20Gal Long Planted Community Shrimp Tank

[W1ngz]

There be fish!
 
After only a 3 week fishless cycle period, yesterday's water tests came up pH 7.4, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, about 10ppm nitrate and 125 GH. I did a little water change to push down the nitrates just a wee bit and I was ready to go.
 
I spent the afternoon at my sister's place, where they have 7 tanks ranging from little nanos to a 40 gal, and I raided the place. I left there with 10 red cherry shrimp, about 8 endlers, two of which are pregnant females and a fistful of plants most of which I can't identify yet. The cherry shrimp are living in the hang on breeder box, which I've set up something like a nano tank with black sand and a few lava rocks with java moss tied to them for now. Overnight it seems a few of the shrimp managed to push their way through the floss padding that I added to the hang on box's outflow to try and prevent exactly that (I caught another trying to do the same this morning). I've since replaced it with a piece of nylon stocking wrapped around which will hopefully discourage that kind of behaviour. I was able to trap and return the adults, but 2 juveniles are missing. There's plenty of nooks and cranny's to hide in, and it's a flourite gravel bottom, so they may still be hidden someplace in the main tank, but I suspect they ended up a midnight snack for one of the adult female endlers. One of the shrimp had eggs when we picked her out of the tank, and she managed the trip from jar to baggie to car to shotglass and finally into my tank, and she still has hold of them!! I'll have shrimplets before you know it, and once they start thriving a little in the hang on box, and the plant cover starts growing in on the main tank, I'll gradually migrate the larger shrimp to the main tank.
 
I can't help but think a small school of cardinal tetras wouldn't be out of place for some colour... hrmm...
 

 

 

[W1ngz]

So it's been about a week with fish in the tank. I couldn't resist adding some color in there, so I did head out to find some cardinals. Asked the kid at the store to bag up 10 of them, and he couldn't be bothered to be too exact, so I ended up with 16! Just today I've noticed, that instead of constantly shoaling in the corner together and schooling around, they've finally spread out around the tank. Hopefully this means they're settled in, and relaxed in their new environment.
 
Plants seem to be settling down as well, with one java fern sprouting roots from one leaf, the moss is reaching down the sides of the rock and the valisneria has gone from somewhat transparent, to a nice brilliant green up the middle.
 
My two escapee shrimp from my hang on back breeder have called the hollowed out area in the wood home, and I occasionally see them out and about cleaning up the baby leaf or roaming around on the gravel.

 

[majerah1]

Looking nice! How do you like the LED+? I have one on my 40 breeder and adore it!  I like to ease my fish into the light and darkness better than just BAM! ligghts on/ off. They ( he ) seem to appreciate it too. 

 

[W1ngz]

The LED+ was something of an impulse buy (so was the aquarium, but we won't get into THAT!), possibly one of the best I've ever made. When I first started looking into things, I was somewhat alarmed that decent low energy/low heat light was going to cost more than what I paid for the tank, filter and heater together (hooray for boxing day sales!). Value for money, it definitely seems top tier, espefcially for a beginner setup. A lot of places list it at $130+ but it can be had for under $90 if you shop for it.

Oh oh oh!
Yesterday evening as I was peering into the depths, I noticed that all of a sudden I have a second shrimp with eggs! 

 

[majerah1]

Yep I love the price of it as well. Also it makes the fish colors look fantastic. 
 
Awesome about the shrimp eggs. 

 

[Barb-barian]

everything looks super great i hope those baby shrimp workout and you get many more =)

 

[W1ngz]

Some territorial behaviour is starting with some of the Cardinals. Several of them seem to have 'claimed' various areas of the tank as their own, chasing away other Cardinals who come too close. Yet they ignore the Endlers who wander through the same space.
 
They still all school together if there's a disturbance, like reaching a net in to fish out a stray leaf or adjust a bit of decor.

 

[l_l_l]

Nice job you are doing here!
I think you are on the right track for a great tank!

 

[W1ngz]

Found some shrimplets late last night. Tried my best to count them, but they are SOO hard to find! I know there's at least 5, but I can only see properly from one side of the breeder box at the moment. There's gotta be more than that, wouldn't even a young female have at least a dozen or so eggs?