Doc4PC2

I have a absorption board in all my tank for piece of mind, so I think they work who knows. I don't do anything special when I do water changes, just remineralizer a pinch of calcium montromilite and a betaglucen additive. Nothing more. When I setup a tank I do a layer 1" of substrate then I add a beneficial bacteria packet from AI Taiwan, a mineral packet from beni Bachi , old sea mud from mosura, and a quarter cup calcium montromilite. I then add 2 more inches of substrate. I fill it and add cycle to the tank.
Then I put ebiken shou in and a borneo wild mineral rock.

Yup I use a syringe and hose the affected moss down. Ive done it in the tank and outside. Its very effective and doesn't hurt the shrimp or moss

Oh the filtration debate. I always over filtrate it makes life easier haha.
I feel he same way. I never like my tanks so I'm always changing them. When I do I like it and get bored with it.

^-^ Doc, I don't think you need THAT much filtration on one tank!

I just went through a huge algae explosion with one of my 10 ten gallons, and I had to clean it up. Cleaned all the décor with a toothbrush,
vacuumed the substrate, cleaned the glass inside and out, changed about 65% of the water, rinsed the sponges and filters in the aquarium
water and put them back in, and now the tank is back to it's normal, "looks great tank look".    Pain in the butt, but once I was done, I was
happy.
 
Right now, I am starting from scratch with a Mr. Aqua 12 gallon, low iron, tank for my shrimp. It is a really nice tank. I am going with a easy to
clean and maintain setup up. Substrate in holders, dish for leaves, Penn Plax Cascade 500 canister filter, Tom's nano filters, sponges, and
a side HMF. I just finished making a sliding glass top for it, and a hanging light. I am making this tank, so that it will be easy to clean and deal
with. Everything in this tank is setup, so I can get to anything easily, simply, quickly, clean it and put it back. With the substrate in the containers,
and plants in little glass containers, bare bottom floor, with large dishes for food and leaves, the HMF, and sponges so there is still plenty of
biofilm and bacteria. I am hoping, this will put an end to things like worms, planaria, hydra, and the constant cleaning and dealing with the
tank. Obviously, I will have to do some, but I am trying to set this up, so everything is easier, quicker, with the ability to deal with bad things
much better and easier, but still have a great environment for the shrimp.  
 
That's the plan, and hopefully, it will go the way I want. I'll let you know. But like you too, sometimes, you just get a little bummed out with
the tanks. I have five of them, and I am slowly setting each one up to be much easier to deal with.

This is what I was thinking of.

Every heater I've tried has been inconsistant except ehiem heaters. I have tried at least
Eight different brands, and not a single one keep the temp consistent except the ehiem.

From a company online called PetStore. They did a good job and it was packed way overboard and came to me safe and sound.

Yeah, sounds like I will do it Louie's way for sure.  I got the Mr Aqua 12 gallon Low Iron Tank Today, and the Penn Plax Cascade 500 Canister filter.
 
The tank is impressive. Crystal Clear, and they packed it so good, you could have played football with it and it would not have cracked. I will be doing
the water tests tonight to make sure it does not leak. I am going to make this tank, a easy to deal with tank. Substrate in a glass pan inside, plants
is small ceramic containers. Short glass containers for leafs, food dishes, etc.
 
I am going to make this, so I can clean it easily anytime, and not have to worry about worms and other critters, and if I do get them, I will have a easy
way to deal with them. It will be a simple design, that will be as easy to take care of as I can make it.
 
I had several of my CBS have their fry last night. The little tank is full of fry. I still can't get over how tiny they are.  lol

Doc ,
              I use it either one in all my tanks . I find they keep them algae free or help a lot and the water stays crystal clear (of course I do water changes) .  The only thing I disagree with everyone here is that I rinse them but let them sit 24 hours in a container of water before using them in shrimp tanks or I'll plop them in my fish tank filter for 24 hours prior.
 
 
In other words I never add them directly after a rinse to my shrimp tanks as find shrimps don't like it but after 24 hours they are great.
 
I change them every 5 months on my fish and shrimp tanks .
 
I don't recharge the purigen I use new one .
 
 
evodrgn,
                Yes that is the problem with canisters as far as you wont see the purigen changing colors but like chemi-pure which doesn't change colors. I just change it on a certain schedule .

I decided to go with the Penn Plax Cascade 500 after researching, watching several videos on it, and
talking to several people that own them. I think it will best with the Mr. Aqua 12 gallon tank. I will have
to shorten the intake and maybe have Han make me a custom ss mesh cover for it, but after talking
to 7 different owners of the PPC500 and only two of the Eheim owners, and watching a bunch of
videos on both Eheim and the Penn Plax, I decided to go with the Penn Plax.
 
I'll use BioBalls, Ceramics in the bottom containers, sponge on top of that, the other sponge in the
middle with the Purigen and Chemi-pure on the top with the floss / polish sponge on top of that.

The Eheim 2211 will probably last year a min of a year before rinsing out if you put a sponge on the intake but I know you rather not see that ..
 
I would throw in one chemi-pure or purigen.

Every product I have bought from Han has been exceptional from SS mesh, plants, moss, food, you name it.
It is quality, shipped fast, and some of the lowest prices you will find. His communication is excellent even though
he is massively busy all of the time. You can't go wrong with Han, no matter what you are buying from him.

Thanks for the info. I am trying to decide between the Eheim 2211 or Penn Plax Cascade 500 to be used on a new Mr Aqua Serene 12 gallon low iron glass tank.
It is 35.4" X 8.3" X 9.4"
 
Like you, I want to be able to look at the tank and look down and not see cables, tubes, HOB's,  and all kinds of stuff. I just want to see a small intake and small out take
in the tank. It will be on a nice cabinet where the canister will be below and unseen too.

Every product I have bought from Han has been exceptional from SS mesh, plants, moss, food, you name it.
It is quality, shipped fast, and some of the lowest prices you will find. His communication is excellent even though
he is massively busy all of the time. You can't go wrong with Han, no matter what you are buying from him.

Found this example on the net,

Get a square jar, put a puzzle piece ugf in it and run it like that?

Crystal Black Shrimp on a wire......
 

I'll bet those look very cool! I really like that full half moon betta, but it would have to be all pure white.
I would love to see a photo of the albino platinum white guppies though.

Crystal Black Shrimp on a wire......
 

Here is my 10 gallon tank, all setup in case of an emergency. If I needed to put all of
the shrimp in this 10 gallon, it is ready to go. So, I have a backup or two now to
go with my 48" Long main shrimp tank. The arch is xmas moss all around the
arch.
 

 
  This is what the room looks like directly across from the main 48" long shrimp tank.  
 

There has got to be a way to reach out and get more members joining. What if you were to put a huge giveaway
on the home page and give it to the new people that signup?  A drawing or something. Entice them to join
and post at least twice, and by doing so they get into the huge giveaway. So the new members are the ones
that win the giveaway, and the senior members can donate to make the giveaway something really good.
I would help and donate some stuff to it.
 
Just a thought.

Now, that I am done with that room, here is the before shot, and what I started with, and what
it looks like today, and how that side of the room looks like now.
 
   
 
 
 
  This is what the room looks like across from the main tank. The other side with a 10 gallon setup for emergencies, if I had to move the shrimp to this 10 gallon should something happen to my main tank.  
 
 
Here is the 10 gallon tank and setup:
 

 
 
 
 

Yeah, I agree High5's, they will at some point. Shrimp Keeping as a whole will continue to grow in the US.
We just have to keep getting more and more interested, and getting into The Shrimp Life.