2 Gallon Walstad With Very Few Water Changes?

HI everyone, I am interested in setting up a 2 gallon Walstad method tank for my desk at work. Right now I have the tank running with very low light and some anubias with no livestock besides some bladder snails. I want to rebuild it as. Walstad shrimp tank with red cherry shrimp or ghost shrimp. My water is hard (don't have the exact numbers yet) with a pH of about 7.6-7.8.

I work in a school so I'm wondering if it's possible to stock this thing with shrimp and be able to leave it in the building all summer (2 months) without having to stop in and do a water change, or at least only have to stop in once or twice during the summer for maintenance. Has anyone tried anything like this before and had success? If not is there another set up you recommend? My original plan was to partially drain the tank and bring it home for the summer but I don't know if that would be too much stress on the shrimp, hence why I haven't added any yet.

Thoughts? Advice? I've never done a Walstad before but this just seemed like something that could work with the shrimps low bioload and a ton of plants .

 

You might be able to get away with cleaning it once every month you're away, but I would do a good number of plants, but not too many, just so there's enough to remove the nitrates in the water, but not so many the shrimp don't have enough nutrients and minerals
What's your plan for food by the way?

 

You might be able to get away with cleaning it once every month you're away, but I would do a good number of plants, but not too many, just so there's enough to remove the nitrates in the water, but not so many the shrimp don't have enough nutrients and minerals
What's your plan for food by the way?

For food I am still researching but I was thinking of tossing in some botanicals and\or Indian almond leaf as well as some commercial foods like algae wafers or crab cuisine every so often if there isn't enough food. Still researching the commercial diets though but I definitely will offer at least the almond leaf for a grazing surface.

 

I recommend growing as much carpet moss as you can between now and summer, just in case they need something extra

 

I recommend growing as much carpet moss as you can between now and summer, just in case they need something extra

Noted, thank you. If it turns out I need to do more maintenance than I planned for, would the shrimp do okay being transported twice a year? As mentioned I would leave them in the tank and just drain it about half way and save the water to add back in once the tank is relocated to avoid doing too big of a water change at once. I live about 25 minutes from the school so it would be nice if I could just bring the whole thing home safely for the summer.

 

As long as you don't do anything that would dramatically change the water parameters, there should be no problems moving them around

 

Awesome thank you so much!

 

No problem! Once you get the numbers for water hardness let me know, then I can tell you if ghost or cherry shrimp would be better suited to this tank