Jon's 5.5 gal shrimp tank

**SomethingIsFishy** · 01-28-2013, 05:37 PM

Thanks!

**KevinVA** · 01-28-2013, 08:43 PM

To answer your question about the Baby Tears, you'd probably need to up your lighting. Plants like that do poorly in low-light settings and will typically grow taller than they typically would, because they're reaching for the light. Higher light will keep them short and presentable. The same can be said for my Pygmy Chain Sword plants.

I'd try for something easier/low-tech or just increase your lighting. You could probably get away without the use of CO2, but then, you could always dose with liquid CO2 to keep it low-tech and cost effective.

Otherwise, the tank's looking great. =] Congrats on the new Cherries.

**SomethingIsFishy** · 01-28-2013, 11:06 PM

Yeah I decided not to do the baby's tears. Seems like too much tech for a low-tech tank... I've heard that CO2 can have negative effects on inverts anyway... I might get another lamp just to get even lighting across the whole tank though...

**SomethingIsFishy** · 01-28-2013, 11:13 PM

I did get a clump of java moss and I'm gonna try tying it to some plastic canvas in the front of the tank...

**SomethingIsFishy** · 01-29-2013, 02:34 AM

Just got home and checked the tank... found two empty "shells"... and four healthy shrimp! That means I've had two successful molts!

**SomethingIsFishy** · 01-31-2013, 04:46 PM

Did a little trimming yesterday...
Before:
101_1679_zpsd0148b57.jpg
The water sprite was a mess... a lot of it came loose and was floating away... ugly...

After:
101_1684_zpsa35b4890.jpg
Left what was rooted in place and got rid of the rest... also moved the moss into the back corner...

**KevinVA** · 01-31-2013, 04:54 PM

Sheesh. That stuff grows like a week. I recently ordered two plants for my 75gal. Glad it grows like that, because it means it'll compete with the algae. ;P

Looks good and congrats on the molting. =]

**SomethingIsFishy** · 01-31-2013, 05:00 PM

Thanks! Found another shell yesterday morning! That's three molts. Looks to me like two are saddled...

And yes, that water sprite grows like crazy!! Might be a fun one to try to control in a small tank... i think I'm gonna try to keep it thinned out pretty good...