Journal Low tech nano for Caridina shrimp

[Sloophy]

Hi all,

Recently I planted my 17L low tech nano. This is the second tank that I have, so I'm a bit anxious but I hope to learn a lot (from you too!).

Specs:
Soil: ADA Amazonia V2 (with Bacter 100) + La plata sand
Stones: WIO Titan stone
Filter: Oase filtosmart 100 thermo
Light: Chihiros CII RGB
Fertilizer: roottabs with NKP, none in watercolumn
Water: RO with Glasgarten GH+ (GH~6)

Plants (all in vitro):
Anubias mini coin
Buce kedagang
Buce needle leaf
Buce pygmaea
Crypt parva
Lileaopsis brasiliensis
Marsilea hirsuta
Monte carlo

Start up:
One month dark start with 2 weeks of large water changes followed by 2 weeks of no WC.
After plants were planted I did a 90% WC. Light is currently on R20, G20, B17 for 6 hours. I will continue with 50% WC 3 times a week coming weeks. TDS is stable around 130ppm.

The par layout with current setting are visualized in the drawing below, the height difference is quite challenging. MC receives par around 100, crypt and lileaopsis around 30-50 par. Anubias and Buce targeted between 20-30 par.



The wood is there for biofilm, not for aesthetics, so maybe I will remove it of keep smaller pieces of it since I noticed it makes cleaning more difficult.

I would love to hear your opinions and feedback, as I am highly inspired by aquascaping (my 35L is a high tech tank to practice on). Would you do anything different with this nano tank (fertilization, light etc)? I'm tempted to add potassium in the watercolumn. Also, does someone have experience with keeping clithon snails in KH<1?

 

[Countrykingdom09]

Awesome tank, great job

 

[MrJG]

Nice scape and good sense of depth. I don’t mind the wood so much maybe brings the scale into view slightly if the thermometer weren’t there. Could really just pull it out for maintenance and place it back.

I think you’ve done well with the plant groupings to take advantage of the light where you can. Watching to see how the Mc works out without co2 may grow a little slower but that’s nice for a shrimp tank.

 

[Sb1415]

I believe Clithon snails are under the family of Nerites and are horned nerite snails. In general they do not like low pH (acidic) since their shells will get damaged/dissolved. When I had Nerites in my tank, i knew exactly when my pH became acidic with co2 since they would climb out of the water. Assuming your pH is pretty low, so might not be the best habitat but see what others comment.

I love your hardscape from the top, but I am not able to see the built up island area with the front pic that you have shared. Maybe when you see it from the place you sit you can see both mid/back of the right and left built up area, but with the current pic it looks like the Rocks just hide it. Maybe it will look different when the plants grow and emerge out and maybe that is your idea.

Make sure that the rock is not getting hit with the flow from the lily pipe, I think it can be a recipe for BBA .

Otherwise looks great and looking forward to see how it grows out.

In regards to fertilizer - my thought is that it is not important which strategy you choose (WC fertilizer, Substrate based, EI, lean dosing, Phosphate or none etc.), but rather stick to one strategy and not keep changing it since it would cause issues. Highly recommend reading up on it in 2hr aquarist website. If you are going based on the ADA approach would just stick to the ADA approach - not sure when they recommend to add the Brighty K but would read about it and follow it. If you follow 2 hr aquarist, Dennis usually recommends starting of with APT 1.

Hope these helps.

 

[*Ci*]

Beautiful little Beach scene

 

[Koan]

Clithon snails are under the family of Nerites and are horned nerite snails. In general they do not like low pH (acidic) since their shells will get damaged/dissolved

Brackish and Marine snails are usually not designed to manage low ph and kh

There are a few freshwater snails that tolerate those conditions better, bladder / pest snails are one

Ramshorn snails



can actually thrive down to about pH 6.8, and survive intermittent periods well below that, if there's plenty of calcium in the water and in their food.

They are designed to manage softer more acidic freshwater swamps etc, with a heavier protein "periostracum" cover over the calcium of their shell.

For this reason you see them in shrimp tanks a lot.

 

[techman81]

I probably shouldn't, but I continue adding nerites, both olive and zebra, to my tanks because they do such a good job keeping hardscape clean, but they don't last that long. I've had a few make it 6 months but 1-3 months is more common. I have heard that horned nerites tend to do a little better than other nerites but I haven't tried any.