12L Micro Tank

[Mamashack]

New temporary addition to the micro tank - a small juvenile female platy.
She's the only female in a now all male platy 60L tank. She was being chased by 3 of the juvenile males and thinking that she was eventually going to be harassed to death by such a male:female ratio as happened with her mother. So I've removed her and put her in the micro tank. I'm going to try to rehome her.
Is there anything I can do to reduce the stress she is feeling at the change? She's darting about and looking more stressed than she did being chased in the 60L.

 

[attibones]

Sorry to hear about the shrimp, Mama. I hate that for you.
 
Can you provide a floating plant or something for the 12l? This might make the little platy feel safer.
 
I wouldn't worry much about the snail shell. I've got one with a crack in her shell too, but after six months, I believe it's totally healed, except for a "scar." I've got another one with a chip which eventually grew over again. They take a while, but they seem to be okay with scrapes like this. So long as a piece of the shell doesn't totally come off (mine with the chip lost a tiny piece at the point of her shell, but I'm talking now about larger pieces near the foot), then your snail should be fine. Just make sure your snail doesn't escape and fall to the floor! 

 

[daizeUK]

Shame about the shrimp.  I'm guessing it must have already been dead as I can't imagine a snail outrunning a shrimp!  Then again I've never kept assassins - maybe they live up to their name 

 
All I can suggest is keep lights off for the little platy until she settles in.  I've been putting juvenile males into my 35L as soon as I detect them and they seem perfectly relaxed straight away but there is a lot of cover in there for them to hide in.

 

[Mamashack]

Thanks atti and daize!
I haven't got a tank light in the 12L yet and I'd already put some salvinia in there, but I think it was still too stressful for her - she was just swimming up and down the tank wall. Thought I'd leave her to settle whilst I was at work, but she was still swimming up and down when I got home 8½hrs later so she's back in the 60L for now. I thought she might exhaust herself otherwise.
Am hoping my friend's daughter is going to have her to go with her only remaining platy, but they haven't managed to sex theirs and are reluctant to take on a female if they've got a male for obvious reasons. They didn't know how to work out the gender so I've told them how and they're checking tonight.
So fingers crossed they've got a female!

The snails can't get out unless I forget to slide the mesh cover back over after feeding/testing as they are much bigger than the holes in the mesh so hopefully no kamikaze snails all being well!!

 

[Mamashack]

Well, talk about all change! Again!
Every tank has now had its occupants rejigged, mainly because the male platy and the betta in the 60L had obviously been fighting!
The platy's dorsal fin is much shorter and tattier than normal and the betta's fins have taken some hammer by the looks of it so he's been moved back to the 30L after the little shrimp was moved to the micro tank where it is marching around the perimeter and looks like it is thinking ...what the heck?
Moved the amanos and the snails from the micro tank - to the 60L and the 30L respectively.
Poor Cobalt (betta) was a bit stressed as he took ages to catch in the larger tank and went very pale for a while, but is back to his full colour now and sulking with me!
So the micro tank has 1 occupant - a growing Blue Phantom "Blueberry" shrimp with 3 more on the way next week all being well.

 

[Mamashack]

After watching the little shrimp march around the perimeter seemingly non-stop for ages, I retested the water and compared it to the water in the tank it had been in before the big change around and they looked identical. The only thing that was different was about 0.3°C difference in temperature. So I thought it can't be the water quality, but I was getting exhausted watching it so heaven knows how it felt!
Anyway did a 50% water change just in case and the nitrAtes went down from 40 to 20-40ppm and I noticed as I did the check ½hr after the W/C that the shrimp was more settled so it must have been the water quality after all. Maybe what I thought was 40 originally was actually between 40 and 80ppm. It's so hard to tell with those colour comparisons though the test-tubes did look identical next to each other against the back of the colour chart.
I'll be checking the water again tomorrow morning and will do further water changes if I think it's needed.
Hope it manages to get some peace tonight!

 

[Mamashack]

Did another water test this morning for nitrAte and did the dilution test that TTA recommends for the nitrIte test  in his Part II fish-in cycling article (I assume the principle is the same for any water test) and the result in the test-tube was 5ppm.
Since I'd diluted it 1part tank water to 3 parts R.O. water the result was actually 20ppm which was a big relief!
I'll not do a water change today, but will keep an eye on the nitrAtes and do one if it goes up any more.
What I can't understand is why it could tolerate 40ppm in the 30L  but not in the micro tank. I guess the surroundings were new and I think it was this little shrimp that slowly walked around the perimeter of the 30L several times at first, but now it's half as big again it can walk faster and jump so it looked more agitated.
It's definitely more settled this morning and is resting at the side of the wood the anubias is tied to. (Have seen it walking more sedately this morning so it's not paced itself to death overnight thankfully!)

 

[Mamashack]

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Here he/she is this morning investigating the moss ball for snacks!​

 

[Mamashack]

Well I may have found the reason why it was pacing so frantically yesterday - I have found a tiny empty exoskeleton. Haven't seen hide nor hair of the shrimp since I got in from work almost an hour ago. I believe they are very sensitive and exposed to attack after moulting so maybe it's keeping out of the way (even tho there's nothing in the tank with it yet).

 

[Zikofski]

OMG WOW read this last night at 4am when i couldn't sleep and now i want a small nano tank with this shrimp in, how is the one doing looks stunning and what site did u buy it from in the end?

 

[Mamashack]

He's doing fine thanks, Zikofski
Will PM the link. My profile picture is their advert photo and my signature picture is what I have - about 1cm - half adult size - when delivered. Well packaged for delivery. Lost 2 out of the 3 originally delivered, but that may have been due to having to switch them to one of the other tanks until the micro tank was ready.
Grown about ½cm in 2 weeks. Am really pleased with this little tank and its sole occupant who will shortly be joined by 3 more middle of next week all being well.

 

[Zikofski]

aah that is great i hope you actually get 3 this time  

 

[Brilly91]

Ahhh so cool i want one!

 

[Mamashack]

Rejigged the tank yesterday after planting the spiral vallis and placing the US fissidens mesh on one of the rocks, much to the disgust of the shrimp who skipped over the top of it at first and then wouldn't leave it alone for ages last night! Must taste appealing or have micro-organisms that were yummy!
Added a tiny little terracotta plant pot today - only 2"!!
Think I prefer the heater away from the back wall - seems to look more spacious now imo.

 

[attibones]

It is looking nice! I would love to have some colorful shrimp like these soon. Maybe George wouldn't mind a few.

I agree with you that the tank looks a little bigger with the heater moved off to the side. Hope you get your shrimpies soon!