1st REAL planted tank (10g) log! (Picture heavy)

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myswtsins

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Thanks! I love that crypt, it is by far my favorite plant ever! I have had it for 1.5 yrs in that exact spot, I put in root tabs very rarely maybe 4 times but only 1/2 a tab each time. I do not & have not (for the most part) fertilized or added carbon of any kind. I didn't get my first plantlet until this past month and then 4 more popped up all the sudden. In short, I really don't know how I got them. Best I can figure is don't move it for 1.4 yrs! :D


I just made a mod to my light. I think the water spots on the glass lid may have been affecting the light output so I put two little strips of plexi-glass along the side edges on the tank/rim and rested the light right on those. I say this because my Rotala sp. is no longer pink at the top & plant growth and algae have been a little abnormal. We will see what happens!

EDIT - I forget to mention that my floating (in the first picture on pg 10) freebie plant that came with my free RCS is most likely Crypt Parva, Yay! Now in 3 yrs it may be a noticeable addition to this tank. :)
 

fishorama

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The rescape looks great. Maybe that's what's bothering the shrimp? You took out a lot of plants & stirred things up. Watch the plexi, I was told it would bend from the light heat.
 

myswtsins

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I would agree that the rescape has upset them, definitely, but they stopped breeding and started dying off well before the rescape too.

No worries about the plexi glass, I only have 1.5" strips all the way to the edges and I have a double socket incandescent fixture with twirly bulbs so the bulbs are not even close to the edges.

Thanks for your comments & feedback!
 

myswtsins

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Well I happened across an eye witness account of a planaria killing a shrimp so I researched it some more. (I have always been told they are harmless) I found several references that say planaria ARE dangerous to our shrimp. Not only are they meat eating parasites but they secrete a toxin that is deadly to shrimp! They usually secrete this toxin when they are disturbed and I imagine 200 shrimp stepping on them while fighting over food would disturb them.

I do have planaria in my shrimp tank (typical!), not huge numbers but enough that at feeding time I see them! I have noticed they are very pinkish colored lately opposed to their normal white appearance in this tank. I also recently had a snail with a hole in her foot that no one could explain. Maybe she rested on top of the planaria too long or it even ate her....

Whatever the case may be I set up a planaria trap tonight & will keep an eye on it.
 

myswtsins

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Just letting everyone know this tank is done. If the plants are doing well the inverts are dying, if the inverts are doing well the plants are dying. :huh: Over the years no one has been able to figure out why my inverts do great & breed for awhile and then all die off. I cannot take the invert heartbreak & struggle anymore! :cry:

I am either going to just combine the plants & handful of shrimp in this tank with my 40g Breeder or there is a very slight chance I might setup a rimless 20 long for small fish and they can go in there. One way or another this tank has come to a end.
 

FishTank719

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very nice set up!!!! is that the best substrate for plants???
 

dundadundun

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sorry to hear.
 

myswtsins

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Thanks everyone.

Eco-complete is a very decent substrate for growing plants. I personally prefer sand substrates now though.


The only thing I don't think I have tried over the past 2 years is to change the actual tank or substrate so hopefully the upcoming change will bring better results.
 
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