12L Micro Tank

[Zikofski]

okay, firstly to comment way back at fm's message the cpd's are becoming more active, slowly but still jumpy maybe that will change as the tank fils out more with plants, but when i took those pictures they where not still that is a pic of the fish in motion, i did take 30 odd pics and that was the clearest pic.
 
okay going back to the fantasies i am not 100% where to get them from now, but i shall speak to MA leeds south in a week or two and maybe who knows this guy can get them for me.
 
also that is a myth about anubias and crypts I've grown them loads and pletyfull in shrimp tanks and never had a single problem, infact I've never had a shimp loss come to think of it, and my i started with 6 cherries ended up having over 100 of them so crypts and anubias are fine don't worry n panic about that.
 
looks good what u have done to the tank mama i hope my tank fills out and looks good in a few months time, altho i am questing wether to get those black and white crystals or to keep with the blue? or even both is that possible?

 

[fm1978]

That's good news, Zik, hopefully Mamashack will be able to get the anubias back in if they are safe. I was simply relaying info I had read.

You can keep the crystals (caradina) with the blue cherries (neocaradina) without cross breeding. Their requirements are similar, too. I have black and red crystals with 3 different colours of cherries!

 

[Zikofski]

oh that is awesome i loved the look of those black n white crystals but then i love the strangely coloured blue shrimp haha its good to know tho

 

[fm1978]

The crystals are fabulous!

I'd love to get my hands on some of the deep blue coloured cherries but only Daize seems to have found them in the flesh...really looking forward to hearing am update on those guys!

 

[fm1978]

Mama, hope you don't mind if I continue the discussion about the deep blue coloured shrimp here!
 
I emailed my shrimp supplier and even although he doesn't have them on his website yet, he's started his own colony of Fantasy Blue Shrimp (Neocaridina Davidi). He took this picture this morning and they do look really, really nice...
 

 
He has them at £12.95 each, however, if you join his facebook page, you get a 10% discount on all orders. He says he's trying to increase the numbers before they go on his website but he could sell a couple soon if anyone is interested...I am!
 
Thought I'd share

 

[Mamashack]

Oohh me too! That's interesting! Thanks, fm!!
Have been in touch with the guy from Keenshrimp and he's yet to receive his Topas ones, but he said to look out for royal blue tigers as they are "an amazing shade of blue". Have yet to look them up tho.
Is your supplier Easishrimp? If so I've joined his website and facebook liked too yesterday. 
Yikes!!! Just found some on Sharnbrook website at £39.99 each!!! Gulp!!! P'raps not!!!!

 

[fm1978]

Yeah, it's AJ from easishrimp...I think I might get a couple to see what they're like!

My goodness, there's some expensive shrimps on that site!

 

[Mamashack]

Some breathtakingly beautiful ones, but way outside my price range!!
(Note to self - get a lottery ticket!)

 

[Mamashack]

Well I can't see a single shrimp this morning - the temperature is 22.4⁰.
I've checked my records and before the heatwave started it was running around the 25⁰ region.
Could they have adjusted to that temp and now be feeling too cold to move about?

 

[fm1978]

Don't think I could justify spending £40 on a shrimple! Well, not at the moment anyway...
 
I'll get a couple of the Fantasy Blues from AJ and let you know how I get on. He's got them at £12.95 each but with 10% off it's about £11.65. 
 
I wouldn't be worried a huge amount about where the temp is now settling, (although it's a factor in the long term) it's the wild fluctuations from very hot to cool that could be affecting them right now. All I know is that my tank is a solid 21C with all types of shrimp from cherries of various colours to crystals and amanos. This was based on advice from AJ who suggested a cooler temp and told me he doesn't even use heaters at all until winter.
 
22.4C won't be too cold, not by a long shot, but the 'sudden' drop from high 20s may be causing them stress. Give them time to settle into it and see what happens. Perhaps you could tempt them out with some food they can't say no to....blanched spinach, maybe? 

 

[Mamashack]

The temperature has risen to 23.1⁰ without the fan this morning.
I'm not sure what they'd be able to say no to as they don't seem to like much of what I'm offering. Have got 5 tubs of different shrimp foods but so far they seem to prefer the mosses. Hopefully when the Riccia gets here they'll find that appealing too.
I can get some spinach I guess and see if they fancy it for a change.

 

[Mamashack]

The nitrate was up to 25 again this morning. Only did a water exchange 3 days ago when it was 20 and got it down to 10. Have removed the most likely suspect - the snail - and will keep a very close eye on the nitrate level daily now as a check. 
As soon as I'd done the exchange, one of the shrimp was out and about. Still only seeing one of them so not sure where the others are! 
Have since stripped down the tank almost to just the substrate and I am proper confused now - there's only the 1 shrimp that I can see!
Have also stripped down the HOB filter and nothing in there. The only thing I haven't stripped down is the power filter tho I have cleared the inlets with the black sponge behind and no blue bodies stuck to it. So where the heck have they gone? Hopefully if they are still in there the Riccia will draw them out once it gets here.

 

[fm1978]

Hasn't it arrived yet? Do you get your post quite late on? I sent it 1st class!!
 
Sorry you can't see them much, I do hope they're still in there...somewhere!
 
That Nitrate seems to be creeping up awfully high and very quickly, which is strange for such a low stocked tank even of that volume. Could you increase the volume and frequency of changes until things settle? 

 

[Mamashack]

It's just arrived, fm! It was a bit late because they'd repackaged it in a plastic envelope as it had leaked thro the plastic bag you'd put it in and damaged the paper envelope. Not to worry it's here now and looking very green still. There's loads of it - thank you very much!! 
There are a few snails but nothing I can't cope with. Have removed most to the 30L tank tho I have spotted a couple now it's in the micro tank. Will get them later.
 
I'm going to be checking the nitrate level daily and doing water changes accordingly tho I'm hoping it was the snail that was the culprit and now he's gone hopefully it will settle.
Better get some lunch and then get myself off to work!
No peace for the wicked! lol

 

[Mamashack]

I really like this Riccia - it's really brightened up the tank!
Have had a bit of a declutter and I think I like the effect:

Have still only seen the 1 shrimp this evening - it's grown to a decent size now so I'm baffled as to where the others could be.
Checked the general area to make sure they hadn't managed to get out of the tank. 
I made sure I checked the anubias before I transferred it (unless they totally blended in with their surroundings! I know they can lose colour when threatened, but to this extent?)
Have also managed to have the light on today and the temp has hardly budged (maybe a degree or so) tho am still having the fan on most of the day. Got home from work this evening and the temperature was 22.4 so I was rather glad about that!