Absolute beginner - Some concerns

[roygbiv]

Hi everyone.

I had been eyeing those EcoSphere products for years, and finally, last week I impulsively made the purchase.

Then I started reading about them and came across the information that these shrimp are basically being starved (and otherwise stressed) long-term in these sealed containers. I was directed to this site and immediately decided that I would prepare a real home for the opae ula I'd be receiving.

I've ordered a small glass container (6" diameter, 10" tall cylinder, which I'll fill to just over 8" to make a gallon) to serve as the aquarium. Just moments ago I ordered substrate, calcium carbonate rocks, salt, and macroalgae from this site (I'll keep checking back for black lava rocks and order when in stock).

Based on the instructions, it seems that it's a simple matter of putting in the substrate, placing the calcium carbonate (and lava rocks when I can get them), then dissolving the salt into RO or distilled water and adding it to the tank.

My intention is to add the macroalgae the same day I start up the aquarium, then wait a week or so and order snails to add.

This is where I start to have questions. I keep reading about "cycling" the tank. I'm totally new to aquariums, and whenever I look up information about cycling the tank, it seems to be about allowing a sufficient population of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria to grow in the tank, to handle the eventual build-up of toxic ammonia and nitrites.

So, my first question is, will these bacteria grow "spontaneously" in the tank over time? (I imagine it to be something like sourdough yeast, where if you leave a little mixture of sugar, water, and flour on your window sill, you're likely to have a naturally occurring yeast drift along and start growing.) Does adding the macroalgae from day one help with this growth?

My next question is, should I wait until I have the black lava rock before even starting this process, or can it be added in over the next week or two if I locate some (having read that I should boil anything I use)?

Oh, and I should mention that I'll likely buy opae ula from this site as well, to start out in the tank. If they seem to be thriving, I would then attempt to acclimate the EcoSphere survivors, using the drip method from the 1-gallon tank. Does this sound like a good idea, or is there a potential issue with mixing the EcoSphere survivors into the existing tank?

Thanks in advance for any advice. I'm very excited to get started.

[SuperProofer]

This all sounds good. I'm not up to snuff about all the sciencey stuff that makes the algae grow - it just does. You don't need to do anything special. Others will probably elaborate. If you just follow the instructions on this site you'll be fine. Just give it a couple/few weeks to grow a nice layer of biofilm and once you see algae starting to grow, it's all good. These tanks aren't like typical aquariums, so most info you see on cycling a "regular" tank doesn't apply here.

I would just say to add any decor you want in there before you add the shrimp so you don't accidentally crush them when putting stuff in the tank.

As for mixing in ecospherians, that's fine as well. I have both shrimp I ordered from this site and an ecosphere survivor in my tank.

Easy peasy!

[roygbiv]

Thank you for the confirmation. I feel more confident now!

I'm really stoked to get started. After my initial post, I was exploring my office and found what must be a 3.5-gallon "fishbowl" with nice, thick walls. I'm assuming it was originally used to hold tchotchkes at conference booths (I work in marketing), but I'm commandeering it for a second opae ula home, after I get this one off the ground successfully.

I'll do my best to take pictures and video to document the whole process of getting this aquarium set up.

Sidenote: I bought some decorative black lava rocks from another source. I'm pretty sure they'll be on the small side so I also picked up a 3oz tube of black silicone sealant for aquariums. I'll try to build a little structure of lava rocks so the shrimp can hide out in the nooks and crannies when they're feeling shy (since apparently they spend a good deal of time in caves in their natural habitat).

[Super Jess]

Congrats! It sounds like you're setting yourself up for success.

I agree with SuperProofer--it will be easiest if you set everything up the way you like it, add the water, then just wait wait wait. Throw the macroalgae in as soon as you want, along with the water it ships in. Ditto for the snails. Save shipping and order them together! They are tough, and will chow down on the macroalgae's biofilm while your tank grows its own.

Interestingly, when the tank is ready (visible algae growth) you can just toss the shrimp in without worrying about drip acclimating. It makes sense to have them at the same room temp as their new home, though.

Do make sure you have some sort of cover over the tank to keep stuff from falling in, and you're ready to go!

[roygbiv]

Thanks for the response. Yes, I do have a cover for the tank. In fact, the tank (and the Ecosphere) came today.

I'm happy to report that all four shrimp are alive and seem to be active. Now it's just a matter of getting their new home set up. Attaching a photo of the 1-gallon tank I'll be moving them into, with its cover, and the Wemo power switch I'm hoping I can set up as a timer for the LED light I'll be using.

[MrsDebLo]

I’m so excited for you! This is such a fun journey!

My tank is 5 months old, but I remember how excited I was to get my SCRUMPS! After killing 24 of my 31 scrumps cleaning biofilm with a white paper towel.....I now have 2 berried mommies!

I rinsed my tank, substrate, crushed coral, and all decorations really well with RO water. Added everything to the tank, mixed up the salt water in a separate clean container, and added the salt water to the tank. Then I added the macro algae, and moss ball I bought here. Set my light on a timer (12 hours on) with the Wemo switch you have, and left it alone for 2 weeks, then added 10 snails from here. Left it alone for 3 more weeks until I saw algae growing, and ordered 30 shrimp. When they arrived I opened the box immediately, and let them acclimate to our house temp for an hour or so. They all did great! Until I killed them.. with the paper towel. I ended up with 7 survivors.

My survivors are happy and healthy. Hopefully, we will have some babies in the next 2-3 weeks!

Happy shrimping!
Debbie

[Dch48]

I'm a little concerned about that lid. It looks like it is made of copper or bronze. Condensation on it which then drips back down into the tank could kill your shrimp. That's if it is copper.

[Super Jess]

I second the metal lid concern. Better to swap it for glass, ceramic, or plastic.

[roygbiv]

Such great feedback.

I'll be sure to be very careful if I have any need to change anything in the tank. I would hate to squash any of these little guys. Sorry you had that experience, Debbie, but good to know that five months on things are back on track, and with babies on the way!

And thank you for pointing out the issue with the metal lid.

As luck would have it, I decided I didn't like the way it looked, and yesterday ordered a round, acrylic disk that should fit on the top of the tank. I may drill a few small holes in it if I'm concerned about air exchange. Is that even necessary?

Just bought two gallons of distilled water (couldn't find RO in nearby shops...I'm in the financial district of this city), and will use one to clean the tank and rinse the lava rock (which should arrive today or tomorrow).

[sliphorn]

Such great feedback.

I'll be sure to be very careful if I have any need to change anything in the tank. I would hate to squash any of these little guys. Sorry you had that experience, Debbie, but good to know that five months on things are back on track, and with babies on the way!

And thank you for pointing out the issue with the metal lid.

As luck would have it, I decided I didn't like the way it looked, and yesterday ordered a round, acrylic disk that should fit on the top of the tank. I may drill a few small holes in it if I'm concerned about air exchange. Is that even necessary?

Just bought two gallons of distilled water (couldn't find RO in nearby shops...I'm in the financial district of this city), and will use one to clean the tank and rinse the lava rock (which should arrive today or tomorrow).

..
A few small holes in the lid would not hurt. A little air exchange is good.
..

[mike.d]

Will the ecosphere fit in the new container?

If so, I would fill the new container with enough water to cover the sphere along with some substrate, enough to keep the sphere stable. Gently and slowly turn the ecosphere upside down and open it. Then submerge the sphere in the container. The shrimp will have a new roomier home and can wander out of the sphere whenever they want. Or go back in for a quick snack on algae and biofilm. Remove the sphere and empty the contents into the new container after a few weeks or so.

I'm impatient. Can you tell?

[roygbiv]

Thanks, mike.d, for the great suggestion. I had been wondering about how I would handle the transfer.
Based on what I've read here, the Ecosphere contains hair algae, which I don't want in my aquarium, so I'll try to remove that, or make sure it doesn't get into the main tank.

Here's the update on the situation:

- I have the 6" x 10" cylinder aquarium, and an acrylic disk that fits well on top as a lid
- I have an assortment of small, black lava rocks that have been rinsed multiple times under scalding water
- I've ordered a small bag of larger, black lava rocks to be picked up at my local hardware store next week
- Waiting for the arrival of: aquarium silicone sealant (to glue rocks together) and an outlet timer (for the lights -- Just arrived!)
- Still reviewing which LED, clamp-on aquarium light to buy (using a small USB LED light for the Ecosphere) - Any recommendations are welcome!
- My order from Mustafa has been shipped, and will hopefully arrive next week (substrate, salt, calcium carbonate rocks, macroalgae)


As it turns out, the dimensions aren't quite right on the aquarium (really just a glass vase). I expected to fill it with 1 gallon and have about two inches of airspace at the top. I thought this would be enough to allow for the substrate and rock decorations. However, 1 gallon has actually filled the vessel to within 1/2" of the top.

My plan is to mix the full packet of salt into the gallon jug, and then fill the aquarium with whatever amount fits comfortably after adding everything that needs to go in (Ecosphere included).

I'll take the lid home this weekend and try to drill some holes with my Dremmel drill press. I also have some felt adhesive pads to put under the aquarium to insulate it a little from any vibrations in the desktop.



I found a smaller vase that I considered using, but I really just want to give these guys plenty of room and nice little lava-rock caves to hang out in. And the black thing behind the aquarium is a metal bookend, which I'll clamp a light to when I've found one.

More updates next week!

[Dylan]

You can always use crazy glue gel - I have used it with success after reading it is safe in reef tanks (used to attach coral to rocks, etc.)

[Super Jess]

I use Gorilla Glue It's aquarium safe! Although it does expand in unpredictable ways sometimes.

[Dch48]

I use regular cheap Super Glue. If it says it's cyanoacrylate, it's safe. I stick the 2 things together whatever they are, wait a couple of minutes and then drip some water over the join. The water instantly cures the glue and it is then safe. I have used it in all my tanks both fresh and brackish. The sea fan in my Supershrimp tank is superglued to the back of the lava rock and an empty Nerite snail shell is also glued on. Just don't use too many of those rock pieces or you won't have room for the water .

I'm using the one gallon TopFin Excite tank from PetSmart minus the filter. It only cost $15 and I have the filter as a spare if one of my others craps out. The tank is intended to be used with the point in front for some reason but I liked it better with the point at the back so I turned it around and filed out a slot in the hood for the light wire at the back. Then I stuck the wire to the underside of the hood with more superglue.