Cycling Shrimp Tank?

[Geoff1991]

I was thinking

Im going to set up a 15G shrimp tank soon, planted well...

I was doing some planning in my mind then i thought is it worth doing a full on fishless cycle just for the waste of like 20 amano shrimp and about 40 cherry shrimp (numbers TBC)

Should i just cut the dosage of ammonia to like 2ppm or something?

 

[JenCliBee]

I was thinking

Im going to set up a 15G shrimp tank soon, planted well...

I was doing some planning in my mind then i thought is it worth doing a full on fishless cycle just for the waste of like 20 amano shrimp and about 40 cherry shrimp (numbers TBC)

Should i just cut the dosage of ammonia to like 2ppm or something?

I done it upto 3 ppm and once cycled it all seems to work well, still no deaths(touch wood) and i added CBS two weeks after it had finished, just be very sure that there is no chance of any sort of spike beens they tend to be very sensitive to any levels of ammonia ...as most things are but even more so with shrimp

 

[saltynay]

If its well planted I see why not as cherries and amanos are very hardy, normally when people are setting up a tank of that size for shrimps only I tell them to use a film canister size diy bubble filter.

 

[Geoff1991]

An air filter?

That would be cool actually, saving money and space. I have an airpump i could use.

Edit:

Well i could do that, or i have a fluval 2+ lying around or i could get hold of a cheap tetratec external (maybe overkill)

Whats my best option? I really dont want this tank to be cluttered with equipment. So i was thinking of going with a similar setup as the tank im fishless cycling (external filter and heater)

Edit2: Actually, if i went with an internal filter (or DIY) i could afford to up my lighting a bit and get a fire extinguisher co2 setup...

Edit3: Ive got to stop thinking...

260443331180

Would that be good if i chose not to go down the DIY route? One problem, im going to plant it heavily which would require good circulation...

 

[saltynay]

Well as I said you only need a camera analogue film canister (if you remember those lol) stuffed with sponge and a few holes in it which would be easily concealable and you could paint it to make it blend in more the external and the fluval 2+ would be overkill. For flow I would use a power head externally linked like mine (give me a sec to upload pics)

 

[Geoff1991]

Thats the best idea i think, DIY filter and a small powerhead. *Waits for pics*

 

[saltynay]

Thats the outlet which makes the most presence I find that having it just touching the water line stops any noise but as you want high flow you may want it mid of the tank. I couldn't get the right angle to take a pic of the inlet but its a larger pipe at 16/22mm as that is the size of the inlet on my pump and with a little plastic guard on it. It is hidden by the two fluval1+ pumps so only noticeable thing is a clear tube snaking out of the top of the water line and dissapearing behind.



(click to enlarge)

 

[Geoff1991]

I dont quite understand... Whats on the other end of that pipe?

Well, i know its a powerhead, but dont they have to be submerged?

 

[saltynay]

Nope not all, most I have found don't but you ofcourse want to read the packaging thoroughly before buying. I have to self-prime it to get the air out by placing the intake in the water and sucking the outlet to draw water through the pump manually then turn the pump on it works aswell as submerged as essentially it doesn't matter whether the water is drawn through tubing or directly provided it is present the impellor will work. My first few issues with my DIY filter was trying to get the pump to work externally then realised I was being stupid as the impellor doesn't act as a fan so can't suck air only water and so water needed to be inside the majority of the tubing a few bubbles don't matter much as they quickly get forced out. I use a maxijet MJ750

 

[Geoff1991]

Right, i understand now. Thanks.

Edit:

http/www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/cat...head-p-430.html

That be ok for a 15G tank?