2 Gallon Jar of Awesome

KaraWolf 2013-09-30, 14:09

Decided to make my own thread so I can stop taking over the 2.5 gallon planted thread XD and so I have somewhere to post updates.
There are 2 male endler guppies (not sure if hybrid or not) and 5 cherry shrimp, 5 million pond snails, moneywort, Anubis nana and a ton of not very dwarf dwarf grass(which is great because tiny fish shouldn't be able to get to even tinier shrimp babies but we shall see!).
Beginning to now:
8/15/'13
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8/20/'13 -New light New fish
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9/4/'13 - Plant Growth
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9/30/'13
Today!!! I hadn't looked at this tank closely for a couple of days due to starting school and being busy taking care of the menance 55 I found one of two Females had FINALLY "laid" her eggs and was busy fanning them XD
Shrimp eggs!!
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Insane Growth and too much light (I think!) a new stick/log, java moss and Anubis nana finally has a home well...1 does anyways. not sure how well the 2nd ones doing. might trade it for some floaters for the 55 >>
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annnnnd the "grass" growing on my grass!....and glass, and Anubis and everywhere else it can stick to.
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I THINK it's fuzz algae, or hair algae not sure. Suggestions to containing it other then back way off on the light -it's been sitting less then 2 inches off the water and ON for ...16? hours a day. oops! Now it's several inches (like 6) off the water and I left it off the last 2 days.

Lamental Jester 2013-09-30, 14:23

Wooo! Look at that female, she's BURSTING with eggs! Spot On

DMD123 2013-09-30, 14:25

Looking good!

Lamental Jester 2013-09-30, 14:25

PS- Yeah, 16 hours is a tad long, lol... try cutting it down to 11 or 12 and see is that helps with the hair algae

pbmax 2013-09-30, 14:53

Looks good! Smile

Now is when things get interesting... maintenance-wise. I've found neocaridina will take care of fuzz algae like yours if there are enough of them.

I would take it down to 10h of light, personally.

KaraWolf 2013-09-30, 14:56

XDDDD so many eggs it's awesome! Now crossing my fingers that she doesn't drop them :)and that the other female hurries up lol she still has the saddle but it's a lot smaller.

Thanks DMD123!!!

K :)I shall run it from 6-5(hopefully) then XD perfect timing cause that's how long it looks like I'll be at school :)poor guys have been blasted with light lol Thanks!!!

pbmax: interesting is fine XP it's so small it doesn't take long Smile

neocaridina are....my shrimp lol there's just not enough of them yet to really control it, I have a wopping total of 5 XP for a second I thought you were suggesting I put something more in there 0.o less light indeed I can do! and maybe scrub the glass too to help >>

pbmax 2013-09-30, 15:50

Give it time; they'll multiply and thrive as long as you keep up with the water changes. And your fuzz algae will be a thing of the past... Wink

KaraWolf 2013-09-30, 15:59

Yup yup yup! been watching them try for what seems like ages. But soon I shall have a ton more and then I'll have to find some place to put them >> thanks for the advice XD

**MRTom** 2013-09-30, 16:13

Awesome doesn't do this jar justice. I would call it the Righteous Jar of Amazing Blow Your Socks Off Awesome.

What kind of substrate did you start with, and have you been fertilizing at all?

My smaller tanks are similar, and once the shrimps started breeding like crazy, the hair algae went away. They keep on breeding so I assume they are happy Smile

When the algae gets out of control, I just keep the lights off for a day or two and let the shrimps catch up.

KaraWolf 2013-09-30, 16:40

LOL thanks!! I should sharpy that around the rim where it crimps in or something similar LOL

I have less then 2 inches but as close as I could get it to that of Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix while sticking all the ingredients in a mesh bag and basically collecting the dust that fell out for use without a cap. Results: a VERY black tank with every water change until the dwarf grass took over. No ferts yet and I'm kind of hoping they wont be necessary for a long long while >> I don't do gravel vacs cause it's dirt, just water changes.

Oh awesome to hear Smile

was starting to wonder if it's possible for the hair algae to suffocate the plants.....

**PokeSephiroth** 2013-09-30, 18:25

That looks GREAT KaraWolf!! Wow, look at how healthy those dwarf hairgrass plants are doing for you! Smile

Very neat!

KaraWolf 2013-09-30, 18:57

thanks Poke Very Happy

and I just realized its been only a month and a half from setting this up my God o.o there was so little dwarf grass just a tiny while ago! It also seems like this has been in my kitchen for ages. Lol

**PokeSephiroth** 2013-09-30, 19:10

Hahahaha! I'm glad the dwarf hairgrass is working out for you! I didn't have much luck with mine, and I'm too scared to start all over again. LOL...

Paintguy 2013-09-30, 19:44

Can't the shrimp crawl out of that jar?

Lamental Jester 2013-09-30, 19:55

The only shrimp I know of that will crawl out of tanks are filter feeding shrimp like the Bamboo Shrimp

KaraWolf 2013-10-03, 12:45

lol poke....if it gets much more thick I might just have to rip some out and send it your way XP course this is the variety that's about 4 inches tall.

Paintguy well technically they could XP but so far none of them have even tried. I imagine if I had a filter on it they might decide to go live in that like I've heard stories of finding them in the bottom of it but I don't have one so Smile

KaraWolf 2013-10-30, 12:56

HUZZAH!! My dark red female (who got preggo first of course) has had her babies and is already developing new eggs >>! I managed to find 2 maybe 3 babies(who are already kind of red and not clear) but in the tangled mess of dwarf grass galore, shrimp poo and a bajillion carpet cover of hair algae the whole batch could easily be hiding from me(or eaten who knows?). Considering I usually can't even find 2 of the 5 adults now due to algae growth recently.

Was thinking about trying to siphon the poo and maybe scrub some algae off the wood in the next few days but I think that would just kill any babies alive right now sooo maybe in a few months....Just stirred it around with a stick and what do you know I scared another baby out of hiding. Also, my snail population seems to be under control 0.o or at least I'm not teeming with them and only the occasional egg set.

The 2nd female still has her eggs and a 3rd is developing them 0.o and there are two shell husks sitting in plain sight LOL guys. you're supposed to EAT those!

Edit: Tried to take pics but they're so small they appear like little blurs of kinda poo colored somethings.

pbmax 2013-10-30, 17:53

Congrats! Hooray for babies! cheers

LuminousAphid 2013-10-31, 13:30

Hooray, congratulations! I haven't seen any babies from mine yet, but I think that's because they keep getting eaten by fish. I would like to do an even smaller tank like this someday, maybe soon.

What kind of substrate are you using? I missed that detail

KaraWolf 2013-10-31, 14:01

Thanks!!
more then likely!! They're a good snack lol hopefully they don't get all eaten so I'm crossing my fingers!
Miracle grow organic potting mix. I think its finally slowing down though. Not sure if its the soil running out the algae or if there's just no more room lol

dinnerwithwolves 2013-10-31, 14:48

This is such an awesome setup! I'm planning on moving my shrimp from my 29 community in to a smaller setup, and you've provided the perfect inspiration for that!

What temp is the water at? Room temp? My room gets fairly cold, so I think even in a smaller setup I may get a heater.

Here goes my first planted...yahoo!

pbmax 2013-10-31, 15:30

RCS can survive pretty low temperatures (into the 50s even), as long as the temperature doesn't swing too much. Granted, they won't breed as quickly, but they should be fine. Just don't slack on water changes on smaller containers.

BallardFishGuy 2013-10-31, 16:01

I have the same jar and I use it as a terrarium next to my tanks... I have an old antique architecture lamp above it! Love'in yours!

KaraWolf 2013-11-16, 16:22

...how did I miss the replies??
got on here to do a little update....

dinnerwithwolves: sorry it took so long 0.o they are at room temperature of about 70 degrees almost constantly. No heater but they're breeding nicely considering I only got 5 juvies when I started just a few months ago. Mine is so understocked with all the plants I do water changes when it's either low or I'm trying to dislodge some of the algae.

pbmax: XDD

BallardFishGuy: lol sweet!!! XD I'd use the lid too if it didn't need light XDD and thank you!!

on to my update: It looks like 2 of the first bath of shrimp survived (at least) it was 4 last week but idk if they are just even better at hiding or if they got nommed.
I saw 2 more that look about half their size so the other mom must have had her eggs though idk where she is to check >>
the java moss actually looks like it's taken off despite being at least half covered in algae. I am EXTREMELY tempted to temporarily house one of my otos in there to clean up a good deal of it but I have a feeling if they go in there I will cause widespread destruction getting it back out.

I believe I have found one of the reasons I have no more snails visible except empty shells. There looks to be planaria crawling around on the glass. And they are supposed to be snail-egg eaters. I just hope they're not shrimp baby eaters :(No idea how they got in there. maybe they were in the dirt from the start??
OH and apparently male shrimp love eating stick. lol was looking for babies last week and both my males decided to crawl on my stick and eat it/off it (I use the stick to disturb the babies out of the grass for a second)

KaraWolf 2013-11-17, 21:57

P.S. It's official the endlers have been eating my shrimplets. Just caught them chasing one silly enough to feed on the glass wayyyyy above the grass. (poked it till it hid again) Now to decide how to make my population increase faster....Remove Endlers to the 55gal or remove preggo shrimp to my crappy "extra grow" tub (even smaller then the tank and not growing well at all. oooh or re-setup a betta vase as a shrimplet tub. >> and put momma back as they hatch. XD and the java moss is big enough now to separate and put in to feed them too. <--definatly doing the last XDDD they shall have no dwarf grass to hide in!
of course that would require a female to be berried but they both just hatched their set of eggs and are growing them again.

EDIT: ....annnnd she's preggo just today. I SWEAR to the Almighty Fish God she had no eggs earlier today. lol Guess it's shirmplet tank soooonnnn

Chiisai 2013-11-17, 22:35

I love this idea.. what kind of jar is this? Where did you get it?

pbmax 2013-11-17, 22:45

KaraWolf wrote:....Remove Endlers to the 55gal...

I vote for this option. Keeping fish in a container that small is a high-maintenance proposition at best.

Chiisai 2013-11-17, 22:58

pbmax wrote:
KaraWolf wrote:....Remove Endlers to the 55gal...
I vote for this option. Keeping fish in a container that small is a high-maintenance proposition at best.

I cant be certain but it would be my guess the endlers were to get the tank cycling. I could definately be wrong though. I know whenever I start a new tank I usually put a few guppies in there for a week or so to get the tank cycled properly.

KaraWolf 2013-11-17, 23:57

The jar I got at Walmart I believe. Its an "anchor hawking" 2 gallon. took forever to find in stores though; best bet is to find it online then use the find in stores feature (too cheap to ship LOL)
Pbmax....have you seen the first post pictures of this tank? There's only 2 endlers and the plants are sucking up anything they could produce. Smile

pbmax 2013-11-18, 00:47

KaraWolf wrote:
Pbmax....have you seen the first post pictures of this tank? There's only 2 endlers and the plants are sucking up anything they could produce.

Yes, I have. You'll note I've posted in this thread a couple of times previously.

I've also kept fish (h. formosa) in a tiny (sub 3-gallon) tank in the past. I think doing so is unnecessarily risky for the fish and not worth the trouble.

KaraWolf 2013-11-20, 23:33

Last night I put the pregnant female in a tank alone with some algae growing plants so the babies could be had, but I found her nearly unresponsive(little bit of leg movement) this morning :(Stuck her back in the tank and poured tank water next to her in the net. She's recovered but I could have sworn she'd dropped the eggs, in the main tank of course.

So I pull out the wood, try to find them and not only do I find out she is STILL carrying them little stinker >> (VERY very glad she is OK ) but there are probably 3x the amount of babies that I thought existed(which was 3-4).

So instead of trying to incubate shrimp eggs I pulled up some dwarf grass for Saturday since I was in there. Also because I kinda want only moneywort in that spot. Pulled the fish out until the dirt and babies settle because there are babies EVERYWHERE in the kind-of-dusty-water and they are uber-visible in said dirty water.
PS Kinda cool and kinda weird that the babies are so uber visible right now. Usually it's a hide and seek game where most people lose (neighbors, husband, random kids) lol and me too sometimes.

KaraWolf 2014-02-03, 10:07

my shrimp population shall survive!!!! The females have been saddled for ages and yesterday suddenly I guess the last unknown one decided to mature and breed Very Happy

1 berried 2 to go. No experimenting this time >>

pbmax 2014-02-03, 12:06

Hooray!

Good luck with the little ones Spot On

KaraWolf 2014-02-03, 16:19

XD thanks!!!
I'd post pictures but the tank looks horrible lol java moss everywhere and the grass is 1/2 as dense as it was cause the light got lost for 2~ weeks

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We have moved to a new home! You can find us at:http://wafishbox.com/

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