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Creating a self sustaining shrimp tank.

Started by ksj, November 23, 2017, 09:55:12 PM

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ksj

Hello! I'm looking for two things. But first...
I'm trying to get my four year old niece interest in aquariums since I hope to share the hobby with her as she grows. As such, I want to create a tiny self sustaining aquarium containing some plants and 2 brightly coloured shrimp (so they are more eye catching for her).
What I'm in need of:
1)Advice! If anyone has tips on the  best way to go about doing this, what sort of container, if filtration is needed, if water changes will still be needed in a sealed environment, etc, that would be great!
2)If someone has any shrimp that really pop out, I'd love to buy 2 from you (of the same sex, please). Cherry red, crystal red, crystal black are all lovely examples.
90g with 20g sump - Endlers, Kuhli loaches, Betta, Pearl gourami, Salt and pepper cories, Ottos, Assassin snails, Unlucky trumpet snails
~Kim

Gilbotron

I do this somewhat successfully with a few of my tanks.  If you set it up as a Walstad tank (dirt substrate, lots of easy plants, low light) the plants will have everything they need to run forever (no CO2 or ferts required), and will remove all of the nitrates from the water eliminating the need for water changes.  Even overfeeding doesn't pollute the water and is actually recommended (to feed the plants).  You do need a tiny bit of water movement so it doesn't stagnate and get slime on the surface (air stone would be sufficient), but you don't really need a filter if there are lots of plants. 2 of my walstads the filters are empty and barely have any flow and the plants keep the water very clean and oxygenated. 

Self sustained livestock is a little trickier.  The best I was able to get was 6 months without adding food for a pair of pea puffers.  I had to let the tank get overrun with ramshorn snails before adding the fish, but they eventually tore through all the snails (must've been hundreds), so now I have to add about 50 snails every month or so.  In a Walstad, you dont really get any algae, so you won't be able to keep self sustained algae eaters like shrimp without feeding. So snail eaters will work best, but you'll still have to replenish the supply every couple months depending how piggy the fish are.  Small botia loaches (zebra, dwarf chain, etc.) and trumpet snails might work better than puffers (maybe indefinite), as I don't think the botias would be able to tear through the snails faster then they reproduce and they do hunt them under the substrate (puffers don't hunt under the substrate). This will be my next test...

What you will need...
Organic dirt
Gravel/sand (to cap the dirt)
Tank or fishbowl
Something to move the water (airstone or small filter)
A simple light - you don't want bright/strong (desklamp with household daylight CFL bulb works great)
Easy low-light plants (crypts and dwarf sag work best as they don't require trimming and produce lots of mulm)
Snails
Snail eating fish

Don't clean the tank (maybe once a year) - don't even remove decaying plant matter (food for the snails and it replenishes nutrients in the soil). And don't put it in direct sunlight or you will have terrible algae problems. 

charlie