Well, I shut down my saltwater breeding systems last year and now I have all these nano tanks sitting around with nothing in them! I am trying my hand at some nano planted tanks with some small fish and shrimps. Been reading a lot and now looking for any tips from the pros. I’ve got three 5 gallon and 3 10 gallon tanks to work with and I’m going to start with 2 of the 5s. I went with fluval played tank substrate. Have some driftwood which I boiled up and is drying out. Planning on sponge filters that I used in my breeding setup. What lighting do you recommend for nano plants? I’ve read differing info and I’m not tying to a start with any delicate plants. Do people dose? What else am I missing? Appreciate any an insight you can share with me. Thanks! Bob
Dipping my toe into FW planted nano
- Thread starter bobz
- Start date
If you want some of the harder varieties, then co2 injection is probably warranted to maintain growth. Just like saltwater, there are a plethora of lighting options from cheap that will get the job done all the way to eye watering with all the bells and whistles.
Check out MJ aquascaping and Green Aqua if you really want to go down the rabbit hole. Green Aqua has a few long form videos of aquascapes and it is really impressive, and may give you some ideas.
The only pro tip I have for you is with the stratum, keep an eye out on your PH for shrimp. It skews towards acidic, which may be an issue for neocardinia shrimp but could be helpful if you’re thinking Cardinia shrimp. I have amanos in my setup and they do well in either. If you have your rodi setup from your salt tanks, shrimp breeders like to use rodi then add their minerals (salty shrimp kh). When it comes to shrimp rearing, I would say it is the closest approximation in freshwater to saltwater, in that they are more finicky in my experience than fish about water.
Check out MJ aquascaping and Green Aqua if you really want to go down the rabbit hole. Green Aqua has a few long form videos of aquascapes and it is really impressive, and may give you some ideas.
The only pro tip I have for you is with the stratum, keep an eye out on your PH for shrimp. It skews towards acidic, which may be an issue for neocardinia shrimp but could be helpful if you’re thinking Cardinia shrimp. I have amanos in my setup and they do well in either. If you have your rodi setup from your salt tanks, shrimp breeders like to use rodi then add their minerals (salty shrimp kh). When it comes to shrimp rearing, I would say it is the closest approximation in freshwater to saltwater, in that they are more finicky in my experience than fish about water.
I had a 7.5g shrimp tank that I loved, and it was super low tech. I literally used the clip-on Aqueon light and my plants/moss thrived. It eventually got to where I did a water change every few months, it was just that heavily planted and only had shrimp/snails for the bio load. It was a lot of fun seeing genetics at work in real time. Started off with red and wild types, ended up with blues, snowball, and 1 green one. I’ve been debating setting it back up just because of how low maintenance it was and how fun it was finding the baby shrimp and seeing what color they would be.
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Cryptocryny Wendti, Ludwigia, Hornwort, Hygrophila, Java fern
With advance notice when you'll be in the area I can get some trimmed. Near Atlanta Aquarium.
Cryptocryny Wendti, Ludwigia, Hornwort, Hygrophila, Java fern
With advance notice when you'll be in the area I can get some trimmed. Near Atlanta Aquarium.
I’m assuming you meant me lol, and thank you! Yes, that tank used Fluval stratum for the substrate. I also had good success with ADA Aquasoil Amazonia. Unless you plan on running CO2 and really high end plants, pretty much any light with a decent spectrum wotlk work. Especially for your lower demanding plants like crypts, most anubias, mosses, and certain rotalas/repens. Floaters like RRF, water lettuce, and different salvinias are great to have as well. Be sure to have very little surface movement though for them. Shrimp literally use every square inch of surface area to graze on and will be upside down hanging off your floating plants.
The filter on that was just an internal HOB “shrimp” filter. If I were to re-do it though, I’d probably just do filer sponges to have more room in the tank. If it’s heavily planted enough, it doesn’t really matter what filtration you use, just so long as there’s some. I also didn’t run a heater on that tank. Shrimp do great in the lower to mid 70s.
Thanks!! Great info
For the easy plants I have I don't think substrate matters much. I have one with MiracleGro potting soil under pea gravel, one with recycled black sand from a reef tank, one with Black Beauty sandblast abrasive and two with undergravel filters with no soil,
just pea gravel. All have no-name LED Lights I only run about 5 hours a day. Best growth is actually with the two 20 gallon tanks with undergravel filters and no soil.
just pea gravel. All have no-name LED Lights I only run about 5 hours a day. Best growth is actually with the two 20 gallon tanks with undergravel filters and no soil.
I have 2 planted tanks.
1st is a 75 gallon heavy planted tank. Heavy stocked as well. The swords breed like crazy. Jungle vals in the back. Crypts in the middle. Maybe a few other random plants around. I do run a old 2 stage canister filter with sponges in it. I like the fluval 3.0 planted lights. Fairly cheap and the app is great. Plenty of growing power. I used red sea planted gravel. It's inert so no ph swings.
2nd tank is a 36 bow front shrimp tank Pretty much same plants , gravel and light. I did a spong filter on this one. I did try the hob filter that was for shrimps but found a couple dead inside.
Both tanks have a couple of wave makers for current
I haven't did a water change in a few years as the plants keep everything in check. Just top off with tap water with conditioner.
I did inject c02 in the big Tank for a bit.(pretty cheap set up on amazon) Just got tired of trimming plants every week. Without the c02 I can go 3 weeks or so before I have to trim. The down size of no c02 is the plants don't pearl like they do on c02.
1st is a 75 gallon heavy planted tank. Heavy stocked as well. The swords breed like crazy. Jungle vals in the back. Crypts in the middle. Maybe a few other random plants around. I do run a old 2 stage canister filter with sponges in it. I like the fluval 3.0 planted lights. Fairly cheap and the app is great. Plenty of growing power. I used red sea planted gravel. It's inert so no ph swings.
2nd tank is a 36 bow front shrimp tank Pretty much same plants , gravel and light. I did a spong filter on this one. I did try the hob filter that was for shrimps but found a couple dead inside.
Both tanks have a couple of wave makers for current
I haven't did a water change in a few years as the plants keep everything in check. Just top off with tap water with conditioner.
I did inject c02 in the big Tank for a bit.(pretty cheap set up on amazon) Just got tired of trimming plants every week. Without the c02 I can go 3 weeks or so before I have to trim. The down size of no c02 is the plants don't pearl like they do on c02.
