aly_starhs Low-Tech Planted Shrimp Tank Pico

I have decided to try aqua-scaping (after failing miserably on the community and betta tank) 2 tanks just aren't enough, whilst you have a 3rd spare, and so the journal begins!
Tank Size: Small 10l Bow-Front Acrylic Tank
Lighting: Waterhome 3 - Compact 9W Fluorescent  (hood removed due to clip-on light)
Filter: Sponge filter run by a Tetra-Tec air pump
Heating: none atm
Substrate: 0.5" 100% Clay Cat Litter capped with smashed Slate Tile
Fertilisers: Atm root tabs and Cat Litter, will research shrimp safe plant ferts
Plants: Green Cabomba, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Anubias Barteri, Java Moss, Java Fern, Moss Ball
Invertebrates: Red Cherry Shrimp (hopefully here soon)

10L Tank (with Cat litter) (needs to be cleaned again due to putting in wet cat litter when it should have been dry) :-

Slate Tiles:

Will add updates as i go along, waiting for the light, plants and shrimp to arrive.

Will look forward to seeing how it goes. Hope you take pics of all the stages

Will do!
Just got told on another forum i will have to cap with sand then the slates!

Oh the Drama!

I'm sure you'll take it all in your stride!!

yep!

Another tank project... Ohh Happy Days!

Ok, so i scrapped the cat-litter idea because it went all muddy. So i redone the tank for the 4th time. I am using normal sand with lots of plant fert tabs. Which will be topped with slate.

The shrimp arrived today, still ain't recieved the plants or tank light. So the shrimp are currently in a bucket with a filter, floss and 1 anubia. There tiny!

ok, so set up the light, it never had a clip thing that i could attach to the side of the tank so i made one out of Skewers for support and then card ontop. I have taped the light onto that then covered that with more black card.
The journal has been slow due to it being used as a 'hospital' tank for a rescue betta and the plants not arriving.

Currently, in there is sand with plant fert tabs and an Anubia from Mermaid Mel



Edit: just noticed loads of scratches, when its filled up with water you cant see them

Getting there I haven't a clue how you've attached the light but it looks like it's working ok Just make sure it can't melt or set fire to anything!!

hehe, this might explain it more. My mum has already checked evreything, to make sure there is no fire hazard!

heres some piccies, i think this explains it abot more.

Ahhh I see what you've done now. Very ingenious lol and good hear Mum has passed it as safe

Ah bless. my Shrimp are growing up fast.

My Darn plants still haven't arrived. They are replacements aswell, and my 25W heater has not come yet either.

So in the shrimp tank i only have a Anubia and Java Fern, but the shrimp will be moved in there tommorrow. Ill just plant the tank with them in there and hope they survive

Good luck with them and don't forget the pics

hehe, i tried, but
1.) there too small
2.) there too fast
3.) Being babies there still white

The shrimp were moved in yesterday, some are tinnnyy some are big...!

The heater arrived today, its so small, 25W so its suitable for up to 5G.

Yesterday they were swimming madly, and today they are hiding...!

Awwww I bet they are fun to watch when they are being active

OMG. My plants arrived today after being stuck in the post for 2 Weeks.

They have a funny smell, and some are black, but i have put them in the tank... lets hope i can save them...! They need some LIGHT!!! The cherry shrimp have all come out of hiding and are swimming like mad!



Might upload pictures later... like before and after!!


OMG.. and i finally have a Moss Ball in my tank!! WOOOHOOO!!!

oh no, my shrimp are dying

Im doing a massive wtaerchange and have taken the stupid plants out!

Oh No!!! Keep up on those water changes

they all died. I bleached the tank

OMG, this few months have not been good for my tanks

First I'm a bit curious about cat liter idea?? I saw that it didn't work out but i'm a bit curious where that idea came from.

Just a little advice for the future. A black/ dark brown plant will never restore its injured parts. Its sort of like adding a bunch of dead fish to your tank, the matter will continue to break down and muck up the conditions water. This is most likely what killed the shrimp, they are even more sensitive to water conditions compared to most fish. If plants start to die off remove all the discolored leaves. If your lucky the roots will have enough stored energy and new growth will occur. I had some Brazilian Swordtails that got carpeted with cynobacteria (looks like carpet of algae) and ALL the leaves browned. I cut them ALL off and just left the stems at the bottoms and the larger ones actually pulled through and I still have them today after 4 years.

Also you want to be really careful about bleaching a tank. It seems more than likely the plant matter is what killed off the shrimp so bleaching was unnecessary. The bleach can linger in the sealant and kill fish, so make sure never to use it on any porous objects.