I decided today was the day to try something new

So today I took the plunge and switched a 40g from a cichlid growout tank to a planted tank with some shrimp. Thanks to Billhn, I was led to Tanya out in tenino who hooked me up with around 50 red cherry shrimplets. I picked up the ones that she said she would cull, as I figured that would be a good starting point to try this side of the hobby out, and that they would be cheaper.  she also gave me 12 plants for not having to get the shrimp shipped out to me (generous, right!?!)  I also picked up a couple of snails, and a couple of her guppy fry.  Figured that this would fill up my tank given that I already have a couple of cory cats in there...... Turns out that once I released everything and planted the plants...... it was not full at all. I now know why all of you invert lovers keep them in small tanks.  It seems like my tank is completely empty, except for the corys.  I will update with pictures when things are large enough to be seen by the naked eye.

BTW, Tanya said she was going to the swap.  I would definitely hook up with her if i was you.  she has some awesome things shes bringing(bog wood, guppies, shrimp, plants etc), and she is crazy generous.  

Finally, I know that she has an ebay store...... but i didnt think i could rate it on the rate my lfs section, as its online(even though its local).  None the less, I'd give her 5s for everything and a 10 for price!  I hope I enjoy these little shrimp as much as she does.

turns out, that now i really want to get one of those moss ball things that poke posted about the other day...... so let me know best place to get one

When I see those things, I think I want to reach in and grab it and throw it at someone. Kind of like getting hit with a slush ball.

I know one I see them alot really big and real are at petsmart. Floating ones are fake from petco.

So Lloyd, are you actually going for a shrimp tank or raising feeders? I want to raise feeders. I would feel bad using an expensive type of shrimp for that but if they were prolific I guess it wouldn't matter too much.

lloyd378 wrote:So today I took the plunge and switched a 40g from a cichlid growout tank to a planted tank with some shrimp.

Aaaaaand, WaLa- now you have plants to pppplllaaayyy "Pay It Forward"!



This sounds like a neat project lloyd678. Your tank will seem fuller  once the plants become established.

DMD123 wrote:When I see those things, I think I want to reach in and grab it and throw it at someone. Kind of like getting hit with a slush ball.

Do you think they will stick to ceilings like wet toilet paper? Haha!

Not feeders..... Unless I get bored with them.... I did see that she had these tiger looking ones that were super cool..... If I continue to enjoy this, I spring for the more expensive ones. Dmd, you should talk to her at the swap .

Sirwes, I've always wanted to just squeeze them, but never thought about throwing them. Haha

Fishnbowl, the plants I got are too small to pay it forward.....but yes, I will try this out once they get bigger.

Lol shrimp in a 40gal would look really empty!! I have 4 platys, 2 plecos, a ram, and an angel fish in a 40 gal and it looks empty sometimes.

Morgan, it's crazy empty! But that's the smallest tank I have ( minus the 20g long) but that seemed too small so..... Hind sight is 20/20

Lloyd378. When I get my planted growing like crazy. I'll pay it forward to you. When it explodes. Ppl here helped me as a noob to plants and this hobby and I will help you as a noob in the plant section.  

SiRWesDragon wrote:Lloyd378.  When I get my planted growing like crazy. I'll pay it forward to you. When it explodes. Ppl here helped me as a noob to plants and this hobby and I will help you as a noob in the plant section.   

you are too kind. thanks

I guess I have a warped view of shrimp. Shrimp = Food  

They are pretty cool to watch. My friends daughter has a few in a 5g with a betta. They are interesting.

DMD123 wrote:I guess I have a warped view of shrimp. Shrimp = Food   

They are pretty cool to watch. My friends daughter has a few in a 5g with a betta. They are interesting.

i did too, but the peer pressure from the box made me rethink my thinking.....but since I like large fish so much, i may have to end up stealing a lobster tank from red lobster so that I can house the monsters they have there......it's not illegal to own saltwater lobsters, right?

Shrimp are fun, and I'm sure you will get plenty of breeding going on with those numbers, just give them plenty of hiding places

We do still have Marimo Balls at Aquarium Co-Op for $8, I believe Petsmart sells them for $7? Petco does have real marimo balls, but they also sell the fake ones that are just styrofoam balls coated with java moss on them, they are just called "Moss Balls" . . . true Marimo Balls are called Marimo Balls. I hope that clears up any confusion. =P

Anyway, I have a marimo ball setup that just contains Marimo Balls, granted these are all fake ones (they're just fuzzy craft balls [pom poms]) . . . I do plan on putting in real ones in there, a little bit at a time.

lloyd378 wrote:So today I took the plunge and switched a 40g from a cichlid growout tank to a planted tank with some shrimp. Thanks to Billhn, I was led to Tanya out in tenino who hooked me up with around 50 red cherry shrimplets. I picked up the ones that she said she would cull, as I figured that would be a good starting point to try this side of the hobby out, and that they would be cheaper.  she also gave me 12 plants for not having to get the shrimp shipped out to me (generous, right!?!)  I also picked up a couple of snails, and a couple of her guppy fry.  Figured that this would fill up my tank given that I already have a couple of cory cats in there...... Turns out that once I released everything and planted the plants...... it was not full at all.  I now know why all of you invert lovers keep them in small tanks.  It seems like my tank is completely empty, except for the corys.  I will update with pictures when things are large enough to be seen by the naked eye.

BTW, Tanya said she was going to the swap.  I would definitely hook up with her if i was you.  she has some awesome things shes bringing(bog wood, guppies, shrimp, plants etc), and she is crazy generous.  

Finally, I know that she has an ebay store...... but i didnt think i could rate it on the rate my lfs section, as its online(even though its local).  None the less, I'd give her 5s for everything and a 10 for price!  I hope I enjoy these little shrimp as much as she does.

^^


She's real good to people. I'm glad you enjoyed the visit to Tanya's!!!
I'll share this with her later. 

Yeah she'll be bringing a bunch of stuff. Me, her, anderson, and crazed are gonna do a convoy? up there xD.

Hey Poke, that marimo ball vase thing is pretty cool. Reminds me of Bubble Tea....

poke, thanks for the info..... when i get up there (whenever we finally nail down a carpool) I will need to get one from you guys, as well as a couple of guppies (I want the ones that look like yellow tigers). as for your vase, really cool idea! I totally dig the idea.

Luminous, yes I have a ton of hiding spots (i think anyways)

Billhn, thanks

Dmd, all I can say is Yum.....

I think i will try a pic today.... stay tuned after the hawks game

You really got me thinking about doing something similar. I was thinking of a 20L from the Petco sale, with some plants.... Stop giving me ideas Lloyd!

sorry, great minds think a like! I need to do some research on plants. the ones I got from tanya are super cool. They are also supposed to be very low maintenance (according to her), I have no idea what size they get, but I would like a plant that travels all the way to the top of the aquarium and kind of resembles a kelp plant

lloyd378: Thanks! yes definitely stop on by, we've got tons of guppies and endlers with many different patterns and colors!

DMD123: Hahaha Bubbletea! Wow, those were the good ole days. :p I sure hope that the marimo ball vase thing catches on, it kinda reminds me of a lava lamp, only, more... "natural" so to speak.

lloyd378 wrote:sorry, great minds think a like!  I need to do some research on plants. the ones I got from tanya are super cool. They are also supposed to be very low maintenance (according to her), I have no idea what size they get, but I would like a plant that travels all the way to the top of the aquarium and kind of resembles a kelp plant

Jungle Vals might fit that bill. They grow super long (2 feet or more), they're pretty quick growers, and they're constantly sending out runners. They're pretty easy to grow as long as you avoid liquid CO2 products (like Flourish Excel).

Thanks pbmax, I will check them out .

PokeSephiroth wrote:

Anyway, I have a marimo ball setup that just contains Marimo Balls, granted these are all fake ones (they're just fuzzy craft balls [pom poms]) . . . I do plan on putting in real ones in there, a little bit at a time.

This is REALLY cool!
Don't "real" Marimo balls sink? I'm just saying they may not have the same effect as these moss balls in your water vase (I could be wrong).

DMD123 wrote:Hey Poke, that marimo ball vase thing is pretty cool. Reminds me of Bubble Tea....

Bubble tea, yummmmmmm

fishNAbowl: Y'know, I've read some stuff about marimo balls "floating up to the surface" when they need more light, I think that's just a whole bunch of hoo-ha. Marimo Balls DO sink, but with enough current in the water, they will drift along without much effort. You can also make them "float" by taking them out of the water, squeezing some of the water out, and placing them back in the tank. By doing this, you are trapping some air inside the marimo ball, which makes them more buoyant.

Liiiiiiiiiiiike...this!

  poke. That music is unique.

PokeSephiroth wrote:fishNAbowl: Y'know, I've read some stuff about marimo balls "floating up to the surface" when they need more light, I think that's just a whole bunch of hoo-ha. Marimo Balls DO sink, but with enough current in the water, they will drift along without much effort. You can also make them "float" by taking them out of the water, squeezing some of the water out, and placing them back in the tank. By doing this, you are trapping some air inside the marimo ball, which makes them more buoyant.

Oh, okay. Thought they would just drop like a rock.

SirWesDragon: hahaha, that video of the marimo balls in a tank isn't my video. =P

fishNAbowl: That's what I thought too, at first, when I first got my moss ball, I thought it was just a round rock covered in moss. Hahahaha

Good luck with the new project Lloyd.

Thanks madness, I couldn't decide between shrimp and bichirs and I went with what's currently more popular and also significantly cheaper...., I can't wait to actually be able to see them.... They are so small . Lol

lloyd378 wrote:I couldn't decide between shrimp and bichirs and I went with what's currently more popular and also significantly cheaper....

You can still add a bichir, one very happy bichir.  

how small do i have to chop the bichir up into? I want to make sure that it is in a manageable size for the shrimp to eat......