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Cubano · Post by **Cubano** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:05 pm

Ive stumbled upon this forum on shrimp and i was wondering what is better and or cheaper to have? an Eclipse system or a 10 gallon and if a 10 gallon what is the best substrate, plants, decorations, Filter/heater, and hood? Which brands? and what is RO water? Can anybody help me out? I'd also like to commend Mustafa on the wonderful job he did on this website, is there any other websites also that deal with inverts?

demented_lullaby · Post by **demented_lullaby** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:05 am

Ive stumbled upon this forum on shrimp and i was wondering what is better and or cheaper to have? an Eclipse system or a 10 gallon

First off welcome. Have you kept fish in the past? I think what is cheaper depends on your level of Do it yourself. My girlfriend makes her own tanks from glass lol. If you don't mind throwing together hoods/ballasts/filters and stuff then you can save a good ammount of cash. I can buy a bare 10g for 10 bucks. However when starting up the hobby I find it easier to buy a pre-assembled thing like an eclipse system. It will save you some time and headaches at the start of a hobby.

and if a 10 gallon what is the best substrate

Eco Complete hands down for planted tanks.

plants

Check your watts per gallon and check out http://www.plantgeek.net for plants that will do well.

decorations

I'd add some natural looking stuff to accent your aquarium like rock caves, drift wood and stuff. Attach some type of moss/fern/anubias and it will look wonderful as it grows.

Filter/heater

Filter...I go for Aquaclear HOB. I really like them. Put an extra piece of sponge over the intake so your shrimp don't get sucked up. Heater...there's lots of reliable brands. Eheim for example I believe makes a great heater. Submersible is a good idea.

and hood? Which brands?

Another thing up to you. You could make your own plexiglass/acrylic covers and just hang the ballast by chains.

and what is RO water?

Reverse Osmosis(I believe that's spelling correct). You can google the term. I'm not best at explaining exactly how it works

. You can buy a machine for this.

Can anybody help me out? I'd also like to commend Mustafa on the wonderful job he did on this website, is there any other websites also that deal with inverts?

Any other questions feel free to hit us up.

Yeah Mussy has an amazing site going over here. I have yet to find a better invert site on the web specifically geared towards freshwater shrimp/crays.

Cubano · Post by **Cubano** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:35 am

Alright thanks man; i have not had fish in the past; excluding 2 goldfish that died in a bowl, i know i know a bowl is bad for them, excluding them i have owned no fish or shrimp. I do have three dogs but im sure that counts for nothing. So what do you think about Eclipse systems? Does the Bio wheel really work? Do the SeaChem Prime starters realy cycle your aquarium in 24 hours? Im still debating which Eclipse to go with seeing as im currently working around the house to make $$$ to buy either an Eclipse or to put together an aquarium. Are the Eclipse systems safe for Shrimp? Which shrimp should i start off with?

Shrimp&Snails · Post by **Shrimp&Snails** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:05 am

Read, read and read some more.

Aswell as reading around this site try googling for cycling info and join a good fish keeping forum.

Couldn't tell you about bio spira as I haven't used it myself and prefer to wait the few weeks to allow cycling to complete.

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:21 am

Welcome to the forum!
A 10 gallon tank is the best way to start. I prefer under gravel filters with a simple bubler system, but also use over the side whisper fiters as well. Get a submerible heater. I like the stainless steel ones with a real temperature setting. The ones with +/- knobs usually fail and cook your shrimp.

Seachem Primer or Amquel+ is essential to condition your tap water. Set up your tank at least 2 weeks in advance of any shrimp. I get a load of pond snails (from the pond down the street) and toss them in the tank & feed them an algae wafer or goldfish food. After two weeks things should be ready.

Start with Ghost Shrimp. These are neat shrimp and are easy to care for. They will eat just about anything and are very inexpensive. If you screw up and kill them it won't bankrupt you. These are sold as feeder shrimp for under 25 cents in most pet stores.

Get some plants, shrimp love to hide in them or climb on them. They also detoxify the water as they grow. Do a 20% water change every week. Filtration alone is not enough.

Cubano · Post by **Cubano** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:26 am

How much would your 10 gallon tank setup cost? And what do you think of the Eclipse systems? Where is the best place to order or buy aquarium tanks/kits?

badflash · Post by **badflash** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 9:51 am

A 10 gallon tank costs around $10, and undergravel filter about the same. A 50 pound bag of fine quartz gravel costs about $2 at home depot. Make sure NOT to get marble. An air pump is about $5, and a heater $20. so around $50 not counting shrimp and plants, chemicals, etc. You'll be set back about $75 by the time you are done, but most of that is a 1 time cost.

8x10 · Post by **8x10** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:19 pm

I like the eclipse systems. They are quiet and I seem to have a very stable tank now that is has been running for a while. You will need to put something around the intake to keep babys from being sucked up. Everything is nicely contained. Mine is sitting where I can see it from all sides so that was important to me. I just bought another to keep fish which was my original goal til I feel in love with little red shrimps

Shrimp&Snails · Post by **Shrimp&Snails** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:28 pm

I wish a 10g was so cheap here.....I paid around £40 per 10 uk gallon (which is about 12 us gallons) which is about $90 US bucks.

Get yerself a cheap 10g or more and have fun with lotsa shrimpies.

Cubano · Post by **Cubano** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 3:16 pm

What is an air pump? and ive heard that undergravel filters arent as good as the Biowheel filtration system. Also do you happen to know any way i could get extra money without getting a part time job?

Post by **Mustafa** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 3:48 pm

Cubano wrote:What is an air pump?

Hmm...I don't know. What is air? And what is a pump?

Also do you happen to know any way i could get extra money without getting a part time job?

You've got to be kidding. This is a shrimp forum, not a forum that shows you how to make money without working. One more such question and you're out of here.

Cubano · Post by **Cubano** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:43 pm

I apologize for that last comment made Mustafa; I would call that a momentary lapse in judgement.

Cubano · Post by **Cubano** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:29 am

Which Eclipse system works the best? How does it compare to Aquatech and Aquaculture?

Shrimp&Snails · Post by **Shrimp&Snails** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 11:27 am

I don't know the brands you mean but why not check out the manufacturers websites? I'm sure you'll find some sort of comparison chart.

Cubano · Post by **Cubano** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 6:25 pm

Ive tried looking for both Aquatech and Aquaculture on the net, and I am unable to find them, I have found the Eclipse; but I'd like to know how they compare to each other. As in Do the walmart brands have a much lower quality then the Eclipse; is it chepaer to buy WalMart and upgrade later on?