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| I got my aquarium planted, the filter cartridge is seeding in an established tank, things are running smoothly. So I went to the pet store and came home with 10 ghost shrimp. They look so happy! They comb through my sand/earth substrate and keep the plants tidy and their little swimmerets go whirrrrr. I'm really pleased with the little guys. Now, is ten a good number to start off with? I'm going to stock the tank with a school of neon tetras, but not for at least three to four weeks. Any cycling in the substrate oughta be done by then, and definitely the filter colonization. So should I add more at any point? Right now I've basically got a shrimp species tank. I know they aren't heavy on the bio-load, so I wondered what number of them is ideal in a 10g. ...For that matter, if it's advisable to have more, ghost shrimp and red cherry shrimp would be compatible, right? I'm waiting in limbo to see if I'll be able to get some.
In the Mountains Of the Mountains For the Mountains
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| Shrimp are sensitive to high ammonia levels. So during cycling, you might expect some dead shrimp floating on the surface. Is the filter that you're using seeded? What have you used from your 29 gallon for a bacteria "starter"? (Like decorations, filter media, substrate, etc.) 10 shrimp won't cut it for an ammonia source. You'll have to add some fish flakes so that there is an ammonia source. Red Cherry Shrimp are compatible with ghost shrimp. About 5 ghost, and 7-10 cherry shrimp should do well with a school of 6 neons. Of course you can lower the number if there are too many shrimp. Or raise the number for a more abundant look.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cut Here If life gives you lemons, squeeze them into people's eyes and run away! }<(((0>
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| Lesse...I did add fish flakes before I got the shrimp, actually. And I had a thought after I added my little critters that shrimp are picky about ammonia - that was a headsmack moment, but they're not exactly the priciest livestock out there. Still, I need to keep an eye on them. Right now, the tank's been set up for all of a day and a half, and the filter is not currently running. It doesn't have an outflow control, so I'm letting things idle until my plants are rooted better. I planted the unweighted corkscrew val really close to the filter outflow, and those things are horrid to come unrooted, so I need to wait until I see adequate root development before I begin mechanical filtration. I have a small amount of substrate in place from the established tank, and the filter cartridge is seeding in the 29 as well. Now I'm playing the same waiting game as you, FattFishy - waiting for the filter media to colonize. I'm just hoping all goes well; at this point, my main concern is my plants since putting fish in the tank - cycling in its entirety, really - can wait for a few weeks if necessary. So far, I've had excellent luck in getting tanks to cycle without problems...but there's always room for a catastrophe in one's repertoire. I just hope my shrimp don't end up as casualties down the road...I think I'm attached. ;o
In the Mountains Of the Mountains For the Mountains
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| One thing's for sure. Make sure you don't buy the expensive red cherry shrimp until cycling finishes. You wouldn't want those beauties dead after spending your whole paycheck. Also, plants will break down ammonia, it's true. That's how silent cycling came about. Using fast growing stem plants or the like to get rid of the ammonia and nitrite instead of the bacteria doing the work. Then the bacteria grow in like regular cycling, but with fish inside your tank -- not dead -- but thriving. Silent cycling takes luck and a lot more money for the plants and such but it's worth the wait, you can add fish within a week! I need an ammonia tester...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cut Here If life gives you lemons, squeeze them into people's eyes and run away! }<(((0>
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