# AlexXx’s 10g Shrimparium



## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

This tank is intended for my first attempts at breeding shrimp. I will of course start with Red Cherry Shrimp, because from my research they seem to be the easiest to care for and the fastest to procreate! I tore down my old 10 gallon of female betta fish, added Eco Complete substrate and all the same plants, and a few from my 2.5 gallon which looks relatively bare now. I am still considering a fore ground plant, but I don’t know. I have 2x10 tube day light bulbs, and am using DIY Co2 with a diffuser. I have a single betta in there just for cycling purposes. Im using the same filter media so hopefully the cycling process will go quick so I can add the shrimp soon! 
Please give me some advice on a foreground plant and any other scaping advice, I just kinda through stuff in there and I think it came out great. The back left rock was supposed to be just to hold done one of the thicker pieces of wood, but I ended up liking it after a day. Any advice is good advice! 
I really don’t know most of the same of the plants, or I would write them down. Thanks for looking! Enjoy
































































I know mos of you dont care cuz its not betta fish related to much, but im really jus doing it for my friends, a lil update on what ive been up to 

hope all is well with everyone and their bettas! <3<3<3


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## Synthisis (Jun 4, 2009)

Wow, I really like your tank... It gave me some ideas!


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## nochoramet (Oct 2, 2009)

That's a gorgeous tank! Looks great!


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Can't wait to see it when it grows out more!!!!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Beautiful tank!!


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Thanks guys, Im sorry i have not been around more, Betta fish keeping has just lead me down the path of aquascaping and planting real plants, and really just showed me the beauty of nature, and what I can do to re-create it in a smaller environment. I have 4 bettas left, 2 boys, 2 girls. They are all happy and healthy!  Ill try to update yall as the tank grows out! <3<3<3


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I'd love to be a shrimp in that tank. Looks amazing!


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

It looks amazing!!! Great job.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Looks great!

As far as plants what about naja grass, you can even make a carpet out of java moss. There are a few others but I can't remember the names right now :-/


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

thanks all! cant wait for it to be cycled so i can add some cherry shrimp!


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

what everyone else said. awesome looking tank!!


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## Zeetrain (Oct 13, 2009)

Wow, that looks awesome. I wanna do something like that one day.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

I added a few different plants and netted some moss to some rocks, got a little brown algae, so im trying to cut the lights a bit soooo here is a little update


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Very nice tank, AlexXx.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Nice!!!!!!


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Finally my g/f got a new digital camera.... So i patiently waited till she fell asleep and started shooting hehe. Here are a few shots i took, we dont have a Memory card for it yet because apparently this one uses a xD card not a standard SD Card... which i wish the sales associate would have told us before we left the store seeing as how best buy is quite a hike for us. 

I added a Java Fern in the corner as you can see and i had to pick through all my riccia and re-net it because i had a u. gibba outbreak and that bladder plant was taking over, it had to be done and i had to throw out lots of riccia that was just tangled up in it and being suffocated. Hopefully it will grow back fast. 

Im very excited about how the tank is growing, i was kinda of bummed with all the algae issues i had for the first few weeks but since ive implemented a 2.5 hour siesta period and added a few ottos and a snail there has been not much algae to speak of besides some thread in the fissenden. Hopefully when i get my shrimp they will clean out the debris. 

I am getting shrimp this coming week im pretty sure, school has been tough and taking over my life, I just wrote several papers... and have several more writing assignments to do. Anyway here are the pics 

_Front Tank Shot_









_The tiny bit of UG is finally settled in and started growing._









_Anyone know what that tiny green plant with the four leaves sprouting out of the ground is?_









_I am officially obsessed with Flame Moss_









_The Jungle is being to look a bit more dense...I suppose_









_Little Golden Apple Snail I got for free at the LFS_









_Gillian and Sun: Male and Female cohabiting peacefully! _









_Pretty little girl Sun_









Hope you enjoyed


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Your plants look great. Nice pics!


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Looks awesome!!!!

But, I hate to say it, males and females should defiantly not be housed together. They may be fine for a while, then BOOM dead fish.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

It's turning out to be amazing! I wish I could start something like this. Just keep an eye out on your male and female.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

You guys should know me well enough by now that ive been at this betta fish game for quite some time and believe me i observe and regulate if needed. 

I have had both of these little guys for a while know and I have observed both of them in my different environments. Gillian, the male, has been placed with many different types of fish, and even shrimp, with never an aggressive spurt. He sure does flair a lot though, but only at his own reflection. That makes me think that maybe he is only very aggressive toward males, so far this hypothesis is true. 

Sun on the other hand has lived in my 10 gallon sorority with many other females prob 10 different ones through her time and has lived to tell without any fin damage at all. She has been roommates with Gillian for a good 2-3 weeks now with still no chasing involved. They always swim up next to each other whenever i feed and they never flair at each other. I put my other female Fluffy in to see how she would fair and Gillian my male had nothing to do with her, but sun was VERY aggressive and i had to remove her in just one day. She was getting chased around like nobodies business. 

I have always been skeptical about all this online bull jive i have read about females and males cohabiting being certain death. I've always heard it from everyone on here, and ive even preached it. But then i though you know what, i might as well try it and observe closely so i can really know that if what I'm advising against. 

So far I have had two pairs of male/females living together with ZERO problems, ZERO aggression, and ZERO tails missing. From what i have observed it is really a personality thing. We all know our fish all have HUGE personalities, and honestly they are a bit like we are. Some times we just _dont like_ some one for no reason, i believe its the same for these fish. Some get along great and some just hate each other. 

I know a lot of your are concerned i am treating my fish poorly, but in all honesty I am not and if there were any signs of it I would removed either immediately. I am not saying I advise anyone else to try this. If you do i would make sure you have almost the same stipulations as a sorority tank. Lots of hiding spots, dense planting, and lots of time to watch and regulate. Make sure you get to know your fish for a few months, try to place a molly in the his/her tank, see how they react, try an oto, try some ghost shrimp, try some snails. See how they react to each and gauge it! Put a female/male in a cup and placed in another tank with the other fish you wish to cohabitat with and see how they react to that over a period of a day or so. Make sure both fish are well fed and put them both in cups for a time and release them both into a tank at the same time so that you dont put one into a tank that has been "claimed" by their territorial nature. 

Sorry for this obscenely long post, i just really thought it was time to inform all you misinformed people who have simply read things on the internet and automatically declared them truths. Dont get me wrong, i would never put two males together but some times even two females are far to aggressive to live with each other. Its just like finding the right temperament of dogs to live together in a small place, some just dont work and some work out way to well, such as Gillian and Sun. 

If anyone has any questions please do ask, and PLEASE do not attempt this without reading all of the above and really considering everything i mentioned. I am sure i have left some points out but its early. Again please dont be offended by this or anything. I know what im doing, i have been on this site for a while, and kept bettas for a short time before that. I have taken plenty of time to research and till my subjects prove me wrong, i am sticking to this. Ive kept two pairs together with ZERO problems so im 2 for 2 thus far. 

Have a lovely day everyone! Hope you enjoyed my writings, though very extensive....


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## nochoramet (Oct 2, 2009)

That's actually really cool that you're keeping them together in the same tank! That's really neat. I hope that everything continues going down without a hitch, and can't wait for more pictures! It looks great!


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