kcoscia

My neos eat from their dish like good little children.
 
Dying leaves don't really do anything from my experience. They typically just get processed and turned into nitrates. So if you've got cover for nitrates you're fine. An occasional dying leaf has never spiked my nitrates. If removal is easy, take it out. If not, you'll be fine.
 
My plants get nothing really. The corkscrew vals have osmocote root tabs under them. With no true care/nutrient additives I don't expect perfect growth, leading to an occasional dying leaf.
 
I have sand so I do not vaccuum, but I do pull waste up with the siphon when I get a chance. I rarely get those chances though since the shrimp are everywhere I want to siphon and they would get sucked up so I just don't. Seachem Super Naturals keeps the waste on the top layer of sand so it comes up rather easily with minimal sand uptake.
 
I like the open look for easy cleaning in general, but it's more a taste thing. They have plenty of places to hide, but I will probably add more cholla wood eventually and I added this:
 

 
It's their new meeting and gathering place to conspire against me. It probably has a lot of biofilm since it came from a nonshrimp tank.

Guess it's time I journal this bad boy!
 
Specs:
Basic 10g Tank
Dual Sponge Filter
Aqueon QuietFlow 10 with Purigen and prefilter sponge 
Finnex Planted+
 
Plants:
Java Fern on Cholla wood
Micro Sword that may or may not actually exist
Corkscrew Vals
Marimo Ball
floaters - frogbit, duckweed, dwarf water lettuce, salvinia
Peacock moss that lives wherever it wants
Various algae that I "allow" to exist 
 
Inverts:
Cherry shrimp of various grades
One large female amano
seed shrimp (they count right?)
pond and bladder snails
mini ramshorns
 
Parameters:
Ammonia 0   Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0       pH 7.4
kH 2-3          GH 7
TDS 262      Temp. 66
 

 
Shrimp are as active as they have ever been today!

I would plan for 20g when it is an adult, but a 10g will do for a while. They prefer less depth. Temperatures less than 70, so those temps. are fine. Remember, do not house axolotls on gravel. Only fine sand or bare bottom.
 
Check out the link ctaylor posted. You will find all the info you need on that site.