Help! First Planted Nano Tank

[Opicana]

Hi folks,
Thanks for viewing my post! I am in desperate need of some advice/instructions or perhaps a web addy that will help me answer some of my questions.

First, I have very little experience with aquariums. When I was little we had a huge aquarium, but my parents did most of the work. In the past couple of years, I have had a couple tetras, a beta and several guppies.

For Mother's Day, my mom asked me to find a use for our 3-gallon tank. Her only requirements are that it be colorful and pretty- as it will be placed on display in our colorful, tropical themed living room- and that it be aquatic (no hermit crabs, or lizards).

After some research, I discovered that a 3-gallon aquarium is not well-suited for many fish. I posted on another forum, looking for suggestions. One person suggested I do a planted tank, with a few shrimp. My mother and I absolutely adore this idea.

However, I have NO experience with neither shrimp nor plants. And in the past, I probably did not suitably care for my tanks (I was young, inexperienced and only had a couple, durable fish at a time...I took my advice from the local pet stores). This time, I would like to do things right, and make sure I do all the proper tests, etc...

I am having a real tough time finding information on the web, in terms of a step-by-step instruction guide. Where do I start? What equipment do I need? What types of plants? How many? What type of shrimp? How many? What water-quality tests do I need to perform?

So, if anyone has any advice, tips, instructions, guides or can point to a website that does, I would be most appreciative!

~Opicana~

 

[Abilor]

I've hung out here a couple of months, and I'm perhaps one step ahead of you, so I'll give you some BASIC advice (as a planted shrimp owner).

First, since shrimp are involved, you will still need to cycle the tank as you would for fish. To achieve that end, you can either do a really good job with fishless cycling, which you'll have to lookup on the forums, or you can do it the way that was recommended to me and get 2 or 3 zebra danios from the fish store. You basically fill the tank with dechlorinated water, add some rinsed gravel that's specified for aquariums, add a small heater (I'm recommending you go "tropical" rather than cold water, since most plants at your local fish store will probably be tropical, though if you did a lot of research, you might be able to do this with goldfish and appopriately selected plants), and finally a filter, preferably one with a TINY biowheel (I don't know if they make them that small).

The second you add the fish, the tank will start cycling. You can add plants at this point (it's better for the fish), but the cycle may take longer. You should monitor the cycling with a test-tube type ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate kit, available cheaply at any fish store, walmart, or petsmart. The ammonia will rise first (possibly killing the fish, and certainly making it a little sick), then drop as nitrites rise, which will in turn drop as nitrates rise. Zero ammonia and nitrite is the goal, since they're toxic. Nitrates are not as harmful, but must be removed at around 20ppm (if you're serious) with partial water changes. The whole process can take as little as a week, or up to two months, though I think often it's in the two to three week range. Test daily while it settles out.

Zebra danios are good, because they're cheap and hardy. One or two will provide "fertilizer" for the plants, though you can do this artificially with a lot of advice from the plant people forum. Once cycled, you're ready for shrimp.

I personally like atyo or "fan" shrimp. I have two bamboo shrimp, which are common at many fish stores, and they're highly interesting, as well as visually pleasing. They mull around and stick out they're fans, which get clogged with free floating microscopic food, usually algae. You never have to really feed them, especially if there's plenty of fish and plants around, and they keep your water really clean. Another common shrimp is the ghost shrimp, which I believe is a bottom feeder, though someone else will know more. Other than that, it depends on what you find at the fish store.

MAJOR CAUTION: Shrimps and other invertebrates are highly sensitive to copper and other heavy metals. GET a copper test, and be sure that both water from the tap, and water in the established tank do not have copper in them. Very bad... You should also monitor pH.

Finally, fish store folks are hit or miss. Sometimes they're very knowledgeable, but other times often you know more about fish than they do, though they will pretend often. I've seen some insecure employees dish out real whoppers when it was clear as I overheard they just didn't want to appear ignorant about fish and lose their job - not always they're fault, but beware. The folks on these forums REALLY know though, and plenty of searching will yield good results.

 

[Abilor]

Sorry, also with plants, your CO2 levels might matter. You can find a CO2 monitor, which will tell you your levels, and as with all fishy problems, add chemicals or water conditioners as an absolute last resort (dechlorinator is the exception that proves the rule). Stable, healthy water grows, it cannot be made.

 

[Opicana]

Great. Thanks, Abilor, for all your help! I have taken detailed notes and plan on doing some more research on things you mentioned. Do you have any recommendations for plants? And do you know if 2 shrimp plus if the Zebra danios survive will be suitable for a 3 gallon tank. I am nervous about crowding with a tank that small!
~Opicana~

 

[Abilor]

I'm glad you're nervous, you should be, but it sure seems like you've got the right attitude. There really is no magic way to know what will happen when you add a creature, but you never want to cross the threshold into an overstocked tank, which you already know. I think the best way to avoid it is start simple. Get a couple of plants, and 2 danios. Make certain some powered filter is going, one with a surface beneficial baterial colonies can grow on (our ammonia and nitrite eaters). Activated carbon will work, but only because the carbon fails in a few days, at which point, bacteria can colonize the porous surfaces. They can also grow on substrate rocks, but bacteria like oxygen like the rest of us. That's why a "wet-dry" surface is so effective, because the tank water passes through it, but the surface itself is in the air. In any case, plants + fish + filter = cycling process.

Even when the tank is established (no ammonia or nitrites), adding an additional creature will stress the tank, and form a mini-cycle. A few fish have a smaller mini-cycle than a lot of fish. So whatever you're adding, do it in stages, and let the cycle catch up each time.

That said, and since you want a planted tank, if you plant heavily, and add fish and shrimp in batches you will be able to host more than you might think, perhaps 2 - 3 danios, 3 - 4 shrimp, MAYBE some small cleaner fish like loaches. They would have to be botia infinitesimal fish though, because that's a large load for a 3G. Remember that all fish will grow, and you have to plan the tank around their maximum size, not the size they are when you get them.

Think like a motor. You don't ask it to torque up all at once, you pass through gears. There's always still a top RPM though, which you can't pass or you blow the engine. However, with experience, you will see the needle pass into the red first. Signs of that are cloudy, stinky water (AFTER cycling is complete, or if cycling never takes place), very slow swimming fish, not responding at meal times, or swimming at the surface, where slightly more oxygen is (nitrites deprive fish of oxygen in the bloodstream at high concentrations). For plants, it's if they're rotting, they get covered in algae, or otherwise wilt seriously.

Speaking of cloudy water and algae, make sure you don't feed too much, and don't leave your lights on all the time. DO get lights powerful enough to keep plants alive, just leave them on for 8 - 10 hours a day. If algae grows too much, scrape scrape scrape, and turn down the lights. If the water goes white, like milk, it's bacteria feasting in the water, which means they're eating something. That something is usually air and detritus from rotting, uneaten food. Less oxygen (NO bubble wands, unless you feel you need it after researching) and less feeding are called for.

As for plants, java ferns are a great way to go. They're resilient, kind of like water weeds. Elodea, or anacharis, is also easy maintenance, though it's small leaves can clog your filter if it's not healthy. Elodea can float around too just as happy as being rooted. I personally like java moss, and I encourage mione to run along the bottom of the tank. Basically, plan on getting plants that fill a certain kind of space and cover your bases, ex. moss along the bottom, some valisneria grass along the sides and back, 2 dwarf anubias up front to preen and examine like a zen plant, and maybe a showcase tall plant in the middle. Again, the plant forum might answer in great detail if you ask one of them.

By the way, did I mention this is fun? It seems like a lot, but I really enjoy doing my maintenance, and I get a kick out of knowing how to keep fish more than the next guy. Other people who have aquariums become really interesting too, so it's good for conversation.

Have fun!

 

[tai95]

What kind of lighting do you have? Once you answer this question, people will be able to give you more definate answers.

 

[nursie]

Sound like a nice idea. It will make a great small planted tank. You don't need to use CO2 on low light plants like java fern. Regular val will be too tall for that small of a tank, look for dwarf val. It's not good for val to be trimmed all the time, it will eventually kill the plant. Since 3 gallons is so small..I'd probably use java fern and some anubias, maybe a little dwarf val. Maybe a nice rock, or a small piece of driftwood.
You can dose fertilizers for a small tank..I have a 6 gallon on my desk at work. I've calculated the amount of ferts for it, and dose using a small syringe. I use Fluorish Excell to supply carbon to the plants, its a liquid with boiavailable carbon. A small bottle would last you quite a while.
As far as fish, for something that small you are rather limited. You will need to have a small heater and filter. Drs Foster and Smith have a small heater/filter combo. You might be able to have some endlers livebearers.. they are very small...or some blue-eyes. Danios are streamlined to go fast, and in that small of a tank won't work. Or maybe no fish at all...just a few snails. I have cherry shrimp amd it was recomended to me to keep them in a 10 gallon or larger tank. Maybe one or 2 at most in a 3 gallon.
Hmm...I have a 2.5 gallon sitting around empty..now I'm getting inspired!!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Small tanks like that can be done very easy and simply. Sticj to low light east to grow plants like java fern and moss, anubias and a stem or two maybe sprite or hygro poly. You can get a small fluor. fixture for it.

Here is an old pic of my planted 5.5 gal. It gets almost nothing special. I will add some flourish excel after the weekly wc and every now and then a small dose of Tropica Mastergrow.

As for fish, here are some choices you can do in a 3 gal planted:
Killie pair.
1 Betta splendens.
3 small corys like panda or pygmy and a few shrimp.
1 Dwarf puffer (no shrimp as he may dine on them).

 

[Opicana]

By the way, did I mention this is fun? It seems like a lot, but I really enjoy doing my maintenance, and I get a kick out of knowing how to keep fish more than the next guy. Other people who have aquariums become really interesting too, so it's good for conversation.

Have fun!

Thanks for all the info! Incredibly helpful...I had to break my notes down into categories, lol! It seems a bit complicated right now, but I dont think its anything I can't handle and I think I discovered a new lifetime hobby.
I am sure I will post more questions soon, when I digest all this!
~Opicana~

 

[Opicana]

What kind of lighting do you have? Once you answer this question, people will be able to give you more definate answers.

Sigh...I really know nothing about lighting....A light came on the tank (though I have to buy a new bulb)...the bulb in there came with the tank...the plastic over the light says the following....
"Use Lamp RA TED 15 Watts or Less, Type T"
"Model AQT-103/AQT-105"
"Rating AC 120V, 60 Hz, 15W"

Does any of that answer your question?

~Opicana~