Low Tech Home For Shrimp And Frogs

Arcadia Arc 35

Volume: 35L ~ 8G (400 x 280 x 330 mm)
Lighting: 11w Arc pod ~ 1.3wpg (so low light?)
Filtration: Classica Powerbio 200 5W (Eheim 2213 should arrive tomorrow)
Substrate: sand (argos)
plants: Echinodorus ozelot green
Hygrophila guanensis x3
Bolbitus heudelotil
Ludwigia palustris red
Cryptocoryne amicorum
Cryptocoryne legroi

Hi, i thought i'd keep track of my tank here. I spent a while reading up on the forum and have finally taken the plunge into planted tanks. The pics are a bit cloudy, because i forgot to take off the rockwool and had to replant, which stirred things up I'm planning to add some driftwood to attach the bolbitus to, as a focal point.



i'll post a better set of pics, once the water has cleared, and put up some sketches of how i'd like the scape to develop

i presume i should put root tabs in for the crypts, should i do the same for the others? or just dose the column? i was hoping to silent cycle does this look like enough stem plants in the mix to do this? i'm considering adding some vallisneria spiralis at the back of the tank for the frogs to hang onto at the surface, would these be help?

cheers

Andy

It looks quite good to me

I wouldn't bother adding root tabs. If you are going to dose the water column then the plants will get what they need assuming that the fert/method used supplies what is needed.

Silent cycling can be pretty tricky. I don't think there are enough plants in there at the moment for a silent cycle but I could be wrong. However I wouldn't put anymore in as what you have already will grow out quite well.

I would test it for a week. See what happens. Shrimps are pretty sensitive to ammonia, moreso than fish so just keep an eye on it for a week and if you see any large spikes then do water changes.

Saying that I would suspect that daily water changes would suffice. Is it worth the risk though for a week or 2?

For the frogs maybe you could get another piece of wood that can reach the surface. similar twisty root type as you already have in there.

If you ask around the plant forums sales/wanted sections there should be someone willing to sell a single piece in the size you require

Keep us posted. promising start

AC

cheers AC. yeh, there's no rush to stock the tank. the plants were a mixed box of 5 pots from aquaessentials & the HG's that were on special, really impressed with the quality. i guessed adding anymore would start to over shadow what's in there just now. i'll give it a bit of time, if it doesn't spike i'll take it from there.

Andy

Do I have problems with my eyes? I don't see any type of wood in there....

Hi

yeh LotF, your eyes are fine, woods in now though.



no sign of spikes yet, keepin fingers crossed. there's been a little algae on the wood, but i've just brushed this off with a clean brush, hopefully it'll clear up soon.

forgot to mention, the 2213 is in now, so i've got much better circulation. i had to cut the spray bar and drill extra holes to get the flow right. Next on the list is another U pipe so i can move those ugly cables at the back of the tank, and a sheet of acrylic to replace the glass lid.

A

Awesome tank!

I love the wood! Looks very promising, now only sit and wait to see what the plants do...

love it! very natural, and keep us updated.

This is looking very good. Keep us posted.

Since the last photo's I’ve added some Red root floater (Phyllanthus Fluitans from voo), and a couple minor rearrangements as the plants have grown a bit. The Ludwigia has really shot up, with lots of red growth, so i've taken a few cuttings to bush it out a bit more. The colour has faded a bit from the cuttings, but they are growing a lots of roots, so it's all good. The frogs and shrimp (shrimp from stevereade) are now in, and doin well. It's funny to watch them at feeding time, the shrimp swoop in and steal food from right under the frogs noses. Three shrimp are carrying eggs, so I think there's goin to be a bit of an explosion of them in a couple of weeks.

http/img834.imageshack.us/img834/449/dsc0316ih.jpg <-------- egg-laden cherry shrimp

i've added a blue LED strip as a DIY moonlight at 6V it gives enough light to see the see most of what's goin on in there. (http/www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=218015&OrderCode=N91CX, in case anyones interested)

love it!!!
and if you are having aquatic species of frogs (assuming african DWARF because the tank is too small for african CLAWED) then you do not need to worry about having wood "so the frogs can reach the surface" - they do not climb up to breathe, they simply swim up.

Thanks! Yeh, they're dwarf frogs. My folks back home have a clawed frog, unfortunately I don't have space for a Xenopus tank as well. That's a great collection you've got by the way.

Very nice and great picture of the soon to be mother shrimp! Could it be entered for the fish of the month competition, or is it not for invertebrates?

thanks they are my little darlings

can't wait to see photos of your frogs once you get them - this is definitely a great tank for them!