# 33 Gallon Long Shrimp Tank



## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi BCA,

This will be my first tank journal and my first real aquarium. I've set up a few small betta tanks and shrimp tanks in the past, but this will be my biggest tank yet. It will be a low tech, planted tank. I'd like it to be lush and full of plants, but simple without many (or any) additives besides SaltyShrimp GH+.

Tank: 33 Long, 48 x 12 x 12
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
Light: 48 inch long, two bulb T8 shop light. 
Filter: Fluval 304
Hardscape: A branchy piece of Manzanita wood from April's Aquarium

Flora: Right now all I have is Fissidens Fontanus which I plan on chopping up and spreading on the branch. I plan on adding some Anubias Nana to the branch. I'm undecided on the rest of the plants I'd like to add. Most likely Downoi and a variety of easy stem plants.

Fauna: I'd like to keep some sort of Neocaridina, as well as Crystal Red Shrimp.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how I'd like the branch positioned. I'm going to need to chop a bit off the branch depending on how I decide to position it. If anyone has any input on the hardscape please share.


















































As a footnote, if anyone has any comments, suggestions, thoughts, opinions, or knowledge, feel free to share.


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## battmanh (Jan 7, 2014)

That is a nice footprint for a tank! Also that branch is awesome, I'll have to drop by April's soon to take a look if she has any smaller pieces for a nano tank. I think I like how the branch is sitting in the last picture most. Can't wait to see your tank all setup.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

Thanks! It's definitely my favourite footprint. Ever since I saw one at Roger's in Surrey. I've been holding on to it for almost a year and now I'm finally setting it up. 

I'm thinking either the last one, or the second to last one, too. 

April's only has a few pieces if I remember right, but she said she was going to be getting more wood in in about 2 weeks, I think. The branch only ended up costing me $16, too.


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## liquid_krystale (Dec 13, 2011)

I love the look of long tanks, especially planted tanks. So much more aquascaping surface area and you can get away with a less powerful light with a squat tank.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

I agree. I just hope I can do it some semblance of justice. We'll have to see.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

I decided on the second to last option, and got chopping on my Fissidens. I spread the mush on to the wood with my fingers and covered the tank with plastic wrap. The bottom has about an inch of water. Apparently it takes a week or two for the moss to attach. Fingers crossed this all works.



















Here's the Amazonia I plan on using for the tank


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

You stated shrimp only right? I'm looking at that filter and wondering if that will create too much of a current. When I had my 40 gal yellow shrimp tank I opted for 3 sponge filters instead. The shrimped seamed to love the filters as they were feeding off of the stuff the sponges picked up. I'm not saying replace it, just keep an eye on it.


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## battmanh (Jan 7, 2014)

Ahh I have wanted to do this method for putting fissidens in my upcoming 45P as well after seeing this thread:
Smracer's Tanks - Page 8

Looks like I will be using your experience to determine how I do it!


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

@rescuepenguin

Because of the footprint of the tank I wanted to make sure I had enough flow to reach from one end to the other. The idea is that (hopefully) the plants will grow in thickly enough that the flow won't be an issue. I'm sure I can manage to deflect the flow somehow, too. But thanks, I'll keep an eye out. I have a sponge for the intake of the filter, and I also plan on cycling some other filters with the initial spike of ammonia from the aquasoil.

@battmanh

It really is a lovely method. Hopefully it works out. I'll keep track of progress here.  That tank you posted is magnificent. I hope mine ends up that nice. It's like a little green afro. :lol:


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## rescuepenguin (Apr 21, 2010)

Good thinking, i'd love to know how it turns out.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

A little tidbit: I checked on the tank before bed and it had already dried out even with 2 inches of water at the bottom and the lid covered with plastic wrap after being freshly misted 3-4 hours before. Not completely dry but dry. Looks like this will need pretty regular misting.


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## Sayonara (Apr 13, 2013)

Padded, do you have shrimp already?


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

I have some Cherry/PFR shrimplets that I got just a few days ago in a different tank. I'm sorry to admit that I've done my fair share of keeping and killing shrimp in my old (cursed) Fluval Spec. Killed off 2 separate batches of blue velvets, then tore the tank down, then tried keeping some CBS and they did fine for months and months but then I went on vacation and came back and they were all dead. I think I've got the hang of things now. The tank was in a window so I think it overheated. Now my tanks are all kept in my basement. It helps that I'm using bigger tanks now, so it's less easy to screw up.


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## Sayonara (Apr 13, 2013)

PFR I am guessing = Painted Fire Red?


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

Yessir.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

I'm going to do a month long dry start on my tank, just to get things going while I wait for the fissidens to take root as well as get some low growing foreground plants established. I'll also be running some extra filters in a spare tank while adding pure ammonia to it. I plan on giving it about 4 weeks of emersed growth and fishless cycling before I add the water and filter to the tank.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

Someone gave me a dead berried cherry shrimp, so I'm currently attempting to artificially hatch the eggs in a little 2.5 gallon tank.

Pic of the eggs:










Pic of the makeshift tank:










And a bonus pic of a cherry shrimp I took a few days ago in one of my other tanks:


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

Two of the orphaned shrimp have hatched! I'm keeping an eye on the rest of the eggs. I'll post a picture as soon as I can, but my pretty basic point and shoot camera isn't the best at this kind of thing.


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## Bobsidd (Dec 28, 2012)

Padded Wall said:


> Two of the orphaned shrimp have hatched! I'm keeping an eye on the rest of the eggs. I'll post a picture as soon as I can, but my pretty basic point and shoot camera isn't the best at this kind of thing.


Wow! Impressive. Congratulations. I've tried this before, but failed miserably. It's great to hear that it is possible. Can you explain how you did it?

Cheers,
Rob


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

I've actually once before, too.  The shrimplets died soon after hatching on my first attempt though. What I do is I take some pantyhose, tie off the toe, add some sort of frame (once it was a water bottle, this time it was 2 paperclips) to stretch out the pantyhose and make a little chamber, then I put the pantyho with frame over a glass of water and hang the bottom in while putting the open top over the edges. I grab the mom gently by the head with some tweezers and take a plastic spoon and gently but firmly scrape them off of the mother and drop them in to the water in the pantyho. Then I stretch it out as much as I can and tie the top off, and put it in a tank, right near the outlet of the filter. The first time I tried to do it with an air bubbler in a water bottle, but eventually moved it in to the flow of a filter and it worked fine. I think the water movement is what really helps things along as I've read that it simulates the movement of the mother's legs as she swims around. 

This tank I set up on the spot and just threw in some shrimp remineralizer, a little piece of coral, an indian almond leaf, and some java moss with an azoo palm filter (2.5 gallon tank).

Hopefully the shrimplets survive this time.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

I counted 6 tiny shrimplets in the pantyhose before I released them in to the little tank.  Hoping to do some work on my projects today and tomorrow.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

Here's a picture I got of one of the little tiny shirmp:










And I am beginning to cycle all of the filters for my latest and greatest project:


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

Finally some progress! Thanks a whole bunch to Reckon and randylahey for the plants. All were healthy and algae free.

Put the substrate in:










Plants kind of shoved in:










Room lights off, tank lights on, filled with water with a few plants floating around. Had to put a rock on the wood. I'm not sure if the wood will float but I'm not taking any chances. Will take a non-cloudy photo tomorrow.










It seems like the blended Fissidens worked pretty well. You can't really see it in the pictures, but tomorrow I'll post some clear water pictures and take some close ups.


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## wish (Apr 26, 2014)

Looking great!! Can't wait to see the clear water pics and close ups.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Looking like a good start man.

Cheers,
Chris


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## randylahey (Jun 25, 2013)

Looking good megan, you're quite the little pro! Your tank will look like it has been running for years in no time. Any plans for fertilization and/or co2 supplementation?

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

So, not a whole lot to see here. It looks a bit scraggly. But I'm pretty pleased. I think as it grows in and I add plants it'll look better and better. I'd really like to get some downoi if anyone knows where to get it.










Here's a close up of the "good side" of moss.










A bad picture of the not so good side.










I had some drying out and mold problems on one side. I think it's because I used plastic wrap instead of the glass top like I did on the other side. The branch was sticking out the top so I was unable to put the lid on unless I cut it, and I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted to place the branch, so I didn't know how much to cut it so I was going to leave it until I filled it. I'm hoping it'll bounce back. If it doesn't I'll find a waty to fill the gap somehow.

And here's the good side again. Looking forward to seeing it fill out.


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## Padded Wall (Jan 3, 2013)

No plans for CO2, as I wanted to keep this as simple as possible as it's main focus will be a breeding colony of Caridina Cantonensis (unsure of exactly what var.). As for ferts, I'm using ADA Amazonia as substrate, so I'm going to wait til the nutrients get used up and then if I notice plant growth slowing down I may add a dosing regimen. I don't want to over complicate the planted aspect too much just for the well being of the shrimp.

Thank you guys all for the kind words. 

I might see about doing some rearranging as time goes on. Not sure if I like the plant layout yet. This is my first real "jungle".


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