LJ's 15 column shrimp tank

[Lamental Jester]

Hello all!  So as some of you are aware, pokesephiroth and I are in the middle of a fight to the death for all that is good and holy, by each doing a 15 gallon column shrimp tank.  And being such an expert at strategery, I've decided to show you my battle plan.

So this is the tank, shot with my iPhone:

With the success of my 75 gal Walstad, I decided to once again go with dirt and clay.  This time as a cap however, I decided to use black and white sand lars on picked up for me.  So I got all that in there, added a sponge filter BillHN gave me at the GSAS auction, and covered it with some rocks.  For plant coverage I'm using the marsilea minuta and the clover stuff (can't remember the actual name of it, marsilea quadrifolia maybe?) that I won at the auction:

Next, the rock formation looked a little dull, so I added java moss and java fern to it that came from my 29 gal, and kinda lined the formation with some dwarf hairgrass.  Then added the manzanita wood, and replaced the HOB filter that came with the tank with a small internal filter:

So as of now, the tank is cycling, in the middle of a bacteria bloom.  Will probably add moss to the wood, just deciding what type of moss to use for that.....

Suggestions welcome!

 

[Madness]

Looking good.

 

[binbin9]

nice i like the way the branch cages in the rocks

 

[oobydooby]

What branch is that?

 

[Lamental Jester]

Thanks guys!

What branch is that?

It's sandblasted Sierra manzanita branches

 

[oobydooby]

Looks good I want to try that

 

[Lamental Jester]

Looks good I want to try that

I got a couple more pieces i'd be willing to sell or trade if you're in the Seattle area. The pieces are pictured in the first pic on this thread. I didn't use them cause the other ones I have just looked better to me for my intentions on this tank.

 

[oobydooby]

I'm a bit far from Seattle I do appreciate the offer though... Can't wait to see how your tank comes out

 

[PokeSephiroth]

*shakes of fists in a torrent of fury*

Lookin' good, lookin' good.... we'll see who has the last laugh. :alien:
That rock formation looks sweet, I'll give you that!

*prepares solar beam attack* . . . ahem, what?

 

[Anonymous]

manzanita wood reminds me of lighting bolts. Im living vicariously through your guys builds.

looks great LJ!

 

[Lamental Jester]

thanks Chad!

@PokeSephiroth: I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am

 

[pbmax]

Hahaha, round 1 to LJ I think

 

[PokeSephiroth]

There are no rounds. It's winner takes all.

I say so. Cuz I'm the officer. =P

 

[pbmax]

Yes indeed you are; I stand corrected, Officer. :cyclops:

 

[pbmax]

And being such an expert at strategery, I've decided to show you my battle plan.

Nice Sadly enough that word has been a permanent part of my vocabulary ever since that skit.

Tank looks good so far, by the way. :woot:

 

[Lamental Jester]

Update: Was getting white filmy stuff growing everywhere during the cycle, mainly on the wood, which can be normal (beneficial bacteria quickly forming and feeding on organic materials). So I got some MTS to feast on the white stuff. Now the white stuff is pretty much all gone, and the water has started clearing up.

Last night I tried my hat at DIY CO2, never tried it before:

I have it running into the intake of the internal filter. It appears to be working, producing bubbles and whatnot, although maybe too many bubbles, I don't know, how many bubbles per minute would someone recommend for a 15 gal?

Next thing I need to do is find more moss for the wood, something other than java or xmas preferably, anyone can help me out with that?

 

[pbmax]

Check your PH - if it's too low you have too many bubbles. Right when the lights come on is the best time to do this since the CO2 concentration will be highest then.

 

[Lamental Jester]

thanks pbmax! I think I have a PH tester laying around somewhere

 

[PokeSephiroth]

Woo.. white slimey stuffs. I still have some on my madrona wood (the parts where I sanded some of the stubs down) . . . the manzanita one doesn't have any at all..which boggles me!

My shrimp are really digging the Riccia Fluitans on the wood though, it's fun watching them graze on it. I'm thinking of harvesting more MTS from my other tanks, I but about 15 of them in my 15 gallon..wouldn't hurt to have more. Once they start multiplying, I will have an army!

good work on the co2, Lamental Jester!

 

[Lamental Jester]

The white slimey stuff is the bacteria consuming a bunch of organic material from the wood. Your manzanita has probably been in aquariums before and been striped of that organic material. Sanding the parts on the madrona probably exposed some organic material, hence why you're getting white stuff in those spots. But that's just my guess.

Glad the Riccia Fluitans are working for ya, I didn't wanna go with them cause I here you have to keep re-tying them down cause they're natural floaters.

Haven't got any shrimp in mine yet, just some MTS, so I'm not too worried if I'm producing too much CO2 at the moment