Need Advice on Guppy Food

[mfinch]

I am looking for more options on things that will grow in my tank that the guppies will be able to eat. So far the daphina and the ghost shrimp seem like good options but i am scared they will not be able to produce.

Size 20 Gallon

sub strait: Subsoil, topsoil, peat moss and gravel.
all live plants:(DIY C02) java moss, Green Jungle (Vallisneria sp.), Corkscrew Vallisneria (Vallisneria torta) and Cabomba Green (Cabomba carolina).

Inhabitants:

10 ghost shrimp(not sure how many i can have - advice welcomed.)
2 guppies.
Daphnia

[Berylla]

Since your guppies are predators, 10 shrimp is probably not enough to start a strong shrimp population, unless they are completely protected from the guppies (at least for now). Your moss, if large enough could provide this for them. Also, shrimp need a good calcium and protein rich food to be healthy and berry up. I use HBH crab and lobster bites.

Do you want this to be a self-sustaining tank? Your 20 gallon may be too small for this. I've read of some self sustaining tanks but they are quite large.

[mfinch]

Yes i want this to be a self sustaining tank. (I might be crazy) I have found very little details online about doing this and have been piecing together a plan from 100s of different sources.

I don't have any guppies in the tank yet. I am only planing on having one or 2. I am letting all the plants and moss get a strong foot hold with tons of little places and plants to hide in so they can reproduce with out the guppies eating everything eventually. I have been trying to look up a protein source i could grow in the tank that the shrimp could eat. (This is my largest worry) How many shrimp do you think the setup could contain?

The moss is small right now. I have 3 each of the Vallisneria and 2 of the Coamboa Green. So i am hoping that all the Diphania and fry can hide in all of the plants from the guppies. I wont introduce the guppies until the plants and shrimp have a solid foothold.

I am going to culture and introduce Infusoria and Paramecium to feed shrimp fry and my daphnia. I am going to get it from my local universities biology department.

[Cliff]

Have you read up on the Walstad method yet ? That kind of sounds like what you are going for here, or at least a very similar apporach.

http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/aq...step-step.html

[mfinch]

No i haven't read up on the Walstad method before now. From what i can tell the only cycle in the Walstad Method is for cleaning the water. The few articles i did read gave me some more insight to watch out for with my soil. Thanks for the link. I have yet to find a complete guide for what i am trying to do on the internet. So i will make my own when all this is done.

[Berylla]

This is an interesting read about self sustaining tanks:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ght=bucket+mud

[MrJim]

While working towards a self-sustaining tank you might toss in a cucumber slice once a week~my guppies love it.

[mfinch]

Thanks for the article Berylla. I am going to have tons of plant material in the aquarium for the guppies i am worried more about the protein for them.