Journal Low tech nano for Caridina shrimp

[hamfist]

Fancy tigers - always a great choice !

 

[Sloophy]

Today I found some (Easter)eggs, haha.


I'm glad the water changes didn't affect the shrimps so far. I hope I can continue with this rhythm. They have also taken care of some of the algae on the MC, for which I'm grateful for.

Two crypts didn't make it in the sand, but the others close to the soil are fine.



The only thing I am currently struggling with is biofilm on the water surface. In the beginning, I could get away with paper towels every now and then. But after some time from when the shrimps were introduced, this biofilm is back within a couple of hours. Maybe I will buy an air pump to run it at night, it should clear it before the morning. A skimmer is just way too big and I'm not too confident it is safe enough here...

 

[Minorhero]

Medium to high light low tech tank makes for a fun journal read! It's a nice design as well. Normally I tell folks to not to try Monte Carlo low tech because the light it needs is too much but you are making it work by elevating the Monte Carlo closer to the light. It's a good idea!

Regarding your surface biofilm. I have nothing scientific to back this up,. but when this shows up in one of my tanks, I take water from an existing tank and add it to the biofilm tank. My theory being that the biofilm is just a type of bacteria. That type doesn't exist on my 'good' tank so by adding water from the good tank to the biofilm tank I am introducing a competing bacteria and the biofilm bacteria eventually die out.

Like I said, I have nothing to prove this is real, but it's been working for me. It's also reliant on actually having an established tank that doesn't have biofilm regardless of the use of a skimmer. So there is that.

Good luck!

 

[hamfist]

Regarding your surface biofilm. I have nothing scientific to back this up,. but when this shows up in one of my tanks, I take water from an existing tank and add it to the biofilm tank. My theory being that the biofilm is just a type of bacteria. That type doesn't exist on my 'good' tank so by adding water from the good tank to the biofilm tank I am introducing a competing bacteria and the biofilm bacteria eventually die out.

Like I said, I have nothing to prove this is real, but it's been working for me. It's also reliant on actually having an established tank that doesn't have biofilm regardless of the use of a skimmer. So there is that.

Thats an interesting theory and treatment. I'll have to try it out, as my big tank has a constant surface film.

 

[Sloophy]

water from an existing tank and add it to the biofilm tank.

This is really interesting indeed! I don't have a compatible "donor" tank, but I may use this as an excuse to start more tanks, hehe.

but you are making it work by elevating the Monte Carlo closer to the light. It's a good idea!

Thanks! I also lower the water during water changes just enough so that MC is emersed for a bit. I think other people make it with work in low tech by adding extra ammonia, have raw soils for CO2 or add glutaraldehyde I guess?

 

[Minorhero]

Medium to high light low tech tank makes for a fun journal read! It's a nice design as well. Normally I tell folks to not to try Monte Carlo low tech because the light it needs is too much but you are making it work by elevating the Monte Carlo closer to the light. It's a good idea!

Regarding your surface biofilm. I have nothing scientific to back this up,. but when this shows up in one of my tanks, I take water from an existing tank and add it to the biofilm tank. My theory being that the biofilm is just a type of bacteria. That type doesn't exist on my 'good' tank so by adding water from the good tank to the biofilm tank I am introducing a competing bacteria and the biofilm bacteria eventually die out.

Like I said, I have nothing to prove this is real, but it's been working for me. It's also reliant on actually having an established tank that doesn't have biofilm regardless of the use of a skimmer. Good luck

This is really interesting indeed! I don't have a compatible "donor" tank, but I may use this as an excuse to start more tanks, hehe.



Thanks! I also lower the water during water changes just enough so that MC is emersed for a bit. I think other people make it with work in low tech by adding extra ammonia, have raw soils for CO2 or add glutaraldehyde I guess?

I don't think a lot of people can make it work low tech for Monte carlo, mostly because of the light situation. The plant can grow without injected co2, but the rest of the low tech tank can't take the amount of ppfd that Monte Carlo needs to be happy before algae takes over. If you can long term make it work, by elevating the Monte Carlo bed high enough that its getting more light, well that's a pretty nice solution.

 

[JacksonL]

Beautiful scape, I had to triple check I read the volume correctly. It looks far bigger than 17L! You have done a great job creating a nano that has such good depth of view.

 

[hamfist]

Beautiful scape, I had to triple check I read the volume correctly. It looks far bigger than 17L! You have done a great job creating a nano that has such good depth of view.

It is pretty incredible for such a small tank isn't it !

 

[Sloophy]

Thank you all!