Help plant my tank!!

[DUHK]

This is my 10 gallon tank that I just started. It's about 1 week old. As you can see, I have a bunch of anubias on one side and a bunch of java fern on the other. The manzanita wood has java moss covering it. I have cardinal shrimp in the tank, but want to add some spotted blue eye rainbows (pseudomugil gertrudae). I know that these rainbows have smaller mouths, but I still want to add more plants for coverage just to be sure. The background looks pretty empty and needs some filling up. The problem is that the substrate is all sand. What plants can I plant in the back? Would I need root tabs? I have 2.4 watts per gallon right now, but that's because I'm only using one light. I can easily add the other bulb and make it 4.8! I have not supplying CO2 other than dosing it with Excel. ANY suggestions and comments are welcomed! THANKS GUYS!!

AQUARIUM.jpg

[mistahoo]

Re: Help plant my tank!!

Did you use an old "seasoned" filter on this tank? I'd wait a few weeks before adding the gertrudae if you didn't. More plant coverage isn't really a must with them, but is nice for them to hide when they bully each other. What you have now is fine. Be warned, they are jumpers. Glass tops or any type of tops is a must. Also be careful with feeding them pellets or other hard foods because, as you mentioned, they have small mouths but they also have pinched throats. Small live foods would be perfect or other soft foods. Soaking the pellets until they are soft works too.

Seachem and API have root tabs. API can be found at petco but they leave behind granules. The seachem ones don't leave behind granules, but the only place I know of that carries it is Fish Gallery. You only really need root tabs for heavy root feeders that require more nutrients like crypts. With your current plant list, I don't see any reason to need it.

Watts per gallon is an outdated method of gauging light. It is still somewhat useful in certain cases. What type of lighting are you using (i.e. T5, CFL, CFL spiral bulb, T12, etc.)?

Oh and the gertrudae may or may not prey on shrimplets. Just a heads up.

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[suicune]

small tank like that, excel will give you more control than injecting CO2. Honestly the plants you have in your tank right now is not demanding anyways =D.. you'll be fine with what you're already have.

[troy tucker]

Nice looking little tank. You could try some Val.
Also all fish eat live food. if they can get it in their mouth they will eat it. I seen an endler eat a shrimp almost as big as it self.

[aquabee]

Help plant my tank!!

I think it looks beautiful. Then again, I'm a minimalist in terms of scape. I have some corkscrew vals if you want them. They're in an 8 gallon nano cube so they're pretty small right now.

[mistahoo]

Re: Help plant my tank!!

Also all fish eat live food. if they can get it in their mouth they will eat it. I seen an endler eat a shrimp almost as big as it self.

Very true, but unlike endlers, a gertrudae's mouth is much smaller and their throat even smaller. They'd only be able to eat newborn shrimplets. Mine didn't bother any shrimps or shrimplets.


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[aquabee]

Help plant my tank!!

Very true, but unlike endlers, a gertrudae's mouth is much smaller and their throat even smaller. They'd only be able to eat newborn shrimplets. Mine didn't bother any shrimps or shrimplets.


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+1. You gotta be careful with certain pellets too since those will get stuck in their very narrow throats.

[DUHK]

Thanks for your input guys!

Did you use an old "seasoned" filter on this tank?

Yes, I did.

I'd wait a few weeks before adding the gertrudae if you didn't. More plant coverage isn't really a must with them, but is nice for them to hide when they bully each other.

I am not really concerned with them bullying each other, I just want some more coverage for the shrimplets

What you have now is fine. Be warned, they are jumpers. Glass tops or any type of tops is a must.

This would be a problem because I have manzanita wood in the tank that pokes out of the top so having a cover would be impossible. Would covering the top of the tank with dwarf water lettuce sufficient in stopping them?

Seachem and API have root tabs. API can be found at petco but they leave behind granules. The seachem ones don't leave behind granules, but the only place I know of that carries it is Fish Gallery. You only really need root tabs for heavy root feeders that require more nutrients like crypts. With your current plant list, I don't see any reason to need it.

You think Vals would be okay without tabs?

Watts per gallon is an outdated method of gauging light. It is still somewhat useful in certain cases. What type of lighting are you using (i.e. T5, CFL, CFL spiral bulb, T12, etc.)?

I'm using T5's 24 watts, but can be upgraded to 48 watts if needed.

[DUHK]

Nice looking little tank. You could try some Val.
Also all fish eat live food. if they can get it in their mouth they will eat it. I seen an endler eat a shrimp almost as big as it self.

I think I will!! They look great! I'll probably need a lot to cover the back.

[DUHK]

I think it looks beautiful. Then again, I'm a minimalist in terms of scape. I have some corkscrew vals if you want them. They're in an 8 gallon nano cube so they're pretty small right now.

I'm a minimalist as well! The tank at its current state was what I intended all along, but since putting the shrimp into the tank I want more cover. The cardinals seem to not be very happy in the tank though. I need to check my parameters. I would like to think that I cycled it enough for just 10 cardinals, but so far I've seen 1 die. :(

I would love whatever amount of vals you can spare! :)

[mistahoo]

Re: Help plant my tank!!

Thanks for your input guys!

Yes, I did.
I am not really concerned with them bullying each other, I just want some more coverage for the shrimplets
This would be a problem because I have manzanita wood in the tank that pokes out of the top so having a cover would be impossible. Would covering the top of the tank with dwarf water lettuce sufficient in stopping them?

You think Vals would be okay without tabs?

I'm using T5's 24 watts, but can be upgraded to 48 watts if needed.

The gertrudae shouldn't really bother the shrimps (at least mine didn't). Dwarf water lettuce will work but you'd need to cover a large area. With that many, the light reaching the rest of the plants will be lowered considerably.

Vals will be okay without tabs. Adding them would benefit them, but not a necessity.

T5 24w is enough for what you have and vals, but if any floaters are added the 48w (maybe more) may be needed.

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[DUHK]

The gertrudae shouldn't really bother the shrimps (at least mine didn't).

From your experience, what was the best food that you fed your gertrudae?

Vals will be okay without tabs. Adding them would benefit them, but not a necessity.

I think I have decided a plant for the back of my tank. I do need some helping IDing this plant though (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7WDntAFPWg) It is the plant in the background of this tank. Would you have any idea what that plant is?

Hopefully allowing this tank to grow tall enough to cover the top of the tank will prevent jumping. I will still use some water lettuce though. The Plants I do have in my tank (java moss, anubias, java fern) are pretty low maintenance so hopefully that will be enough light. I've grown them in lower lights.

THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!

[mistahoo]

Re: Help plant my tank!!

In my experience, microworms worked the best. Blackworms or any other type of small worms could work. It's soft, squishy, and easy to pass, not to mention they love live food. Soaking .5mm NLS pellets until you can squish them works well too. I have microworm cultures and dwarf water lettuce along with Asian water moss. I sent you a pm about the floaters earlier.

That plant in the background looks like jungle vals. I could be wrong, but it certainly looks like a type of val. If it is jungle val, they grow taller than 20". It'll definitely turn out like that tank.

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[troy tucker]

I have Jungle Val. My Geo's tore up. You are wecome to have it.

[troy tucker]

Duhk It was nice to meet you.
Hope the Val looks good in your tank.
It wont take long for that Val to start spredding out.