Aquascape: Rili Shrimp 2FT Office Tank - Part 2

If it's not fun, you are not doing it right !

Can you see the baby shrimp on the right side of the foreground shrimp ?

Feeding time !

Latest picture just taken 10 minutes ago from side view

Cory

20 Oct 2013

Aquascape: Rili Shrimp 2FT Office Tank - Part 1

Here's the documentation on my tank setup.

Here's the draft concept of the landscape. Horizontal but low. Rocky terrains with low level plants.

Species will be C. pygameus and Shrimps. Plant will be small leave plants. Don't know their names.

Stones and gravels added. Pairing of stones with similar design. Gravel is for planted and black.

Looking from the side, trying to take care of both front and back view since i like people to view it from both sides of my table.

Bottom right is the bubble counter. Filled up with filtered water to avoid deposits.
If done right, water inside will remain for long time. So far 1 week already.

Top is the 2 FT LED lighting. Not sure enough. Will continue to monitor.






Here's the 1L CO2 system. Has two pressure gauges with solenoid. I like the ease of setting them up. Did some fine tuning to understand how they work.

The left gauge of mine reflects the cylinder pressure with a lower valve to control it. Open more than enough for it to flow.

The right gauge again on this cylinder, reflects the pressure to the bubble counter. Controlling the valve just below it manage the bubbles. there is some lagging to watch.

Here's the reactor. I was a little worried that my overhang filter is not strong enough. However looking on the direction of the bubbles moving across from the bounce back current coming from the opposite end means the flow covers the entire area.

Fitting in the CO2 tube is a challenge as the pressure keeps pushing it out. Finally uses drastic measure of heating up the tube and freeze the reactor to tight fit them. Follow by a lighter across the overlapping areas.

Picture with plants. I got 3 mat size of the plants, cut them up to smaller pieces and squeeze them into the gravel. One thing i should have done instead is to wet the gravel a little instead of filling up to an inch. Will be much more easier to hold down the mat into it.

Corydoras and shrimps added almost immediately without the normal recycling. Total about 10 each.

Full length view of the complete tank setup

Entering into 2nd week. Overhang filter fits nicely on the left latch. The current manages to hit on the opposite right side and back.


Cory
14th Oct 2013

Shrimps Acclimatization

Thinking of setting up a shrimp based planted tank. Spend 30 minutes to blog and research my plan.

One key takeaway i found is the need to be prepared to acclimatized Shrimp as they are sensitive to water conditions.


My Notes : Planted, CO2, Small-Medium size tank, Plants, Shrimp species, Fish types, Tank layout, Food, Lights, Soil, Shells, Mini Net with long handle, external drip hanger, Wood/Stones, Mini Canister,Scissor - 14" - Curve, mini-net.

Few things to watch,

CYCLED TANK
The planted tank has to be ready and stable before buying Shrimps

INJURY
Netting rims are hard and pressing the shrimp against the plastic bag can cause injury

STRESS
Avoid transfer that expose the Shrimps to air
Especially when they are stressed. Moss to calm the Shrimps

ACCLIMATIZATION
Spend an hour to transfer tank water to the shrimp
Do not transfer water back to the tank to avoid external introduction

SAFETY
Shrimps molt when environment parameters change. During this period their skin is very soft.
Remove fishes that will attack them.

FOOD
Do not feed them till they have settled comfortably


Cory
5th Oct 2013