Gravel for shrimp

[finfayce]

It doesn't get much sturdier than java moss. Maybe it was missing some nutrients. Java moss doesn't grow fast so it doesn't need much. But it does need something.

This is the plant I have bought several times for my shrimp tank. the plant was on a wire screen. it fell apart each time

 

[finfayce]

Something like guppy grass is pretty foolproof but will require constant pruning. I have subwassertang in my shrimp tank but it is less hardy than Java moss.

What makes Java moss disintegrate ?

 

[BrianK]

What makes Java moss disintegrate ?

Sorry. No idea. I've had Java, flame, and Christmas mosses and they grew nicely for me.

 

[Ram419]

What makes Java moss disintegrate ?

This seems like a good guide, not just for Java Moss but many plants --> https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/what-does-dead-java-moss-look-like-what-to-do/

 

[seannx]

What is the best gravel for amano shrimp aquarium?

I have a heavily planted tank with a mix of regular gravel plus a black kind that’s good for plant growth. There are lots of cherry shrimp having plenty of babies, plus a few amano shrimp, a big mystery snail, a couple of nerite snails, and some assassin snails. Prior to adding six assassin snails, the tank had a huge number of invasive bladderwort snails. They were all gone in about two months, and the assassin snails don’t bother the shrimp or much bigger mystery and nerite snails. After six months or so I’ve only seen one baby assassin snail. If you want fish along with shrimp, miniature cory cats and white cloud minnows are the only ones I’ve had at times that didn’t try to eat the baby shrimp. Now the tank is mostly shrimp and a few snails, and requires much less maintenance.

 

[finfayce]

I have a heavily planted tank with a mix of regular gravel plus a black kind that’s good for plant growth. There are lots of cherry shrimp having plenty of babies, plus a few amano shrimp, a big mystery snail, a couple of nerite snails, and some assassin snails. Prior to adding six assassin snails, the tank had a huge number of invasive bladderwort snails. They were all gone in about two months, and the assassin snails don’t bother the shrimp or much bigger mystery and nerite snails. After six months or so I’ve only seen one baby assassin snail. If you want fish along with shrimp, miniature cory cats and white cloud minnows are the only ones I’ve had at times that didn’t try to eat the baby shrimp. Now the tank is mostly shrimp and a few snails, and requires much less maintenance.

thanks

 

[finfayce]

This seems like a good guide, not just for Java Moss but many plants --> https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/what-does-dead-java-moss-look-like-what-to-do/

Thank you for the informative link. I also read further to understand adding C02. As with all additives one needs to monitor levels. I read floating plants can get enough C02 VS deeply rooted plants?
Also an air stop could help ?

 

[Ram419]

Thank you for the informative link. I also read further to understand adding C02. As with all additives one needs to monitor levels. I read floating plants can get enough C02 VS deeply rooted plants?
Also an air stop could help ?

Yes, I was just doing a little reading and you are correct in that floating plants get CO2 from ambient air, not really from the water column.

Here's another site I found that explains it better and which plants actually need extra CO2, aside from what your fish produce. I'm still learning about plants and CO2 myself so this is good info for me. I've only used the liquid CO2 booster from API so far. I'm not sure if something like API CO2 booster would even be enough for the plants they list that need an actual CO2 system in the tank.

Here they state plants on the site marked at medium or advanced require extra CO2. I'm thinking those are the kind that require the CO2 systems.

Fertiliser and CO2 for your aquarium. - Tropica Aquarium Plants

Fertiliser and CO2 for your aquarium.

tropica.com

 

[Byron]

Aquarium plants do not need added CO2 in any form most of the time. It may help with "carpet" plants, but this is because the mega light needed to grow substrate-level plants has to be balanced by all 17 nutrients of which carbon is one, or algae will be problematic.

Second point, the majority of natural CO2 in an aquarium does not occur from fish, but from the decomposition of organics in the substrate. Fish, plants and some species of bacteria respirate 24/7, taking in oxygen and giving off CO2. The CO2 given off by these organisms is not all that much, certainly not sufficient to provide enough carbon for plants long-term. The bulk of CO2 comes from the decomposition. At night, this together will produce a fair bit of CO2 which accumulates in the aquarium. This can affect fish, I saw it in my cory tank some years ago. Increasing the surface disturbance solved the issue. But the point is that quite a lot of CO2 occurs naturally. During sufficient daylight--the intensity has to be sufficient to drive photosynthesis, and different plant species have differing levels depending upon their growth habit--the plants take up more CO2 than is produced by the respiration(which continues day and night) and the organic decomposition (which is also occurring day and night). The CO2 may become depleted, which is where we work out the balance involving the needs of the various plants and the fish load/decomposition. I had my tanks worked out to requiring seven hours of tank light each 24 hour period, and this balance ran for years with thriving plant growth and without adding any CO2.

Which brings me to the third point--any form of CO2/carbon added to the aquarium will affect fish. There was an article on this in Practical Fishkeeping a couple of years ago, citing evidence that diffused CO2 was detrimental to fish. This should surprise no one, just look at what the increase in atmospheric COP2 is doing to life on this planet.

So-called liquid CO2 is glutaraldehyde, and if you want this in a fish tank, the mind boggles. Some very reputable members will say this is safe. I do not agree, no toxic substance is "safe," and I no longer argue the point. General principle. It's like the suggestion made a couple of years back that if people injected disinfectant into their bloodstream it would kill Covid. Go figure.

Last comment on floating plants and CO2. Floating plants have what is termed the aerial advantage. With leaves on the surface, they can assimilate CO2 from the air, and this process is about four times faster than aquatic plants submerged which have to rely on CO2 dissolved in the water. So floaters grow faster because thy are closer to the light, have more than sufficient CO2 from the air, and thus take up all the ammonia they can grab.

Final though, moss does not need any form of CO2 added. Too much risk for no benefit.

 

[Ram419]

Here's another good article I found on the CO2 subject regarding gas vs liquid, and talks to some of the points about toxicity that Byron was mentioning. https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/carbon-in-the-planted-aquarium-gas-vs--liquid/

 

[Byron]

I read the linked article the other day. Nothing in it changes my opinion. Aquarists can decide for themselves if they want to pour a toxic disinfectant into a tank with plants and fish.

Something I forgot previously...at the recommended dose on the label of these liquid carbon things, some plants are killed. Valisneria is especially sensitive, and I believe mosses. I think this should cause one to think twice. And they are reported to kill problem algae. Another warning bell.

 

[Ram419]

Yeah, interesting. According to this article the liquid CO2 function is to kill algae to allow the other plants to get the nutriuents. https://www.co2art.us/blogs/blog/ho...r liquid,primarily focusing on removing algae.

 

[sharkweek178]

Yeah, interesting. According to this article the liquid CO2 function is to kill algae to allow the other plants to get the nutriuents. https/www.co2art.us/blogs/blog/how-to-use-liquid-carbon-in-your-planted-aquarium#:~:text=Liquid carbon dioxide, or liquid,primarily focusing on removing algae.

I don't understand this. This seems like it should be unnecessary. Plants outcompete algae for nutrients. You get algae when you have nutrients in excess of what the plants need.

 

[Ram419]

Right, they are just saying it promotes more plant growth indirectly by killing algae. But, in the end they are saying the pressurized CO2 systems are more supeior.

 

[Byron]

Right, they are just saying it promotes more plant growth indirectly by killing algae. But, in the end they are saying the pressurized CO2 systems are more supeior.

I read the article previously but have forgotten details as I have one major exception...CO2 and liquid carbon both affect or have the likelihood to affect fish, detrimentally. Adding either creates a very different playing field.

But the contention that liquid "carbon" indirectly promotes plant growth by killing algae has to be carefully understood. Plants grow if the light is of sufficient intensity for the plant species, and if the red, blue and green wavelengths (spectrum) are present and strong, and if there are 17 necessary nutrients available in the water or substrate. Algae will always be present if the biological system is healthy, but it will be common algae (which is usually invisible to us) and not "problem" algae. And you control this by the balance of light and nutrients, not be dumping some toxic disinfectant in the tank.

CO2 diffusion can feed problem algae, I have seen this from members. So can excess of many of the necessary nutrients, or too bright a light, or too weak a light, or too long a photoperiod. Use nature to achieve the balance, not chemicals.