Setting up plants for a new tank!

[snailgal]

Hi there! I'm just getting started planning for my first super shrimp tank and I need some advice.

I found some Marimo algae balls on amazon (with free 2 day shipping!) that are supposedly adapted to grow in saltwater/brackish water. Marimo balls are very cute and I think they will look nice in my small tank! But I noticed that in the description they are supposed to inhibit other algae growth by consuming the nutrients that other algae needs to grow. So I was wondering if there's some sort of ceiling on how many I should put in to make sure there is enough filmy algae around for my shrimps and snail to eat?

Also, the website says 10 shrimp and 10 snails are good for a half gallon tank but that just seems like way too much to me. I was thinking I'd get 10 supershrimp and 1 horned nerite snail for a ~1.5 gallon with about 6 half inch algae balls. Does that sound ok? Thanks y'all

[dolfanjack]

I have read (on other forums) that marimo balls grow so slowly that they have minimal effect on nutrients. You should have plenty of bio film and algae even with the marimo balls. I would let the tank set for several months ( I waited 3 months) before adding shrimp, this will allow it to age some and grow the necessary bio film in your tank. Stocking numbers are good. Jack

[Varanus]

It should be noted though that Mustafa and others have said that usually the tank is cycled and there is sufficient biofilm within a few weeks to a month.

[Ace]

Blast it with light 24 hours a day and position it to get as much direct sunlight as possible. When you see green, you will have plenty of food for your children. After the green appears, cut the light down to just 12 hours a day. I would get much larger marimos.

[snailgal]

Thanks everyone! I have just a few more questions.

The site says you have to use special reef salt, but I've seen other people say they used regular aquarium salt like Instant Ocean with no problem... so what is the truth? Also, does anyone have recommendations for what type of fish food to get, or does it truly not matter?

[Ace]

Ok. Well, it sure is confusing. Instant Ocean is not "aquarium salt". What is known as aquarium salt is a simple salt that is for use in freshwater aguariums. Instant Ocean is a reef salt. Reef salt will contain nutrients. You only want to use reef salt for Opae Ula.

Do not use fish food nor any other commercial food product. Go and get some spirulina. Make sure that there are no other ingredients of any kind.

I get my spirulina from the bulk section at the grocery store. The quantity that I need to use isn't enough to register on the scale so I do not get charged.

[Varanus]

Ace I would be careful saying to not feed them anything but spirulina, especially when you don't say why. You give the impression that feeding other foods is harmful, when in actuality supershrimp eat all sorts of organic matter.

[Ace]

You are correct. I assume people read the other posts. I had just posted a list of items that I feed the shrimp that I have.

Ok. So you can feed fish food but I would not recommend it. There are frequently chemicals and animal ingredients. These shrimp are vegan except for consuming their own exoskeletons.

I feed spirulina powder, organic pulverized raw baby spinach and organic millet grains, among other real or non-processed food items.

I would also like to mention that feeding is not necessary. If you read the thread at the top of the supershrimp forum (my success story), you can see that that colony of shrimp have never been fed a single time and they are multiplying vigorously.

[Varanus]

I would also like to mention that feeding is not necessary. If you read the thread at the top of the supershrimp forum (my success story), you can see that that colony of shrimp have never been fed a single time and they are multiplying vigorously.

That tank is a bit of an odd case though, as if I recall right it started out with a lot of organic matter in it that led to more algae growth than usual. Most tanks seem to need supplemental feedings at least on occasion.

[Mustafa]

Ok. So you can feed fish food but I would not recommend it. There are frequently chemicals and animal ingredients. These shrimp are vegan except for consuming their own exoskeletons.

Nope, I wouldn't go that far. Fish food is perfectly fine and that's what I've been feeding to produce over hundreds of thousands of shrimp over the years. They're happy, healthy and reproducing. And they're not vegan at all. They're omnivores if anything. In nature they eat everything they can get their chelae on. Algae, bacteria, fungi and any kind of dead animal that happens to fall into the water or die in the water (like other shrimp). Spirulina is fine but when you feed spirulina the shrimp don't just eat the spirulina...like fish food the spirulina fertilizes the tank with nutrients which then promotes algal/bacterial growth on which the shrimp primarily feed.

I would also like to mention that feeding is not necessary. If you read the thread at the top of the supershrimp forum (my success story), you can see that that colony of shrimp have never been fed a single time and they are multiplying vigorously.

--As Varanus mentioned above, "tooth's" tank started out with tons of organic matter. Most people probably have to feed every few months at least...and definitely a bit in the beginning if they don't have much algae growth.

[Ace]

Alright alright. Hahahaha

[Coluber42]

Could you even feed... like... cracker crumbs? salad scraps? tiny remnants from a sandwich wrapper?

[Varanus]

Could you even feed... like... cracker crumbs? salad scraps? tiny remnants from a sandwich wrapper?

I've never tried it, but what I've read about other aquarium animals over the years tells me I'd stay away from things meant for human consumption unless you can thoroughly clean them. There are any number of spices, chemicals, pesticides, preservatives, etc. in human foods that could be toxic to the shrimp.