2.5 gallon RCS tank

Since I can't figure out how to rename my previous thread (since there will no longer be a betta in this tank) I figured I'd just start a new thread.

I originally had six ghost shrimp in this 2.5 gallon tank, but then I learned that they would grow too large, so they're now in a 55 gallon tank and 20 RCS from ZeeZ are in the 2.5 gallon.

I used Miracle Gro organic garden soal and black gravel substrate. There are a few dwarf sags (originally two, now about five), a corkscrew val (which initially grew quite well, and now has plateaued), a banana plant (which has put out two new leaves since I purchased it), a narrow-leaf anacharis (accidentally snuck in a bunch of hornwort...free is my favorite price!), a bit of najas grass that came with the shrimp (which unfortunately has decided it does not want to float), and some frogbit.

There was a MTS in with the shrimp, and since we have a plethora of snails in the 55 gallon, I tossed one pond snail and one "ramshorn" (not really sure it's a ramshorn, they don't get large enough for me to take a picture). Hopefully they'll eventually make a dent in the algae, I don't want to put more of either the pond snails or "ramshorns" in lest they take over my tank. Maybe I'll get an amano shrimp if they snails don't help.

I've also since added a sponge filter; I bought a cylindrical sponge (I believe it's for a Fluval filter) and stuck an airstone inside. I finally got a new airpump rather than the horrendously loud topfin one, and this one is MUCH quieter, and also adjustable, so I have it on the lowest setting. I've had problems with both the normal filter I used previously (WAY too strong) and the sponge filter stirring up too much junk and making the water a bit opaque, so hopefully this will help.

Any suggestions / advice are welcome!

 

Looks great! I was planning to do something like this with a 5 gallon when PetCo has their gallon per dollar sale.

 

I heard about that...I need to stay away, I don't have any room for more tanks! I'd really like a halfmoon though...buh

 

Well...either pond snails don't need mates to make more pond snails, or mine mated before being moved and hadn't laid the eggs yet, because there was a small clutch on the wall of the tank. I wiped them out (kinda gooey, gross...don't know why I didn't expect them to be gooey). This could be a problem...I was expecting to put a snail in there and have my population of pond snails remain at one.

Does anyone know how pond snails reproduce?

 

They can self-fertilize to create babies.

 

Well that answers that...bah. And he's doing such a good job on the algae! I may just pick them out as he/she produces them and toss them in the 55 with the assassins. (I may need to get a few more of those...)

 

As long as you aren't overfeeding and you take out their eggs, you should be fine.