The tank is not huge and was recently upgraded from a shallower longer tank to this shorter but deeper tank.
The tank is 61cm x 30 cm x 38cm.
The substrate is a mix of washed river sand, black sand, river gravel and some larger smooth pebbles. There is also a large hollow log that dominates most of the floor space.
The tank originally started out as a native shrimp tank, but because my tanks are in a car shed and open topped mosquitos became a potential problem, so the hunt began for a suitable small fish to eat the mosquitos but not necessarily the shrimp. Enter the often over looked stunning, feisty and a times timid Spotted Blue Eye, a lovely little native fish that comes from the Northern Territory, the western tip of Cape York and a southern section of Papua New Guinea.
The shrimp in the tank are North Australian Chameleon Shrimp (Caridina sp WA4) these guys live up to their name and regularly change their colours and patterns
There are also Blackmore River Shrimp (Caridina sp NT2) also from the Northern Territory
Some of the berried females of this species can get just as interesting patterns as the chameleon shrimp.
I also have in the tank Darwin Algae Shrimp (Caridina sp NTnilotica)these are quite a large chuncky shrimp and once again at times mainly when berried the females can get some nice gentle colouration, often with a prominent back stripe.
And finally in the shrimp department are the Darwin Red-Nose Shrimp (Caridina sp gulf1) these are a skinny but long shrimp with a nose that looks like a red needle.
All of these species of shrimp can and do breed in fresh water.
For snails I have introduced Ramshorn and MTS but also some rather interesting natives from my local area. Namely a species of Notopala
This very large black snail I am still yet to identify
And this snail that is similar to MTS but has a spikier shell and is also squatter
Plant wise there is thin leafed Val Rotala mexicana, Hornwort and a plant I have always known as parrot feather, recently I also just added a small red tiger lotus.
The tank is 61cm x 30 cm x 38cm.
The substrate is a mix of washed river sand, black sand, river gravel and some larger smooth pebbles. There is also a large hollow log that dominates most of the floor space.
The tank originally started out as a native shrimp tank, but because my tanks are in a car shed and open topped mosquitos became a potential problem, so the hunt began for a suitable small fish to eat the mosquitos but not necessarily the shrimp. Enter the often over looked stunning, feisty and a times timid Spotted Blue Eye, a lovely little native fish that comes from the Northern Territory, the western tip of Cape York and a southern section of Papua New Guinea.
The shrimp in the tank are North Australian Chameleon Shrimp (Caridina sp WA4) these guys live up to their name and regularly change their colours and patterns
There are also Blackmore River Shrimp (Caridina sp NT2) also from the Northern Territory
Some of the berried females of this species can get just as interesting patterns as the chameleon shrimp.
I also have in the tank Darwin Algae Shrimp (Caridina sp NTnilotica)these are quite a large chuncky shrimp and once again at times mainly when berried the females can get some nice gentle colouration, often with a prominent back stripe.
And finally in the shrimp department are the Darwin Red-Nose Shrimp (Caridina sp gulf1) these are a skinny but long shrimp with a nose that looks like a red needle.
All of these species of shrimp can and do breed in fresh water.
For snails I have introduced Ramshorn and MTS but also some rather interesting natives from my local area. Namely a species of Notopala
This very large black snail I am still yet to identify
And this snail that is similar to MTS but has a spikier shell and is also squatter
Plant wise there is thin leafed Val Rotala mexicana, Hornwort and a plant I have always known as parrot feather, recently I also just added a small red tiger lotus.
