New Tank!!!

[shrimpkeeper222]

Sadly, i couldnt get my 50 gallon tank due to some problems and blah blah , but got this 14.6 gallon-for free !!! it is going to be a tri-shrimp tank, hopefully breeding 3 generas(Parayta,Neocardina,Caridina). Pls any tips for keeping Caridina sp, since im new to them. Also what FRIENDLY cats can i add in? my ideas are otos mainly, but pygmy cories too, if they work. I want NO harm to the shrimps wat so ever. Heres some stats to help!
Dimension/Volume: 46cmx30cmx40cm/14.6 US gallons
Substrate: Planting/ Shrimp Soil
Furniture: Driftwood
Lighting: Low(room light)
Temp:22-24C
Filtration: Sponge
Plants: to be determined-ideas will be awesome!!!
Stock: RCS, Parayta Compressa, CRS, some fish that are 100% shrimp friendly
Food: Hikari Crab Cuisine, Spirulna, Various veg&fruits, occasional treats of meatier foods
And a pic of the bare tank today!

Tank Pic

Will add other stuff tomorrow(except the shrimps of course) Will update!!!

[pleconut]

Hi I have read in quite a few places oto's will not harm shrimp. But I'm not sure about the pygmy cories. If you were to ask in the cory forum you might get a better chance of getting an answer from those with experience in keeping cories. I'm my limited experience with keeping peppered cories they didn't harm my cherry shrimp.

[pleconut]

Also in my research into caridina shrimp they require a lower ph. Around 6.5-6.8, softer water -preferably ro water remineralised to 100-200 tds. Ammonia must be zero, the tank mature, and nitrate as low as possible. These guidelines are important if you intend to breed them. Water changes and substrate vacs are unnecessary and can be harmful to these shrimp. I found this info in a fishkeeping magazine, in a article, by the owner of a company called Sharnbrook Shrimp here in the uk. You may find them online for further info.

[shrimpkeeper222]

Thanx pleconut. I really appreciate the advice. Hopefully I can breed them.
But disaster! After i added in my shrimp soil and driftwood, I used un dechlorinated tap water!!! I dont have a container to store tap water enough for a 15 gallon, so i used undeclorined tap water-straight from the tap. I have waited 1 day from yesterday, but would has the driftwood or shrimp soil have absorbed the chlorine? I did some search, and heard of using undechlorined water cured driftwood with no harm for a long period. Would the same be for the shrimp soil? PLEASE HEL P

[shrimpkeeper222]

Luckily Im gonna use dechlorinators soon! Yay! But, would dechlorinaters harm shrimp?

[shrimpkeeper222]

Used dechlorinater+added plants! Set up called 'The Floating Forest'! Pics below! Plants used are Pellia, java moss, flame moss, anubias nana and water lily! alos added a L-144 to my 6 gallon shrimp tank-waiting for the 14.6 gallon tank to get cycled! my first ancistrus-yay!

[pleconut]

Chlorine is a gas, after 24 hours of running an airstone it will disperse into the air and would not be harmful to fish or shrimp. Tap drinking water also contains chloramine and heavy metals, so its wise to use a dechlorinator that deals with chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals, so if you haven't you would need to obtain one that deals with all 3. Even so i dont think the shrimp soil would absorb the chloramine or heavy metals. But verify this with someone who knows more about shrimp and shrimp products.

[shrimpkeeper222]

I tried and it worked beautifully! Some shrimps in there now!