# 2.5gallon for RCS update 8/4/11



## silentoak (Mar 17, 2011)

Some of you may already know that my first ever berried RCS made me start up a smaller and devoted shrimp tank.

Since I found out, I didn't want to waste too much time or money on setting this little guy up and so it's not ideally what I'd want but it's a good place for my shrimp to be in.

I'll let you look at some pictures now 

The tank as it started:


Just one stack of the many, many strips of silicone:


After filling it up with water, making sure i didn't cut in too deep anywhere :icon_wink:


I _tried_ modifying one of these "tire-sponges" into a regular rectangle for the sponge filter (seemed worth the shot at 1$):

Am using a clip to hold it into place, as you can see at the rim.

Tank right after I added all the components:


The tank as it stands right now:


Bonus picture of a shrimpy:


For lighting I'm using a 13w CFL bulb in a regular desk lamp.

The filter is the only part that's not really to my heart's content, then again whatever little it helps is better than nothing. But all in all it feels pretty good to me.


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## jkam (Apr 21, 2010)

careful with that clip because it might rust!!


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

jkam said:


> careful with that clip because it might rust!!


haha might rust?

they rust allright

i use em at work and i throw tons of them out because of them getting wet and rusting


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## silentoak (Mar 17, 2011)

jkam said:


> careful with that clip because it might rust!!


Oh I think it's already on it's way there alright.

I should be getting some suction cups any day now, but I just needed something to keep the airline there. Don't like how tight it is either. Suggestions for replacement are more than welcome!!


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## silentoak (Mar 17, 2011)

Decided to make an update since there's a few minor changes to the tank.

Firstly, another female is berried!:bounce: This is great because I believe there's only 3 females in the tank sizable enough to carry. And of my 2 females, 1 is carrying yellow eggs and the other green.

The clip is still holding the sponge filter in place and I'm looking really hard to find a small enough sponge filter for this little tank. Am liking the looks of the single-sponge ones on eBay but would like to see them in size comparison to something else first.

As to the flora I added a couple of longer rooted water sprite to the tank. Half the water surface of my 10gallon is covered by a thick forrest of this stuff and the shrimp seem to love the roots. I could do a lot more of it but like the look of just a couple.

The taiwan moss in the back right seems to be recovering nice as well, after being neglected and algae overrun in a walstad-experiment. Together with the java moss I actually see it pearling quite a bit.

Cleaned the walls of the tank today too as they were already getting a fine film of the really green algae on them. Have to be so careful sloshing around in a small tank like this 

Enough talking, here's a couple pictures - 'cause we all like to see those!

First up is the berried female, this one really shows the green eggs:


Took another one minutes ago (sorry for the difference in white balance):


The tank as she stands now:


And a bonus picture of one of the smaller ones, i have about 4 of this size in there, and 1 even smaller one, for a total of 8:


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

That looks like a good start man!


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## silentoak (Mar 17, 2011)

effox said:


> That looks like a good start man!


Thanks!

I'd love to get something for the top left corner, but that's where most of my light from the desk lamp comes in, so for now I'm going to leave it open I think.

And then there's the never ending search for a cool piece of driftwood.


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