Jeri's cherry shrimp bowl

just wanted to share my 1.75g 'brandy sniffer' cherry shrimp bowl! is has miracle grow organic choice garden soil, capped with gravel. it has a desk light...but also gets good southern light most of the day...so i'm not sure how much I'll need the light.

flora: bunch of dwarf sag, I stole from my, now torn down, 10g. java moss on driftwood, and duckweed, frogbit floaters. might put najas in while the plants are getting well rooted.

fauna: 7 red cherry shrimp

 

cool little bowl!! great use for one. I had actually been thinking about doing that with one of those.

 

yeah it's very zen. I recommend it! and it's beside my bed...so I get to watch the little shrimpers fly all around and be cute. :;a2

 

That is SOO cool! I love it! I'm gonna try it... look what you've done!

 

Love it!!!

I want one now too! lol Very nice work!

 

hehe, I hope to inspire! it's a good size....not *too* small to work with. a gallon is probably the smallest i'd go. the bowl was about $11 at petsmart. so not a bad deal.

 

Looks good Jeri.

Seems to be missing a cichlid or two,
But I will let it slide this time around.




Brian

 

That is gorgeous! I love the little floating plants on top

 

thanks b and emerald rose. hahaha cichlids. yeah, maybe you should create a micro cichlid eh?

 

So pretty! Must be relaxing to watch the shrimp move around.

 

That is really cool. does it hold 1.75 gallons of water with everything in it or empty?

 

empty. so you can see why it's even harder to work with a 1/2 gallon bowl.

 

If I remember correctly aren't all tanks rated for gallons empty?

 

I got one of them sitting under my sink maybe I should bust it out and use it for the same purpose. They don't need a filter or heater?

Some black sand and some cheap ghosties lol

 

snore: in a natural planted tank (or bowl), the use of plants, in soil, are the filters. you should plant the bowl rather heavily right from the start, and use floating plants, especially frogbit, to help bring o2 to the bowl.

heater wise....in a tank/bowl this small, the heat from any lighting, plus room temperature will be enough to heat the bowl to a decent temperature...since it's such a small volume of water. but you could use a heating pad if you needed to. I can't with this bowl, because it is footed, so I doubt it would help very much.

just be sure to use some kind of soil (like miracle grow organic choice garden soil), capped with something....your black sand should work. ideally you want about 1.5 inches of both.

go for it!

 

Neat idea!!!!!!!

 

thank you lorabell it'll be fun to see if the shrimp breed in there

 

maybe you can add a small betta

 

you know I happened to go to petsmart as I was just driving by.....lol ok well I was driving by the location and I DID need to pickup some pellets for my bottom feeders so in I went.

They had one sitting there and it took all I had not to walk out with it lol I really like the idea of that as an NPT shrimp tank! The more I looked the more I liked it and the more I wanted to do it, why do I have the feeling that I will be back there tonight to get it.,..

 

Haha, I reeeeallllly want to do this to! I know exactly where it would! A centre piece on my antique coffee table! As long as I keep the curtains open partially, it should get enough sunlight. If need be I'll move it under a light.

 

walmart has big vase bowl things. I might go there today and see...

 

I looked briefly at my walmart once, and didn't see anything big enough. but all walmarts are different....so maybe you could find one chicken =]

yeah pirannah...you should consider getting it. I think for the price it's really nice.

laura: yeah on the coffee table would be nice! only if you have cats, they might want to get in it pretty easily. luckily I don't think mine have found my open top tanks. that I know of. haha.

fish hunter: imo, this is too small for a betta. I know there are lots of people out there who think it's fine...but I think 5 gallon is the smallest i'd go for one. plus, i'm off bettas right now

 

like I needed the encouragement lol the fiancee is mad enough about all the tanks I keep getting lol (Youll see as soon as my blog gets approved) But I guess if it is only a Vase perse and not a fish tank........

 

haha....well maybe a 'bowl' won't count, like a tank would. I mean it's virtually powerless....just need a light and/or window light.

 

I was going to ask how to keep the tank oxygenated, if you were needing an air pump, but it's a small volume bowl, so it's easier to oxygenate...

Do you think plants/floating plants would be enough to keep a 3 gallon oxygenated/water circulated without needing an air pump?

Oh, and also: Your bowl looks AMAZING!

 

well the frogbit...plus other plants, but especially that because it is somewhat emerged..... will bring o2 into the bowl. as well as any water changes/top off that you do. I was using an airstone in my 4g, and turned it off a couple weeks ago, and nothing bad has happened. so I don't think you need one. =] and thank you!

 

Can I ask, how much light do you need to give your "bowl" on a daily basis? Just thinking of location if I decide to go shopping tomorrow.

 

I think you should give it probably 10 hours of light. if it gets morning light....then maybe don't have the light fixture come on until the afternoon, or vice versa. or if it doesn't get any natural light, then just have the fixture on for 10 hours.

I have a desk light, with a 9w cfl daylight bulb.

are you new to plants? or just the dirty method?

 

I have a fully planted 75gal with floromax substrate T5HO lighting and using liquid fertz thou the dry are in the mail lol CO2 just aint happening yet for the big tank.

I'm new to plants but I have the theorys and concepts down. Thankfully These are a lot easier than the ones in pots (I always forget to keep them watered or I over water them so being IN the water kinda solves that haha)

I have been wanting to do a dirt tank so I was thinking this would be a nice easy way into it and if I can make it work then great! if not, not a huge loss I have wanted to do a bowl type deal even if its just gravel and useing some other things like fertz and whatnot to keep the plants.

 

Cool! Is there any aeration in the bowl?

 

pirahnah: I don't blame you on not wanting to do co2. I don't have it on any of my tanks....and i'm happy with how the plants are growing, which has been for a year mostly. co2=a big pain haha

homedog: no aeration

 

Hello Jeri,

I really like your Cherry Bowl. I call them Brandy Sniffers Fine job! Very creative!

Ken

 

I have found some really amazing vases/bowls at winners, home sense, places like that - oh and Michaels, the arts and craft store. Just a few places for those looking to recreate this idea!

 

I am not sure what some of those places are, but if you see a really nice bowl/vase, at a good price, i'd get it ;D now you have the perfect idea for it!

 

Love this idea!!! Not sure why I never thought about using dirt and a few plants

 

You can also find bowls and other shapes at thrift stores. you can find really unique shapes at good prices.

 

lol dena. I know right? it's a very simple concept....but the idea isn't very mainstream, so you kind of have to 'bump' into it accidentally.

chicken: I always looked for some kind of bowl/vase at my thrift stores....but they were always too small. but when I saw this one....I just really could see a nice, 'dirty' design going in it.

 

Chicken: yes that is a great idea.

Jeri, I guess you guys don't have those stores llol.
So this is successful only with dirt, and not sand? I have natural sand from a lake Ontario beach
I have never done dirt before.

 

You could use the sand as a cap for the dirt I would assume.

 

haha I love it. Very cool idea and bowl.