Old Shells? Decor? "wet run"

[DavidZ]

I found some old seashells in my room, they are at least 5 years old. Could i use them if I boil them? Also, can I use other containers as decor? as hiding spots?(Like a shot glass, or other mini cup)
Do the shrimp care if their hiding pots are see through? or as long as they have a hiding spot its fine?
Also, what are some common household items that I can use as decor?
Finally, The 2.5 gallon tank I bought from petsmart/petco (don't remember) I believe the company is tetra(look at my earlier posts please for info)
Is it good enough to not leak? or should I buy some silicone sealant? can i just fill it with tap water first (Wet run, lol)(Before washing it) to see if it leaks or is tap water not good for that?(Because of chemicals)

Thank you, it is awesome to have such a large group of people to answer questions!

[Nellyville41]

Look. We’re all here to help answer your questions and a lot of them were already answered by people here. STOP MAKING so many new threads asking different questions. Combine them and just add it to your orginal thread. Also do some research and google it and don’t ask us to look thru your other 3 threads just to answer your question here in this thread. Or just follow the guide here and don’t over think and over worry about it. Seriously it’s a little much! I’m not trying to be a stinker here and I don’t mind trying to help out but it’s a little much. Lol.

Wash all of your stuff, boil it if you want. Then add sand to your tank. Add your decor after that. Mix your salt in a separate container with your distilled water. Then add that to your tank. Set it up so it has indirect sunlight or buy a lamp with a sunlight bulb and a timer. Buy the macroalgae and snails from Mustafa first and add that to your tank next while it is cycling. 6 weeks later buy the shrimps. To acclimate the snails and shrimps just let the bag float in the water for a few hours, then cut tip off and add them in. Again all of this has been discussed plenty of times. Just dig thru the threads.

[shrimpnoobie]

I found some old seashells in my room, they are at least 5 years old. Could i use them if I boil them? Also, can I use other containers as decor? as hiding spots?(Like a shot glass, or other mini cup)
Do the shrimp care if their hiding pots are see through? or as long as they have a hiding spot its fine?
Also, what are some common household items that I can use as decor?
Finally, The 2.5 gallon tank I bought from petsmart/petco (don't remember) I believe the company is tetra(look at my earlier posts please for info)
Is it good enough to not leak? or should I buy some silicone sealant? can i just fill it with tap water first (Wet run, lol)(Before washing it) to see if it leaks or is tap water not good for that?(Because of chemicals)

Thank you, it is awesome to have such a large group of people to answer questions!

Haha, sorry the previous user was a little harsh :p But it’s true, much better to just put your stuff all in one thread. Every time you add to your thread, it gets out at the top of the list so people who frequent will read it again. Keeping everything in one thread allows us to look through your history and help you out more.
Yes, you are overthinking it but I understand as these are live little animals and you want to be a good caregiver.
Yeah, boil/soak your shells.
You can use anything you want that’s not alive (no wood).
The shrimp like rocks with holes in them and surface area. The more surface area the more feeding area and potential algea growth area. I do not know if the shrimp care if their hiding spot is see through. What a philosophical question.
Most people just use some lava rock and fish decor bought from a fish store. These shrimp are native to Hawaii and their natural habitat is just still water and lava rocks. They will be more than happy with a minimalistic tank.
Of course your tank can hold the water it says it can hold, it is a tank! Yes you can fill it with tap water if you wish, but it is not necessary. Yes make sure to do your rinse with distilled.
Also like I said before, don’t worry. Ask questions. There are people here that have asked more obvious questions than you. But always try and do your research as well and google stuff before you post to prevent overcrowding.
Hope everything goes great!

[i<3Opae]

sorry the previous user was a little harsh :p

I happen to agree with Nellyville41, this is a bit much. I was just too polite to say it, so thanks for speaking my mind. I don't feel there is judgment on this forum, but I go through the threads (do a simple keyword search) to make sure my questions weren't asked before. Sure, no all questions are alike...but please review the Mustafa method and existing forum answers before asking questions for questions' sake.

[DavidZ]

Alright, Thanks guys!

[shrimpnoobie]

sorry the previous user was a little harsh :p

I happen to agree with Nellyville41, this is a bit much. I was just too polite to say it, so thanks for speaking my mind. I don't feel there is judgment on this forum, but I go through the threads (do a simple keyword search) to make sure my questions weren't asked before. Sure, no all questions are alike...but please review the Mustafa method and existing forum answers before asking questions for questions' sake.

No yeah I agree as well, was just trying to clear the tension (: And yeah this group does a great job avoiding judgement haha.

[DavidZ]

Hey guys!
A few questions,
1:How far into the process of the tank cycling would i add in the snails? or just at the same time as shrimp?
2:How often and how much do the snails reproduce in a good tank? would I have to worry about them overpopulating, eating alot of algae, and leaving none for the other snails and shrimp, or has nobody on this site ran into that problem yet? Is 10 snails too many for a 2.5 gal tank?
3:How often do the snails sold here die? Would I have to clean the tank of the dead ones or would they be "Eaten up" by shrimp, algae, and other snails?
4:Alright this is a bit off topic, but does Mustafa ever change whats for sale in the shop? I feel like this is one of the most legit and trustworthy sites to buy from, so it would be nice.

[Varanus]

1. Generally they can be added early on, it sounds harsh but adding them weeks before the shrimp can help help you tell if the water is safe for the shrimp.

2. The snail's reproductive rate is dependent on the food supply, so they will not overpopulate in a supershrimp tank as the shrimp out-compete them for food and they are left mostly with leftovers and whatever the shrimp can't get to.

3. They shouldn't die often, but when they do the remains will be taken care of quickly by other snails and the shrimp.

4. He hasn't added things in a long time, as there are few things you can put in a supershrimp tank. He may one day add the orange variant of the supershrimp should his breed enough for it, but that is likely years away.

[DavidZ]

Thank You!

[Nellyville41]

I’m not here to cause any issues. Lol. I’m just being straight forward. Forum ediquits across all forums/boards/Facebook groups asks politely that people do a search before posting. David, it’s good that you’re asking questions, you want to learn as much as possible before taking the plunge and I get that, but please just put it all in one thread.

To answer your question, the snails from my tank at home started reproducing after like 3 months or so. If they start producing too many, I guess you can always transfer some over to a new tank if you decide to make more. Algae growth isn’t the only good source for the shrimps. They feed on microorganisms that we cannot see with the naked eye. These shrimps are hearty as well. You can feed them a tiny fish pellet that you crush up into bits but they can go months without being fed. They’re always clawing away on the floor, glass, rocks, etc.

[DavidZ]

I’m not here to cause any issues. Lol. I’m just being straight forward. Forum ediquits across all forums/boards/Facebook groups asks politely that people do a search before posting. David, it’s good that you’re asking questions, you want to learn as much as possible before taking the plunge and I get that, but please just put it all in one thread.

To answer your question, the snails from my tank at home started reproducing after like 3 months or so. If they start producing too many, I guess you can always transfer some over to a new tank if you decide to make more. Algae growth isn’t the only good source for the shrimps. They feed on microorganisms that we cannot see with the naked eye. These shrimps are hearty as well. You can feed them a tiny fish pellet that you crush up into bits but they can go months without being fed. They’re always clawing away on the floor, glass, rocks, etc.

Thank You!