Updated Shrimp Tank Pic

[stanleo]

I took some very good advice on here and got some drift wood, java moss, and hidey hole for my shrimp tank. I also added a calcium block and did some rescaping. Hope you like

 

 

[Baccus]

Looking good

 

 . The only thing I would suggest is to add a tall growing stem plant like Parrots Feather or Milfoil to the tank
 
 

 
Or Ambulia

 
This will allow the shrimp to get up high in the tank and they will love picking through the fine growth while feeling safe from predators.
The only downside of these plants is that if moving them between tanks or even trimming to keep them under control there will be shrimp hiding in the leaves. I always try to give the plants a good swishing in the tank to encourage any shrimp in it to vacate and then dump the plants in a tub of water. I can state from experience that you will find shrimplets and adult shrimp that went for a ride into the other tub of water. These can then be netted out and put back into their proper home.
 

 

[stanleo]

Update after two months. Breeding has been going on like crazy. I counted 46 today and I know there are more cause one of the females just hatched another batch. I tried the Milfoil but they wouldn't stay planted in that crappy shrimp substrate I got. I really wish I would have used plant substrate but I thought I needed this special stuff.
 
This I just took today.

 
 
This is a group of the babies that are in there now. I really like how things are coming along.

 

[Baccus]

Looking good and congrats and slowly getting over run by cherry shrimp

 .
With the milfoil you can place a rock or something similar on the buried stems until roots start growing then the roots will anchor the plant down just fine.

 

[stanleo]

Thanks Baccus! What do you do when they do overrun the tank? I was thinking of putting several of the adults when they get that big in my 29gl comm tank but after that I don't know.

 

[Baccus]

The cherry shrimp I am guessing your talking about not the plants

 . Generally when my cherry shrimp start getting too thick I put some in one of my other tanks ( but they soon populate that as well), or I sell them either to local pet shops, privately or just give them away to friends with tanks.
When culling ( and I am not refering to killing just removing extras from the breeding stocks), just be sure to leave yourself with good stock and enough females and males to keep your own stocks ticking over. Keep in mind that older female cherry shrimp will generally show the best colour but you can never be sure how many more breedings you will get out of her. Never be too quick to off load bulk loads of shrimp, because I have learnt you can easily deplete your own supplies quicker than expected.

 

[stanleo]

So I re-scaped my shrimp tank AGAIN! (as my husband said)! I am still not that happy with it. Besides the ugliness of the rubber band I think what I am going to do is go to the river when it stops raining and try to find some interesting rocks to put off to the left. I will off course scrub them with hot water and let them soak for a while before putting them in the tank. I will also look for a flat rock to replace the colored one on the right side. I can't figure what I was thinking getting that ugly thing. I am also going to get some of that milfoil when I go to the LFS next. I think that will look nice in the empty space in the back. Anyway here it is right now.
 

 
On a sad note I found a dead shrimp today that was berried. Just the one and the first that has died since I started this tank. I don't understand how a shrimp can be healthy enough to produce eggs and then die. All my tests came back the same as they do every week. Its annoying.

 

[tmoney7]

Stanleo do you use any fertalizers for your plant? I was just wondering because I was looking for some that wouldn't affect the shrimp

 

[stanleo]

I dose with Flourish liquid carbon every couple of days. I only put enough to fill the cap up to the first thread since it is only 10gl. Once a week I put the same amount of Flourish Iron in it too after a water change. DONT OVERDOSE though! Just a little goes a long way from what I have seen and too much can be harmful.

 

[stanleo]

I have rescaped this tank with some rock work. next I am definitely going to put some milfoil or something similar in the left back corner and get rid of the sword that is there now. I think its coming along nicely!
 

 

[tmoney7]

Ok that was another question as well.  I have a significant amount of iron in my tap water, I know that the plants will use up a good mount of it but what I didn't want to do was harm my shrimp with it.

 

[Baccus]

Looking nice, it certainly does need something in the middle to fill in the pare space. If not some milfoil (as lovely a plant as it it) you could get some nice twisty goldvine (or some other interesting timber) and either attach a type of java fern (needle leaf is quite nice and slower growing) or some mosses to it. Just remember to not place it dead centre of the tank.
I like your "crazy paving" that you have done in the tank, I can just imagine the shrimp skipping along it singing in high pitched little voices " We're off to see the Wizard" LOL.

 

[stanleo]

So I thought I would update about this tank since it has been a while. I put a new plant in about 2 months ago and it has grown like wildfire. Its an African leaf something. I can never remember the names of plants. Anyway I really like how green it is and I am trying to figure out a way to move it to the living room rather than the office.
 
I don't really think it can be considered a shrimp tank anymore though. There are still about 100 cherry shrimps but there is also 3 endlers, 6 pygmy corys, and a beta along with 10 assassin snails that have been breeding. I have to feed them algae wafers though because they have eaten all the snails in the tank. I wonder if the LFS would give me some pest snails?