12 long redo, nature style royal blue tiger tank

Forumsnow

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Thanks Whiskey! Plants will do, dimmable led really allows me to dial in the perfect amount of light(good growth with minimal algae). A beautiful planted shrimp tank is with out a doubt attainable, especially with dsm. The hc looks like there is very little growth but when you pull it up the roots are like 2" long! I think that is extremely important to the success with hc.
I do not dose excell or any ferts for that matter, honestly not a thing. Shrimp breeding is my #1 priority, not super fast plant growth, even though i was trimming a ton of hc weekly with the last tank set up. I could not tell you par levels, planning on attending my first SAPS meeting this week so maybe i can borrow theirs.I think the light can do well over 100 but i only ran it at 30% and 3 hours of that is ramping. So really not a ton of light.
Tank has cleared and i am very happy with it :) The glosso continues to grow EXTREMELY fast. Hc is also showing a bunch of new growth, unfortunately has bga showing up on it. Started dosing EM two days ago, should take care of it. Had the same thing happen last time.
Really surprised how good things are transitioning with out co2. Especially since rkl is controlling temp on temporary tiger tank, so LED is running at 100%
Hopefully be able to try adding some shrimp in another couple weeks. Will sacrifice some blondes to see what happens.
A couple pics.

 

Forumsnow

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Tom Barr;119586 said:
Looking good.
Thanks Tom, would not have been possible with out your wood or plants.
Tank is testing as cycled, probably from dsm and cycled biomedia. Threw a wild neo in last night she is still alive a nomming around this morning. Doesn't mean much as they are tanks, but still nice to have something living in there. Will still wait at least another month to put the royals in to make sure tank is fully cycled and allow biofilm to develop. If neo is still alive next weekend i will try adding a blonde oebt.
 

Tom Barr

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I'd certainly hurry up and add shrimp, if you can handle other species you might care less about, do so now.
Removing them is the issue though.

So Amano shrimp are a lot easier for that job.
 

Tom Barr

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I'd certainly hurry up and add shrimp, if you can handle other species you might care less about, do so now.
Removing them is the issue though.

So Amano shrimp are a lot easier for that job.
 

Forumsnow

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As ironic as it is, since i can breed some of the most sensitive shrimp available, i can not for the life of me keep amanos alive. I've tried probably 20 of them and they either die with in the first week or I find them crispy with in a month. This is in 3 separate tanks, one being this shrimp specific tank. I don't know, they just don't like me.
I have 2 wild neos in there now that are doing good.Today i will do as large of water change as possible and refill with remineralized rodi. I'll let it sit over night to make sure things stay stable and if all is good I will transfer some blondes over tomorrow(I have probably 30 blondes so I am not quite so worried about them.)
 

Forumsnow

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Can not explain it but this tank just grows plants so well. Hc is in full bore now, almost totally out competed the hair algae and bga, only a few strands of hair left. Even the downoi is growing well. Red lud has a very nice red color even though it looks kinda orange in pics. All shrimp are doing great, may try adding a couple royal babies after water change this weekend. All params are spot on and seem to be staying mich more stable this go around.
FTS

HC

Downoi

Red lug

Random ludwigia i believe, collected in Elk Grove
12long11235_zps6292a272.jpg

Light is down to 25%
 

Forumsnow

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Tank has come a long long way in past week. Hc is just growing like crazy, not a nice thick mat yet, but has full coverage. I had to move the filter up behind the tank until i can figure something else out, maybe add my danner mag. When the sponge on the intake clogged even the littlest bit, the 6ft of head was just to much and flow would slow to a trickle within 2 days. Definitely ordering a stainless shrimp strainer, I am sick and tired of cleaning sponges. I think every shrimp tank i do from now on will have a ugf so it will be a non issue. Added a adult male royal and 2 more babies along with a couple more supremes. Can not wait to get the rest of the royals in, swear i see more and more babies every day, think i probably have 40 or more.
 

Tom Barr

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Now comes the time to trim routinely. Keep on top of it, if you let it go too long, the plants will die back and off.
I would likely get rid of the Gloss slowly.........and let the HC take over. Maybe add more Downoi. Get rid of the red stem in the right and add a fern maybe.
Tie some Xmas moss etc on the water/air interface on the branches. Then some HC will grow on that easily.
 

Tom Barr

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Now comes the time to trim routinely. Keep on top of it, if you let it go too long, the plants will die back and off.
I would likely get rid of the Gloss slowly.........and let the HC take over. Maybe add more Downoi. Get rid of the red stem in the right and add a fern maybe.
Tie some Xmas moss etc on the water/air interface on the branches. Then some HC will grow on that easily.