Shrimp Tank Additives

[VickiK]

Well, "pictures or it didn't happen" right?

The 2nd one arrived broken.

I'm dejected. I'm not ordering a replacement from Amazon. I'm too mad right now to make a decision on what to do next --- except be super bummed.

 

[julzhull]

Well, "pictures or it didn't happen" right?

The 2nd one arrived broken.

I'm dejected. I'm not ordering a replacement from Amazon. I'm too mad right now to make a decision on what to do next --- except be super bummed.

View attachment 3340

Geez, that really sucks. The packaging must not survive shipping well. Either that or maybe the delivery guys have been rushing. Is Amazon your only option for purchasing? I'm not sure how the price compares but I feel like I've seen those at Bridges in Snohomish (I could be wrong).

 

[VickiK]

Geez, that really sucks. The packaging must not survive shipping well. Either that or maybe the delivery guys have been rushing. Is Amazon your only option for purchasing? I'm not sure how the price compares but I feel like I've seen those at Bridges in Snohomish (I could be wrong).

Well, at this point I'd pay whatever extra it cost to get one that wasn't broken. I'm sooooo annoyed.

I work in Monroe. I have considered stopping at Bridges on the way home from work today...lol

I'm incorrigible.

 

[julzhull]

Well, at this point I'd pay whatever extra it cost to get one that wasn't broken. I'm sooooo annoyed.

I work in Monroe. I have considered stopping at Bridges on the way home from work today...lol

I'm incorrigible.

Do it!

I'm a bad influence.

 

[VickiK]

Do it!

I'm a bad influence.

ha! I don't need much encouragement to get fish stuff of any kind!

I didn't do it. BUT if I do buy one from a shop, I'm going to make them take it out of the box for a complete inspection prior to dragging it home.

I'm actually thinking that maybe putting shrimp in that tank isn't such a great idea. Maybe my Karmic Universe is trying to save me from a big mistake? ha ha Maybe I should just get a normal, dollar a gallon tank or something from Craigslist and forget about all this fancy schmancy Fluval Edge stuff. It's hard to get over the disappointment. I was SO PUMPED for this tank.....ugh.

 

[julzhull]

I get the disappointment. You could always start with a cheaper alternative and then when you master then you can get the fancy schmancy one. That being said Bridges does seem to inspect their tanks in front of you upon check out I think that one really just doesn't ship well.

 

[VickiK]

I get the disappointment. You could always start with a cheaper alternative and then when you master then you can get the fancy schmancy one. That being said Bridges does seem to inspect their tanks in front of you upon check out I think that one really just doesn't ship well.

Well I DID go to Bridges yesterday on the way home from work. They didn't have the style/color I wanted in that Fluval tank but I DID find something SUPER INTERESTING that I will post about in another, more appropriate thread. I am super pumped about this find.

THEN....this morning, I was obsessing -- er looking - online and saw this little number. The Marineland 15 gallon column. AND they will deliver it (for a nominal fee) so it's supposed to be at my house by noon today. I didn't know PetSmart did that! It's glass. It could arrive broken. If it does, I swear, I will jump off something super tall - like my patio table!

I think you and I are sharing the same brain because I did ditch fancy schmancy for something practical and DIFFERENT. That's what I really wanted - something different. AND it was a hell of a lot cheaper too.

http://www.petsmart.com/fish/suppli...mn-deluxe-aquarium-kit-16696.html?cgid=300013

I think the only thing that concerns me about this soon-to-be Crystal Red Shrimp tank is the pump's ability to move that water around enough. Why don't they make those water-in-things longer for cryin' out loud? I have another filter I can use - more powerful - if this one doesn't do it for me.

I also like that I can move my Threadfin Tetras in here to hang out in the upper portion of the water column. Those little guys deserve their own stage! They're amazing! (Ali @ The Co-Op talked me into those! Nice job, Ali)

 

[julzhull]

Worse comes to worst and you can always hide a sponge filter behind some rockery or wood. My new shrimp tank only has two sponge filters. Fingers crossed for an unbroken delivery!

 

[VickiK]

Worse comes to worst and you can always hide a sponge filter behind some rockery or wood. My new shrimp tank only has two sponge filters. Fingers crossed for an unbroken delivery!

Great point! I don't have any sponge filters and that's really what's best for shrimp anyway. Nice call!

 

[julzhull]

Great point! I don't have any sponge filters and that's really what's best for shrimp anyway. Nice call!

The Co-Op keeps them in stock. Always nice to have one in your main tank all ready with good bacteria in case you need to set up a hospital tank super quick. Or you could get one now and stick in there for a couple of weeks in case you need it for your new tank. One of those small sponge filters and the hang on back one would be good for your shrimp to keep things extra clean. You also might want to get a sponge to go over the filter intake of your new filter. Not sure if you already know to do that but it's another thing I learned that's good to grow good bacteria and keep fish from getting in the intake.

 

[Paintguy]

my daughter got me an EcoSphere with 3 tiny shrimp in it for Christmas... love it so far sitting on the side of my work desk. I have kept cherry shrimp before, but this little glass ball is hassle free. Just have to keep it out of the sun and at a reasonable temp.

 

[FishBeast]

Well, "pictures or it didn't happen" right?

The 2nd one arrived broken.

I'm dejected. I'm not ordering a replacement from Amazon. I'm too mad right now to make a decision on what to do next --- except be super bummed.

View attachment 3340

That's some bullspit! Is your UPS guy a gorilla? Dang.

 

[FishBeast]

my daughter got me an EcoSphere with 3 tiny shrimp in it for Christmas... love it so far sitting on the side of my work desk. I have kept cherry shrimp before, but this little glass ball is hassle free. Just have to keep it out of the sun and at a reasonable temp.
View attachment 3368

Those are cool! They're completely self contained, right?

 

[FishBeast]

The Co-Op keeps them in stock. Always nice to have one in your main tank all ready with good bacteria in case you need to set up a hospital tank super quick. Or you could get one now and stick in there for a couple of weeks in case you need it for your new tank. One of those small sponge filters and the hang on back one would be good for your shrimp to keep things extra clean. You also might want to get a sponge to go over the filter intake of your new filter. Not sure if you already know to do that but it's another thing I learned that's good to grow good bacteria and keep fish from getting in the intake.

+1 for sponge filters! I use them on all of my tanks save for 1. The cool thing is that if the power goes out, less bacteria die as they are in the main body of water.

 

[julzhull]

Well I DID go to Bridges yesterday on the way home from work. They didn't have the style/color I wanted in that Fluval tank but I DID find something SUPER INTERESTING that I will post about in another, more appropriate thread. I am super pumped about this find.

THEN....this morning, I was obsessing -- er looking - online and saw this little number. The Marineland 15 gallon column. AND they will deliver it (for a nominal fee) so it's supposed to be at my house by noon today. I didn't know PetSmart did that! It's glass. It could arrive broken. If it does, I swear, I will jump off something super tall - like my patio table!

I think you and I are sharing the same brain because I did ditch fancy schmancy for something practical and DIFFERENT. That's what I really wanted - something different. AND it was a hell of a lot cheaper too.

http://www.petsmart.com/fish/suppli...mn-deluxe-aquarium-kit-16696.html?cgid=300013
View attachment 3366
I think the only thing that concerns me about this soon-to-be Crystal Red Shrimp tank is the pump's ability to move that water around enough. Why don't they make those water-in-things longer for cryin' out loud? I have another filter I can use - more powerful - if this one doesn't do it for me.

I also like that I can move my Threadfin Tetras in here to hang out in the upper portion of the water column. Those little guys deserve their own stage! They're amazing! (Ali @ The Co-Op talked me into those! Nice job, Ali)

Did you get it???

 

[VickiK]

Did you get it???

I did!

Pictures or it didn't happen, right?

Now to just sit and wait. The hard part. I did plop a few Red Ramshorn snails in there because I cannot help myself and there seems to be an abundance of them now. lol I didn't use the pump that came with it - put on a bigger AquaClear HOB and I'm going to stick a corner style sponge filter in there too so that water is moving a bit more at the bottom. I used 50% water from another tank and cycled bio rings and foam from the Fluval 406.

My TDS is a whopping 385. LR Bretz and Mark's Shrimp Tanks say 140 is best for Crystal Red Shrimp. The good news is that my PH is 6.0 in all my tanks and the new one -- even brand new - is no exception. GH is 120.

I guess I gotta now figure out what stuff to buy to dump in there to bring down the TDS...

 

[VickiK]

my daughter got me an EcoSphere with 3 tiny shrimp in it for Christmas... love it so far sitting on the side of my work desk. I have kept cherry shrimp before, but this little glass ball is hassle free. Just have to keep it out of the sun and at a reasonable temp.

Wow. You don't have to do anything to maintain it??? How do you feed them? No water changes?

 

[VickiK]

I guess I gotta now figure out what stuff to buy to dump in there to bring down the TDS...

Because I'm so busy here at work, I've been reading Shrimp Forums for three hours.

My conclusion regarding my tap water TDS so far is that getting some nice RO water is the only way to go. And so I shall. Interesting to me that Everett's water won some kind of award for being the best tasting water. Maybe it's all those delicious Total Dissolved Solids?

Ewww.

 

[julzhull]

Because I'm so busy here at work, I've been reading Shrimp Forums for three hours.

My conclusion regarding my tap water TDS so far is that getting some nice RO water is the only way to go. And so I shall. Interesting to me that Everett's water won some kind of award for being the best tasting water. Maybe it's all those delicious Total Dissolved Solids?

Ewww.

:/ This is why I haven't paid much attention to Crystal Shrimp. Much more picky than the neos, which is fine but I'm not up for it.

 

[VickiK]

:/ This is why I haven't paid much attention to Crystal Shrimp. Much more picky than the neos, which is fine but I'm not up for it.

@julzhull well, that's the thing about me, if it can't be done - I want to do it.
Within reason, of course. You'll never see me scale a mountainside. I didn't leave anything up there.