Journal Middle Energy Shrimp Cube

[Kwyet]

This 7 gallon tank went through several different looks before we moved. Then after I set it up again I didn’t like how it looked, so I started it over again. I’m just going to start this journal with the current version, which began 1/20/25.

I went through a bunch of Amano’s photos of small tanks. I wanted to get a similar look, but without Power sand, and with a few different plants. I put some of the previous substrate (Amazonia v2 and black fluorite sand) in a mesh bag, and then covered it with Aqua Naturals Midnight Pearl gravel. I use a separate siphon for this tank because I hear Riccia spreads easily to other tanks.

The plant list:
Riccia fluitans
Didiplis diandra
Micranthemum micranthemoides
Crypt Wendtii Steepadma Sindoor
Crypt Spiralis Jwala
Helanthium bolivianum angustifolia
Limnophila aromatica mini
Limnophila wilsonii

The initial equipment was just a small internal filter and a Chihiros C2 RGB light. A Yugang Open Flow Reactor and DIY CO2 was also planned, and I’ll talk a little about it in the next post. Thanks @Yugang for this awesome idea!

First photo:

 

[Kwyet]

As of 1/29/25 it had finished cycling again and I had added the Open Flow Reactor. It works on the same principle as his horizontal reactor, but it goes inside the tank and is open on the bottom so the flow from the filter can help it dissolve. There’s a little hole on one end so extra CO2 can overflow and both keep the CO2 level stable and purge any other gases that would otherwise build up.

I only wanted a small CO2 concentration of around 10 ppm . I used 8.7 cm of straight-ish aquarium tubing with an inner diameter of 13 mm, 2 clear vinyl screw protectors, and 2 suction cups with zip ties. It’s not as elegant as @*Ci* ‘s but it was really easy to make and pretty cheap. The CO2 system is a DIY Fzone tank using baking soda and citric acid, with a CO2 Art regulator. I initially had it set on 1 bubble every 9 seconds, but found it wouldn’t stay steady at all at less than 1 bubble per 4-5 seconds, so it stays set on that. I let it run 24/7. When I was able to get a Hanna CO2 test kit, it tested at 9.5 ppm . I’m happy with that. I put in some Ember tetras to keep it cycled until I could buy some shrimp, and added some Red Root Floaters. I also wanted more time for the tank to mature before getting them.

 

[Kwyet]

Pic as of 2/28/25. It was getting pretty overgrown. The Crypt Sindoor had melted away and I had put in a few bits of Platinum Glossostigma tissue culture, a mini Lobelia cardinalis and some Marsilea hirsuta.



3/19/25
I finally added 8 Orange Starkist Neocaridina shrimp! It took me awhile to catch the Embers though. This was right before I suddenly had to start going away for weeks at a time, so I was glad to find them still doing well when I returned.

 

[*Ci*]

What are the dimensions and gallonage of this tank?

I had Riccia in my forest scape nano - cleaned out the whole tank, replaced the substrate and started fresh, but reused some of the plants and I am still picking riccia out of it! The tiniest broken off bit will reproduce just like moss, but it grows much faster …
I have it in a 10g shrimp tank as well and have essentially given up on controlling it : )

 

[Kwyet]

These are the pics from when I returned 3 days ago:





And these are from this morning after trimming yesterday:





The new plant is one of 2 Crypt Sindoor that converted successfully in my low-tech farm tank. I hope it doesn’t melt from being moved, but if it does I’ll still have one left. I don’t know if it’ll get the orange color back now that it has a little extra CO2, but I like the color even if it doesn’t.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Kwyet]

What are the dimensions and gallonage of this tank?

I had Riccia in my forest scape nano - cleaned out the whole tank, replaced the substrate and started fresh, but reused some of the plants and I am still picking riccia out of it! The tiniest broken off bit will reproduce just like moss, but it grows much faster …
I have it in a 10g shrimp tank as well and have essentially given up on controlling it : )

I should have said, it’s 7 gallons, 12 inch cube, UNS 30C tank. I’ll be even more careful with it then. Thanks!

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

These are the pics from when I returned 3 days ago:

View attachment 7623

View attachment 7624

And these are from this morning after trimming yesterday:

View attachment 7625

View attachment 7626

The new plant is one of 2 Crypt Sindoor that converted successfully in my low-tech farm tank. I hope it doesn’t melt from being moved, but if it does I’ll still have one left. I don’t know if it’ll get the orange color back now that it has a little extra CO2, but I like the color even if it doesn’t.

Thanks for reading!

Interesting, much darker than the light pink TC you initially receive.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I’m actually trying a newish crypt myself, “Florida Sunset.” There is very little example of it on the internet but reports boast some nice colors of pink, white, gold and green. We’ll see in a few weeks

 

[Kwyet]

I’m actually trying a newish crypt myself, “Florida Sunset.” There is very little example of it on the internet but reports boast some nice colors of pink, white, gold and green. We’ll see in a few weeks

I’ll be interested to see that! I don’t know if the Sindoor might improve its color with higher light and more CO2. The 2 that survived were from the original batch that started out in the Dutch tank and then were moved to a low-tech tank because they were fading away and just not growing. I was pleasantly surprised that they did well there. So far the one that I moved to this tank is doing fine. It hasn’t been that long though, so we’ll see.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

Your picture is actually one of the few, if the only converted TC example of Sindoor I’ve seen. I’ve heard reports that people have grown it successfully but no picture proof.

 

[Kwyet]

Your picture is actually one of the few, if the only converted TC example of Sindoor I’ve seen. I’ve heard reports that people have grown it successfully but no picture proof.

Same here

 

[Kwyet]