It's been awhile since I've been here. I think maybe a couple years? I had started cycling a minibow initially and never made it past that point to actually get my shrimp in
I just relocated from NY to Florida Pinellas county and I think I want to try and convert my biorb from FW to brackish to give this another go. I did have my Biorb set up in NY as FWfor live plants, snails and a betta, but I actually prefer watching shrimp and maybe snails than fish. I fell in love with my biorb from the start even though they are a bit more work in my opinion. Since my move was a big one, I rehomed my plants and fish before leaving and completely broke my BiOrb down for the move. I'm currently in an Airbnb but should be completely moved into my apartment by this weekend. I really want to get my tank going. I only have a short term lease and hopefully can find a suitable house and close in say 3-4 months depending on how long it takes for us to find our house. I was thinking if I can set up my BiOrb in the apartment and just let it age for those months, then carefully move everything over into my house before ordering my little shrimp? Plus that would put me more into the winter/cooler months for Florida which I think would be a much better time to have these little shrimp shipped to me.
I planned on keeping the BiOrb ceramic media/substrate as other people with FW shrimp in their Biorbs stated their shrimp thrived with that media as it's chunky and their shrimp would climb all over and around it.
I am going to keep the airstone going even though I have read they dont need it. The airpump model for the 30l is the same as the 15l BiOrb, so air bubbles are not as intense in the 30l and I planned on keeping fossilized coral bits in the actual air tube to break up the bubbles more and for even more surface for bacteria. I do have a good amount of black lava left over from my FW setup. I planned on simmering/boiling everything in a half strength ocean salt mixture before setting it up. I own Land Hermit Crabs and have to keep Ocean salt for them, so I always have the correct type of salt on hand. Just have to keep in mind to do half strength for the shrimps.
I am buying fairly close to the gulf coast beaches, Clearwater to St. Johns pass and I do beach comb, A LOT
. I planned on collecting tiny bits of fossilized coral bits, crabs shells and urchin shells, maybe even sand dollars bits to put in the tank too. As long as I pre-treat them too like my rocks, boiling in half strength ocean salt than baking them to kill anything left, I should be ableto keep them in the Biorb right?I also have 1 large black sea fan that is used in most of those tiny Opae Ula bowls and if I remeber correctly, that's safe as well?
I planned on buying distilled gallon sized bottled water to fill this up and keep an extra on hand for topping off each week. Whats a good brand of bottled distilled water if anyone else uses that? I know going to a LFS and getting RO water maybe easier, but for me, it's just easier buying distilled water by the gallon at a store.
Adding everything once I've cleaned it "boiling and baking". Letting this tank age for 3 months or how ever long it takes us to get into a home.
When do you think I could add a small portion of the Chaeto algea, a month after my tank ages?
Sound good?
Thanks
MelissaF
