittings of course. And they can hide behind that wood and the sponge filter.
FYI, this sponge filter is just a place holder and to keep the water moving. I have another one cycling in another tank. When the time comes, I'll switch them out.
So I think I'm going to put java moss on the pvc pipe fittings and the rocks. I'll use water sprite for the background plants. I'll plant a crypt or two. And I want to try pygmy chain sword for a carpet.
Before that, I'm going to take everything out and smooth out that substrate.

 

[sharkweek178]

Just got my deliveries of java moss, water sprite, Helanthium tenellum, broad leaf anacharis, and bacopa monnieri. So I'll get those planted/attached/floated this evening.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

OK, caught up on this. Thai microcrabs, still? I would love a bunch of those for my Inle tank. They don't live in Inle, but there is an endemic, freshwater crab crawling about the roots of the plants, and the TMCs would mimic them admirably. But I keep reading that they have extremely short lifespans, which with inverts usually means the species actually needs brackish water to thrive long-term. Not sure if that's the case here but I suspect it. So I probably will just go with some shrimp...we'll see.

 

[sharkweek178]

OK, caught up on this. Thai microcrabs, still? I would love a bunch of those for my Inle tank. They don't live in Inle, but there is an endemic, freshwater crab crawling about the roots of the plants, and the TMCs would mimic them admirably. But I keep reading that they have extremely short lifespans, which with inverts usually means the species actually needs brackish water to thrive long-term. Not sure if that's the case here but I suspect it. So I probably will just go with some shrimp...we'll see.

I'm still a ways off on adding fauna. But cherry shrimp and Thai microcrabs are still the plan.

 

[sharkweek178]

OK, this is what I have so far. Pardon the cloudiness. I just finished and part of what I did was add a little more Fluval Stratum.

Now I wait for plants to fill in. I see room for some Limnophila indica and s repens. I can put the indica among the sticks to the immediate right of the moss rock. S repens could make a nice accent piece for the foreground.
Now I'm pretty new to carpeting plants. I couldn't get the roots for most of the Helanthium tenellum to hold in the substrate. So I'm trying this.

I put a plant weight on some of them to hold them in place. Hopefully the roots take hold over time.

 

[sharkweek178]

Less cloudy picture.

 

[sharkweek178]

Now it cleared up.

 

[MaloK]

Now it cleared up.


View attachment 369332

Looking good !!! Just one question !? It's impossible to see on the picture.

How deep is your substrate ?

 

[sharkweek178]

Looking good !!! Just one question !? It's impossible to see on the picture.

How deep is your substrate ?

2-3 inches.

 

[sharkweek178]

A couple months ago, I got some bacopa caroliniana yellow flame variety from Dustin's Fish tanks. I love it. I won't get those yellow red tips in my regular tanks. But it grows strong. Maybe I could in this one with this substrate and higher lighting.

 

[sharkweek178]

I've been neglecting my cycling tank. Time to get serious about it. It works out. I can let the plants grow in while the filter cycles.

 

[sharkweek178]

The bacopa monnieri and water sprite died. I think that was my fault. I think I pinched the plant weights around the bases too hard.

So I got some new plants and did some planting yesterday. I got some Bacopa caroliniana, water wisteria and limnophila indica. I can't get these things to stay in this substrate without the weights. But I tried to be much gentler this time. If I could just lay the weight on some roots or just part of the base and it held, I did that. If I had to wrap the weight around the base, then I did that as loose as I could.

One of the water wisteria got loose. I'll just let it float for now. I got some s repens coming and I'll replant it when I work on those.