The Puffer Forum

The shrimp feed on the decaying leaves and (I think) the organisms that are breaking them down.

If you don't soak leaves beforehand they leech tannins into the tank as well and this softens the water (blackwater environment), although I'm not sure of the effectiveness of the leaves we have up in Canada.

The shrimp won't come out of their cave for pictures.

Sounds like an experiment in the works

Maybe.

I just want them to eat it...

My camera doesn't really like macro shots.

http://i56.tinypic.com/10sfxvq.jpg
Don't ask about the whale stickers............ They're permanently stuck there. ._.

http://i51.tinypic.com/21dmtmd.jpg

http://i56.tinypic.com/snflee.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/b7jbih.jpg

PS: Sorry about the links. I forgot to resize the pictures and they are too big.

I know this must be getting repetitive but I STILL have not gotten my order in. I'm really upset about it actually as I was told some things came in and spent hours getting my tank fully ready for new inhabitants and... nothing! I spoke to a new employee today though, and gave him my e-mail address. He seems much more helpful than the owner, Paul, and seems to have just as much interest in fishkeeping as anyone else. Hopefully I'll get something soon.

I really really like it!

Quick question:

How do I block off the filter intake to a HOB filter? I have an idea, but I'm not entirely sure on the exact procedure. Can't have the shrimp getting sucked up!

Thanks.

Oh, and while I'm at it, I may as well mention that the LFS got dwarf puffers and crystal red & crystal black shrimp in (I'm leaning towards buying the black), along with "an order of plants-" I'll have to ask for further details on this. I'll pick 'em up next weekend, perhaps with some other things on next week's order.

-e

Alright, well I'm just gonna tie it there. Plus, I'm actually getting everything today (Sunday)! My aunt is in town and she's going to bring them out for me. (:

Ignore this post. It was just rambling.

I use the black pad you get with filters.

Be caredul with Excel by he way. Overdosing can kill shrimps, and crystals are pretty sensitive. They will be the first to go when the water is bad.

Quick update:

The dwarves are doing very well at the moment, though I've noticed one is having some trouble gaining weight. I'm gonna place an order with Big Al's on some parasite clear to be safe. Other then that, I've noticed no physical problems.

The shrimp are doing well, considering their bare tank. I'm just gonna get anubias and some mosses for that tank, I think. I don't at all like the plants I was given (wasn't there to choose myself) and only got the anubias and crypt from my list... I've got an order placed for live blackworms and some zebra otos from my Lfs, and still have them trying for the plants I want. It's supposed to come in around the middle of January. There won't be any pictures until my tank is actually somewhat bearable to the eye, so for now, I'm out.

Too bad you're out of the country, i have tons of anubius I could send you.

That is too bad. ;]
It's a nice thought though, PP, thanks.

I'd like to know who this Singapore plant importer is, because they don't have a very wide variety from what I'm seeing. I hope next week's plant order is decent, because whatever comes in on it I'll have to take. Definitely hoping I can get moss, because I think it'll really help fill both tanks in, and hopefully out-compete the algae I'm battling with. >:}

I can't wait for my blackworms and ramshorns! If everything goes as planned, I'll have them by Sunday. Finally I'll be able to cut back on the bloodworms; I've got a pretty bad allergy to them, I think. (:

Oh, and Swimz- I must have missed your last post. I don't think I mentioned it previously, so my bad, but I won't be adding any fertiliser to the shrimp tank.

Also, my BigAls order will be in sometime this week, and I'll jump into treating the godawful parasites I suspect two (yep, another DP started looking scrawny...) of the Dwarves have.

Well, the trip to the LFS this weekend wasn't so bad-- there weren't any ramshorns or blackworms, but instead I got java moss(!), 3 medium-sized anubias of varying kinds, a bunch of MTS and two pond snails (by accident).

It's good for now, I think. I'm going to wait two more weeks before I put the java moss in the DP tank, in case the mosses I really want- christmas and willow- come in. After that, I think I'll just anchor it to the driftwood and that'll be that. Right now I have two small clumps hooked into the driftwood in the shrimp tank, along with the anubias. It looks decent, and isn't so mix-and-matchy as the DP tank. Can't wait for it to grow in!

I'm not sure if I want to breed the pond snails or not. I don't like how they eat plants, and don't particularly want them... I feel the MTS will breed too prolifically as it is. Perhaps I'll just quarantine them and then toss them into the DP tank, and see what happens. The MTS are going to be separated between the shrimp tank and the DP tank, as they are amazing at cleaning the substrate, and will act as a constant hunting experience for the puffers.

Things are getting better,

Brent

Just read through this. Cool setup! Post some recent pics when you can.

Haha, thanks. The tank doesn't look anything like it used to though. I completely changed the layout and lowered the sand bed. Also, the DPs didn't like the crystal shrimp (I didn't expect such small shrimp to work out anyway) and I didn't bother to try the cherries, thus the reason I keep saying "shrimp tank"- thought I said that before, but I guess not.

I'll post some pictures of the shrimp tank today, I think. I could post pictures of the DP tank, but I don't like the look of it, and frankly it's not very impressive. Paul told me he was expecting a big plant order next week, so maybe then. (: