Shrimp Tank Build

[NinjaTetra]

Hey all! I cleaned up an old 10 gallon, and decided some cherry shrimp are good inhabitants for it. I know the basics, but I would love some help and ideas. I think I'll start with red cherry shrimp, and if they work out i may eventually try some blue, black, or green crystal shrimp.
I plan to get some smaller pieces of driftwood and rock. Depending on a few variables, I'll either go with some sand my lfs sells or a plant-specific substrate. My idea is to have a big moss bed, a single crypt, and some driftwood with moss on it, with a couple smaller rocks. How do I get a good moss bed going? Anything else I need to know? Lighting, fertilizer, co2? The kind of crypt I'll use is flourishing in my 37 gallon with only stock lighting and the fish in there.


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[cabrerarm]

I'm no expert so take what I say with a grain of salt. I'd recommend a marimo ball. My rcs seem to love climbing on it. As far as the tank male sure to boil the wood have a good heater and use a sponge filter if you can they're perfect for shrimp.

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[NinjaTetra]

I've been thinking about a stylized tank, maybe an Iwagumi style. How do I get a good carpet? Thats my main question, although I would appreciate any further info about shrimp.


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[AquaticBrandon]

To get a carpet (depending on which plant) you will need high light, pressurized co2 and ferts. Java moss is a pretty slow grower so having a "carpet" effect could take a while. Unless you buy a whole bunch of moss and make an instant carpet look.

 

[NinjaTetra]

Would it be be possible with diy co2?


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[AquaticBrandon]

For carpeting plants like DHG or Dwarf Baby tears? No DIY co2 won't really work

 

[NinjaTetra]

Hmm... That explains a lot lol. I tried baby tears in my 37 and couldn't get it to work. Whats the price range of injected? I don't know that I can really afford much along the lines of that... Is java moss the only other option?


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[AquaticBrandon]

Well if you decide to get into pressurized co2, you will have to buy some strong lighting and dry ferts. I wouldn't do co2 now, for co2 there has to be a balance of light, ferts and co2. If not balanced you might have some problems like algae issues. You can try pearl weed or maybe dwarf sag. I think somebody here on the forum had a very nice carpet of Pearl weed without co2

 

[NinjaTetra]

Thanks! I'll look into it. Shrimp needs lots of mosses, right?


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[AquaticBrandon]

They don't need a lot, but they do like moss. They like to pick at it and baby cherry shrimp like to hang around it and eat.

 

[NinjaTetra]

Cool. Can you use marimo to make carpets?


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[AquaticBrandon]

Marimo moss balls? I've heard of people trying it but I don't know if it works. I've never tried it.

 

[kidster9700]

yeah, you just have to be careful because sometimes the balls fall apart when you break them up or cut them. a few people on here have had massive success with it, although i forgot who.
OH! also, if you mix cherry shrimp colors you get ugly babies (i'm mixing red and yellows though because i don't care too much about having ugly babies since i don't think they're ugly)
and EricV will have loads more info to give you on them

 

[NinjaTetra]

I've been looking into various kinds of mosses. I think it would be super cool to get some flame moss on driftwood. Maybe fissidens for the carpet? It seems to have worked for many others


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[NinjaTetra]

I changed my mind about shrimp, I think I'll do an asian biotope with a scarlet badis and a pygmy gourami.


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[cabrerarm]

If you're looking into a planted tank then I forgot to tell you that osmocote in a gel cap works great you can buy it and place in in a gel cap and bury it the Cao melts and the fertilizer is under the substrate. If you don't want to do through that you can buy it premed on ebay.

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