Have been lurking for a long time..... Now need help....

[KenCotigirl]

Carolina you do not need such a deep layer of substrate. While I do not follow my own recommendations 1/4" to 1/2" is much more than enough. I have 1/2"+. I like it because of its looks. It does seem like a bother to remove it but it may be best in the long run.

[Carolina]

Carolina you do not need such a deep layer of substrate. While I do not follow my own recommendations 1/4" to 1/2" is much more than enough. I have 1/2"+. I like it because of its looks. It does seem like a bother to remove it but it may be best in the long run.

Thanks - I will carefully remove the top layer this weekend with my long tweezers, and leave only the aragonite Sand. I think it will be safer for them.

[Carolina]

Carolina you do not need such a deep layer of substrate. While I do not follow my own recommendations 1/4" to 1/2" is much more than enough. I have 1/2"+. I like it because of its looks. It does seem like a bother to remove it but it may be best in the long run.

Hi Ken,
So..... I decided to remove all the Java fern, leaving only the Java Moss. Also removed the micro algae From salt water.... It was nice, but it was occupying too much space. Removed quite a bit of the pebbles (sorry, forgot its name), leaving more of the aragonite expose. I couldn't do that throughout the tank as I didn't want to move my lava rocks and accidentally crush the shrimp.
Cleaned the sponge filter on brackish water, cleaned the Marino balls....
I will keep slowly removing the larger substrate, very carefully.
Once I did that, even thought he water is murky, of course, I started seeing way more shrimp around.
I guess they just had too many places to hide!
I have 5 tiger nerite snails arriving this Saturday, hopefully, they will be my wall clean up crew.
Trust me, I have plenty of food for them!
My little black nerites are good for nothing.
The shrimp have been grazing on the substrate, on the walls, on the filter, and on the rocks. There is plenty of food so I don't feed them anymore. Haven't done so in over a month.
Thanks for the advice,
C-

[KenCotigirl]

Send us another photo of your tank when you have a chance.

[KenCotigirl]

Carolina here is a picture of my newest tank.

Ken

[shwin]

Whoa. That's one big wine glass

[Carolina]

Send us another photo of your tank when you have a chance.

Hi Ken!
Thanks for your Reply!
I don't want to send pictures of it right now as there is still sooooooo much algae on the glass, it doesn't look pretty!
BUUUUUUTTTT..... Here are some good news:
I removed most of the gravel substrate, so not it's mostly aragonite sand
I also tested the water - I got PERFECT results - Ammonia is 0, Nitrite and Nitrate are both 0.
I also measured the Salinity, and is it 1.011

I got 3 Large Nerite Snails and they are hard at work cleaning my glass - I think pretty soon they will be clean.They are Zebra Nerite, but the most effective is one he sent me that's a dark brown,almost black.
Like I said..... my pipipi snails are good for nothing; I think they are just too tiny.
The shrimp are coming down much more now not swimming, unfortunately, but grazing on the algae on the walls and on the lava rocks - they like the sponge filter too, which by this point it disgusting - I am going to clean it tomorrow.
The Java moss is doing well, and so are the Marimo moss balls - they seem to like them more than the micro algae.
Ah, because of the snails I up'd the temperature a bit to 74F - the shrimp seem to like it
Pictures soon, I hope, when at least a couple of the glasses are clean - I promise!
Carolina

[KenCotigirl]

Great news!

Ken

[Carolina]

Hi!
Sorry, I was out of the country for a while...
Anyways.... Got back today for pleasants and not so pleasants surprises:
The good:
The shrimpies are out much more, and the snails are doing a great job in cleaning my glass.... Hooray!
The not so good:
I have this brown Goo substance taking over my tank. It's all ver the plants, the heater, the rocks, the substrate.... I can't remove it as is East falls apart.... Immediately melts away.
It's not bothering the shrimp, on the contrary.... They spend the day grazing on it.
I tested my water today and it's perfect, ammonia 0,so it nitrite, Nitrate. The salinity is 1.010.
What is that? Do I just leave it alone? It's growing like crazy!
Do I reduce the light? Do I increase it?
Again, I am not feeling them, they have plenty food there.
The filter is have is not a bio for, it just a sponge filter, doing well. What do I do? Ideas?
It's doesn't appear to be brown algae a while it's not harden. It's a vary light material... Looks a bit like grey/brown clouds.
Thanks!

[Carolina]

Hi
Sorry for the delay in posting pictures..... It took a good while for the snails to clean up the glass... They did a great job, although I did scrape the front panel for better visibility while the snails worked on the side and back.
I bought five, but only three survived the trip - which I believe it was a blessing in disguise. It would had been too much, I think.
Anyways, here are the pictures of the tank without the gravel and the plants:

Front View:


Shrimp Grazing on Java Moss.... Unfortunately I am having an issue with Hair Algae...


One of my Tiger Nerite Snails, with a Pipipi taking a hide (he always does that!)


A Lot of my shrimp hide here - under the lava rock "Cave"


Grazing along.... Some are red, some are white....


This snail came in with my tiger nerites - Obviously not a Tiger. He has a perfectly round dome, is much bigger, powerful eater, but also likes hiding a lot - Any idea of what he is?

He is on the right, the Tiger Nerite on the left....

[KenCotigirl]

Tank looks nice. The heater not necessary. Not sure what temp your house is but these shrimp are happy with most peoples room temps. Just one less accessory to worry about.

Ken

[Carolina]

Tank looks nice. The heater not necessary. Not sure what temp your house is but these shrimp are happy with most peoples room temps. Just one less accessory to worry about.

Ken

Hi Ken,
Thank you for your reply......
I don't worry about the heater - it works well...... Plus, the nerite snails like warmer temperatures, and don't do well with lots of temperature shifts. I am out of the house a lot, and My thermostat is set up to a min. temperature of 55F..... So the house can get pretty cold at times....... And in Texas it can be 70F during the day, and in the 20's at night...... It's just safer IMHO
Thanks again!!

[Mustafa]

Hi Carolina!

Just went through this thread and wanted to make a few points. At your salinity absolutely no freshwater plants (that includes the usual supposedly "brackish tolerant" plants) like java fern or java moss will grow. They just take a long time to die and decay and people think that their plants are doing ok. Your java moss is full of string algae because it's dying and providing a substrate (and food) for the algae. I would take it out if I were you because it's just going to be a substrate for possibly even worse stuff like cyanobacteria.

As you already found out it seems like you fed too much for a while; that's why your tank was so overgrown with algae. Just continue not feeding...it can take several months (somtimes 6-8 months plus) before you need to feed again. By that time most of the algae should have been eaten. A good guideline is the activity level of your shrimp. They aren't doing much right now because they don't have to. They just sit there and the food literally grows where they sit..or maybe one or two steps away. If they start running around picking at everything again, then you can try feeding a little bit again (every 2-4 weeks). If they don't go for it..just take the food out and wait another 2-4 weeks.

As others have said...a filter is *never* needed for these shrimp and actually counterproductive when it comes to larval survival in most cases. I have tanks with 5000 shrimp (and tons of larvae floating in them) that have no filter...and no water changes since they were set up years ago. The oldest tanks haven't seen a water change in 8 years.

Anyway, keep the updates coming!

[Carolina]

Hi Carolina!

Just went through this thread and wanted to make a few points. At your salinity absolutely no freshwater plants (that includes the usual supposedly "brackish tolerant" plants) like java fern or java moss will grow. They just take a long time to die and decay and people think that their plants are doing ok. Your java moss is full of string algae because it's dying and providing a substrate (and food) for the algae. I would take it out if I were you because it's just going to be a substrate for possibly even worse stuff like cyanobacteria.

OMG, what a nightmare! I did remove the Java moss, and thought I thoroughly cleaned the tank from hair algae..... But upon returning from a week long trip - the bottom of my tank is completely taken. They are growing on your micro algae, on my live rocks, on the rock where the java used to be..... I just can't seem to get rid of this pest!
I ordered another batch of microalgae from you to replace this current one, as I know how much it helps my tank, and today I will work again at cleaning it up.

As you already found out it seems like you fed too much for a while; that's why your tank was so overgrown with algae. Just continue not feeding...it can take several months (somtimes 6-8 months plus) before you need to feed again. By that time most of the algae should have been eaten. A good guideline is the activity level of your shrimp. They aren't doing much right now because they don't have to. They just sit there and the food literally grows where they sit..or maybe one or two steps away. If they start running around picking at everything again, then you can try feeding a little bit again (every 2-4 weeks). If they don't go for it..just take the food out and wait another 2-4 weeks.

I really don't think it was the feeding - I didn't feed my tank for the longest time. probably a few times since I set up months and months ago. I think it was too much light. I had set up LED lights on the lid close to the walls, and it was way too much. I noticed the algae problem was much more prominent on those walls, where the LED was closer to (I have since replaced that setup).
The Shrimp have been quite active since I removed the moss. They are no longer hiding, and are out and about and picking at everything. They are constantly looking and after food.
My real nightmare now, is the hair agae.
Honestly, I don't know how to get rid of this thing.
I am almost getting rid of the tank...... But it would be such a shame as the tank is such a great tank, and the shrimp are doing so well in it....
If it was not for them getting trapped in it (which they do), I wouldn't have such an issue..... They like eating/picking at it.....
I am at my wits end with this.

As others have said...a filter is *never* needed for these shrimp and actually counterproductive when it comes to larval survival in most cases. I have tanks with 5000 shrimp (and tons of larvae floating in them) that have no filter...and no water changes since they were set up years ago. The oldest tanks haven't seen a water change in 8 years.

Anyway, keep the updates coming!

My filter is a sponge filter on a very low flow turned to the glass - not towards the middle of the tank..... The shrimp are always picking on it, so I am guessing they like it quite a bit.

[Mustafa]

Light alone won't cause anything to grow. There have to be nutrients. You can have all the light in the world, if there aren't nutrients then there won't be any growth. Even what most consider just a little food can have more than enough nutrients for algae growth. Plus, your decaying java fern and java moss kept releasing nutrients into the water. Now that those things are gone things should normalize over time. Just don't feed. Your tank will get there.

As for the sponge...you can always leave the sponge filter in there but turn it off. The shrimp will still pick at it. I actually had non-active sponge filters in my tanks for a very long time after turning them off since I was too lazy to remove them. You can see some of them in some old pics. They are all gone now, though.