2.5-3 Gallon Nano Tank Shrimp Aquascape

[ChrisFishKeeping]

Hello guys, I’m planning on building a 2.5-3 gallon tank with a 2.5-3 gallon jar, Sandy substrate, live plants, And a rock that stands as a centerpiece To the Build, NO Filter, I’m purely relying off of the oxygen the plants will provide, and as I’ve seen many people pull it off, I’ve wanted to try the same, My Questions are:
How do I cycle such a tank? Do I add bacteria and let it sit for 3-4 days? Test nitrate/ammonia levels and if all is good add shrimp? How many Cherry Shrimp can I add to the tank? I would personally like to have 5-6 but I’m okay with any number larger than 2. What would I feed them? Maybe half a wafer every day? I’m aware that they will breed and that a significant number of them I can’t have, but I will be putting the Ones that are bred into my 75 gallon Community tank, and also to a friend of mine who has a 55 gallon. So that’s not a problem. Another question, do I need a heater? And if so what heater is tiny enough for a jar of this size, it is a jar of about 9 inches in width. Any ideas on what plants I could add? These are all my questions, other recommendations are always appreciated, thank you all who respond!

 

[grac3]

well i'm guessing it's gonna be heavily planted?

you definitely need some nutrient rich substrate or even organic soil and cap it with the substrate you actually want. make sure both layers are about 1-1.5 inches thick. once you set it up, try not to disturb the substrate. make sure you have good lighting for the plants!

some plants i use:
valisnaria, dwarf hair grass, water sprite, salvania, duckweed, any type of rotala, java moss, hornwort, and anything easy/fast growing. anubias would work too

how's the temperature in your room? does it fluctuate often? the temperature should ideally be around 26-27c (78-81f). 5-6 shrimp should be fine, and you don't need to feed them often. they'll eat any debris or decaying matter. half a wafer every 4-5 days should be fine

aaand leave it for a week or two to settle! just monitor the parameters after adding the shrimp.

 

[ChrisFishKeeping]

Aw

well i'm guessing it's gonna be heavily planted?

you definitely need some nutrient rich substrate or even organic soil and cap it with the substrate you actually want. make sure both layers are about 1-1.5 inches thick. once you set it up, try not to disturb the substrate. make sure you have good lighting for the plants!

some plants i use:
valisnaria, dwarf hair grass, water sprite, salvania, duckweed, any type of rotala, java moss, hornwort, and anything easy/fast growing. anubias would work too

how's the temperature in your room? does it fluctuate often? the temperature should ideally be around 26-27c (78-81f). 5-6 shrimp should be fine, and you don't need to feed them often. they'll eat any debris or decaying matter. half a wafer every 4-5 days should be fine

aaand leave it for a week or two to settle! just monitor the parameters after adding the shrimp.
[/QUOTE
Amazing Reponse thank you, yes, the temp does fluctuate quite Often, here in Texas the heat Gets pretty crazy sometimes, some days it’s 70 out, some days it’s in the 90s or 100s, Usually keep the Room in the summer at about 75 when it’s 85 out, and relatively the same when it’s even hotter, During the winter months it can also get cold, so then we keep it about 80-85, it is going to be heavily planted as well, if they do happen to breed could I keep a couple? Like have a total number of 10? And give the rest To my 75 gal. I can put in a small heater tho, not a problem. What Substrate with Rich Nutrients do you recommend?

 

[Andres391]

Hello guys, I’m planning on building a 2.5-3 gallon tank with a 2.5-3 gallon jar, Sandy substrate, live plants, And a rock that stands as a centerpiece To the Build, NO Filter, I’m purely relying off of the oxygen the plants will provide, and as I’ve seen many people pull it off, I’ve wanted to try the same, My Questions are:
How do I cycle such a tank? Do I add bacteria and let it sit for 3-4 days? Test nitrate/ammonia levels and if all is good add shrimp? How many Cherry Shrimp can I add to the tank? I would personally like to have 5-6 but I’m okay with any number larger than 2. What would I feed them? Maybe half a wafer every day? I’m aware that they will breed and that a significant number of them I can’t have, but I will be putting the Ones that are bred into my 75 gallon Community tank, and also to a friend of mine who has a 55 gallon. So that’s not a problem. Another question, do I need a heater? And if so what heater is tiny enough for a jar of this size, it is a jar of about 9 inches in width. Any ideas on what plants I could add? These are all my questions, other recommendations are always appreciated, thank you all who respond!

I would add Fritz turbo for bacteria a small bottle that has to be in refrigerator. Let the tank cycle 1st make sure to do at least 10 percent water change every week and once tank has 30 days and already cycled then add shrimps why 30 days so you have enough biofilm for shrimps to survive better. 10 shrimps per gallon. Substrate I would add about 1 to 1.5 inches of depth as it will be your main filter. Gravel would be better since soil and sand or substrate with nutrients seem to make water cloudy in time with filterless tanks. To keep it simple the best plant would be Hornwort shrimps love to graze through them to eat bacteria since they have more surface area then most plants and they grow fast which helps filter water and you don't have to plant it let it float so that it cover your tank once too bushy trim a little. Going filterless just make sure to add fast growing plants and that don't require co2 or a super bright light. Hornwort is my top pick then it would be ludwigia mini red repens, and floater plants duck weed, dwarf lettuce and mini frogbit. dont forget cholla wood. Best food would be shrimp king brand or bug bites fluval flakes for small fish with color enhancing thats what I'm feeding mine and they are bright red. Mineral rocks for thier shell I use a few red lava rocks to do that for me healthy shrimps.

 

[ChrisFishKeeping]

A

I would add Fritz turbo for bacteria a small bottle that has to be in refrigerator. Let the tank cycle 1st make sure to do at least 10 percent water change every week and once tank has 30 days and already cycled then add shrimps why 30 days so you have enough biofilm for shrimps to survive better. 10 shrimps per gallon. Substrate I would add about 1 to 1.5 inches of depth as it will be your main filter. Gravel would be better since soil and sand or substrate with nutrients seem to make water cloudy in time with filterless tanks. To keep it simple the best plant would be Hornwort shrimps love to graze through them to eat bacteria since they have more surface area then most plants and they grow fast which helps filter water and you don't have to plant it let it float so that it cover your tank once too bushy trim a little. Going filterless just make sure to add fast growing plants and that don't require co2 or a super bright light. Hornwort is my top pick then it would be ludwigia mini red repens, and floater plants duck weed, dwarf lettuce and mini frogbit. dont forget cholla wood. Best food would be shrimp king brand or bug bites fluval flakes for small fish with color enhancing thats what I'm feeding mine and they are bright red. Mineral rocks for thier shell I use a few red lava rocks to do that for me healthy shrimps.

Awesome thank you, is there any way you could link the red lava rocks you use? I’m searching for some but I can only find Huge bags of them

 

[Andres391]

A

Awesome thank you, is there any way you could link the red lava rocks you use? I’m searching for some but I can only find Huge bags of them

Vigoro 0.5 cu. ft. Red Lava Rock-100032404 - The Home Depot
this is the smallest bag and its only 5 bucks I use some of these as a top soil for outdoor plants instead of mulch.

 

[ChrisFishKeeping]

Vigoro 0.5 cu. ft. Red Lava Rock-100032404 - The Home Depot
this is the smallest bag and its only 5 bucks I use some of these as a top soil for outdoor plants instead of mulch.

Awesome reply thank you, now a family member of mine mentioned to me “why don’t you put a betta in it” I’ve kept bettas before in planted 5 gallon tanks, but never in a 2 gallon tank, the reason why I ask if I could also throw in a beta with the Cherry Shrimps is, It would keep the Cherry Population Under control when Eggs hatch, It would keep the Water Fleas population under control, I am positive you know but if you don’t, water fleas form in Planted Jars like the one I am planning on doing, and they look annoying because there is so many of them just floating around the Jar, could I throw in a betta with 8 Cherry Shrimps? Heavily planted of course, Heated, But no Filter, purely relying on the Plants for Oxygen

 

[Andres391]

Depends on the betta itself they may eat your shrimp if they do you want have any left to multiply or they will be hiding all the time. You can keep as many shrimps as you want there can be only so much food to allow them to multiply the rest will die off and the shrimps will have extra to eat. You can pull off with no power filter but you do need deep substrate and let your tank run for 30 days and already cycled to add shrimps while you are waiting add your plants in to get them growing in the mean time. Dont add the cholla wood yet until you have the shrimps for fungus grows on wood and nothing in there to clean it up. Weekly water changes for the 1st 3 months after that you can just add water every week since shrimps prefer no water changes unless you really had to. They are more sensitive to water changes. 10 percent water change is what I did. Fast growing plants will produce oxygen and when you add water every week adds oxygen. You need a day bright light like 5000k or 7000 kelvins bright enough but not to bright.

 

[ChrisFishKeeping]

Aweso

Depends on the betta itself they may eat your shrimp if they do you want have any left to multiply or they will be hiding all the time. You can keep as many shrimps as you want there can be only so much food to allow them to multiply the rest will die off and the shrimps will have extra to eat. You can pull off with no power filter but you do need deep substrate and let your tank run for 30 days and already cycled to add shrimps while you are waiting add your plants in to get them growing in the mean time. Dont add the cholla wood yet until you have the shrimps for fungus grows on wood and nothing in there to clean it up. Weekly water changes for the 1st 3 months after that you can just add water every week since shrimps prefer no water changes unless you really had to. They are more sensitive to water changes. 10 percent water change is what I did. Fast growing plants will produce oxygen and when you add water every week adds oxygen. You need a day bright light like 5000k or 7000 kelvins bright enough but not to bright.

Great reply thank you I am going to follow everything you have said, I did some research and decided Not to go with a betta, I’ll stick with just the shrimp. Now here’s something interesting I want to ask you, I’ve seen videos where people Get the Jar Cycling, have deep substrate, live plants growing, But they Close the Jar with an airtight lid, now if I wanted to Pull the same thing off, I would only open the lid to Feed the Shrimp, do water changes, and trim the plants, while still supplying more than enough oxygen with the plants you recommended right ? While having the lid of the jar closed air tight. It will be heavily heavily planted with all the plants you recommended, The reason why I ask is I’m going to be Staying in a Motor home for 2 months on work, and don’t want any mold being created from the tank, either I keep the lid closed, or I can’t have the Jar Nanoscape Just yet.

 

[Andres391]

An air stone will provide enough oxygen but you may want to control it with a valve. It may produce to much algae if you over feed them. Its one inch per gallon on fish so 2 would be on the safe side. Plants, adding water and water changes provide oxygen especially if your water is from the tapwater which is full of dissolved oxygen. Heaters would be your preference for I don't use them since my home tempature is around 75 to 77 and tank is at 76 to 77 constantly and when its cold outside they would get tempatures from 73 to 74 which is fine in the wild it gets cooler at night and alot cooler when it rains. Cherry shrimps do fine in 65 to 80 degrees which my tank never gets 65 nor 80.

 

[ChrisFishKeeping]

An air stone will provide enough oxygen but you may want to control it with a valve. It may produce to much algae if you over feed them. Its one inch per gallon on fish so 2 would be on the safe side. Plants, adding water and water changes provide oxygen especially if your water is from the tapwater which is full of dissolved oxygen. Heaters would be your preference for I don't use them since my home tempature is around 75 to 77 and tank is at 76 to 77 constantly and when its cold outside they would get tempatures from 73 to 74 which is fine in the wild it gets cooler at night and alot cooler when it rains. Cherry shrimps do fine in 65 to 80 degrees which my tank never gets 65 nor 80.

Great, could I still achieve this without an Aerator? And just the plants? While still having the lid closed? It’s going to be heavily planted with all the plants you recommended to me. If so I rather be safe and just go with some Cherry shrimp and no fish, this way I can have a higher number of them and not use as much oxygen as I would with the Cherries and the Minnows.

 

[Andres391]

Yes you can if your going to put plants that float I would make a hole or 2 since to much humidity can kill the floating plants.

 

[ChrisFishKeeping]

Yes you can if your going to put plants that float I would make a hole or 2 since to much humidity can kill the floating plants.

thank you so much you have been an amazing help, So you don’t think Oxygen would be a problem? Hornwort, Lidwigis Repens, Dwarf hair grass, And duckweed will be in the Jar, I think a high number of them would still thrive even if the lid is closed and only the plants are producing oxygen, 10+ would still most likely do well, what do you think? Maybe I should downsize to a 1.5 gallon Jar that is heavily planted, because if you think about it, In a smaller Jar if you have a lot of plants, the time it takes the Plants to Oxygenate the large jar would be more significant than it would take to oxygenate a smaller Jar, and I think I could still keep at max 12-15 Cherry Shrimp in the 1.5 gallon jar just so I don’t overstock and overload the tank, and to keep it at a safe number of Shrimp for the Oxygen Levels being Produced by the plants I think 12-15 at max would be a good number, what do you think? I want to thank you a ton because you have been an amazing help to me.

 

[Andres391]

Ludwigia mini red repens. Yes it would be fine if you follow the depth of substrate, fast growing plants and weekly water changes for the 1st 3 months then if you wish you could just add water without water change.

 

[ChrisFishKeeping]

Ludwigia mini red repens. Yes it would be fine if you follow the depth of substrate, fast growing plants and weekly water changes for the 1st 3 months then if you wish you could just add water without water change.

Thank you, I believe you said about an inch to an inch and a Half of Substrate correct? I’m Planning On feeding half a wafer or even less a day, and every 2 days a piece of Blanched Zhuchinni, blanched carrot, etc stuff like that, is that ok?

 

[Andres391]

Thank you, I believe you said about an inch to an inch and a Half of Substrate correct? I’m Planning On feeding half a wafer or even less a day, and every 2 days a piece of Blanched Zhuchinni, blanched carrot, etc stuff like that, is that ok?

Yes for a 1 to 3 gallons. Blanched veggies twice a week would be fine I do it very rarely. I would pick up any left overs.