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So I was just gonna throw together a quick shrimp breeding tank out of a plastic storage container and some stuff I already had. I put in 3/4" of silica Handy Sand and started throwing in rocks I had laying around. I thought it looked like a cool rock garden and even though it's just a plastic container I was getting all excited trying to decide what plants might work, how I was gonna arrange the rocks when I have time tomorrow, what to filter it with, how much light I should use... but when I showed my boyfriend he got mad at me for setting up another tank. I only have 3 running(10g, 20g, and 55g) but he started yelling at me. This was gonna be a happy post but now I feel more like crying.

Being as stubborn as I am he'll go before my new rock garden since he's getting upset over something that doesn't really affect him anyway and I took down the 90g for now because of him so I still thought I'd post for some suggestions. I know there's gotta be somebody on here that will have at least a little interest in my rock garden.



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v244/aqh88/fish/shrimp%20tank/

Oh the heater suction cups won't stick to the plastic sides so I'm not sure how I'm going to include that.

Sham,

Sorry to hear about the sad part of this thread. If it is of any condolence, at some point in time, all of us that have partners with "less" of an interest in our hobby will face this situation, may it be after 3 tanks, 30, or 1. Just like many of us, you are addicted to this hobby and once in a while we all tend to forget what is reasonable. Take me, for example: I have 4 tanks and certainly would have more if the wife would allow it, but on the other hand - every Saturday, during the many hours of maintenance, I wish I had less tanks.

Now, turning this thread back into a tank question: you could either drill or melt a hole into the container and then affix the heater with wire or something to it. Of course you would have to seal the hole with silicone.

Have fun

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I'd just leave the heater on the sand behind the rocks to hide it. Maybe put the suction cups down so at least part of the heater isn't touching the sand, but IMO it won't hurt the heater or the sand.

I'd say get rid of this guy unless he's perfect in every other way. This hobby has a way of becoming part of you and a second half that can't at least tolerate it has to go.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Hi,
There is something about suction cups... They loose the
flexibility to retain suction. Many become brittle, and
others just won't hold to anything. Before you try some
thing radical, like drilling, I'd purchase a new suction
cup from the manufacturer. I had the same problem with
a CO2 reactor, and just replaced the cups.

On a side note, it would seem to me that the number of
tanks one has should be determined by mutual discussion,
who owns the residence, and how much money can be spent
on them from the aquarist's budget. As was mentioned,
in one of the posts, the number/size of the tanks becomes
self limiting at some point. It takes time to maintian
them, and at some point the owner realizes that they have
to cut back, or swap several smaller ones for a nice
LARGE one, or two, or three....

Frank

In looking at the pictures, really close, I suddenly
realized its not a aquarium but rather a Rubber Maid
plastic tub. While the comments about suction cups
are true, I've never tried to stick something to a
plastic tub. Perhaps drilling is more appropriate.

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I think this will work out well, and I sympathize about the boyfriend. It's not like he has to take care of it, and unless it's more water weight on the second floor directly above his multi-thousand dollar entertainment system (like mine is ), then I don't see what he's complaining about, unless you spend more time with your fish than with him.

The filter you can probably leave lying on the sand in the back. The only problem with this is that the sand will retain more heat than the water, and possibly give a flase temperature reading to the heater, so it may not turn on as often as it needs to. Does the heater come right out of the holder with the suction cup? If so, I might be tempted to just silicone the holder right onto the side. Or just silicone the suction cup (which shoul dbe replaceable).

For a filter, since shrimp don't add much to the bio-load of a tank, you can get away with very minimal filtration for a long time. A simple airstone powered sponge filter will be fine, or a tiny power filter like a fluval 1plus will provide way more filtration than necessary, but I've found that shrimp like water movement, so that's not a bad thing.

Anubais and java fern would work on the rocks, and I highly highly suggest using lots of java moss. When your shrimp start breeding, the babies will use the moss as cover. If your tank has enough water movement, then all sorts of bits of food and debris will get trapped by the moss for the babies to eat.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

We're in a basement apartment on a concrete floor so weight is not a problem. I took down 3 tanks to make sure there are no problems with space and the 10g has his greenfrog tadpoles but I end up maintaining it. Not an issue in 4-5months cause I got us a house. If he doesn't give me space for my stuff it will turn into my house. Then I can sit on my screened in porch with finished basement full of fish tanks and we can all laugh at him for losing a girlfriend and a house just for not letting her have a hobby.

I really want an indoor pond, maybe that's why I like this setup more than I should. Container is testing for ammonia since I did have problems with one storage container that leached ammonia when I used it for mixing saltwater. The suction cups feel fine but just don't stick to slightly curved plastic containers well. Since the heater can slide in and out of the suction cups siliconing those might work. I'm not turning it very hot but I still want to make sure it doesn't touch the plastic. Melted containers have happened. Otherwise I was thinking of using the big rock to hold it up against the back.

Hang on filters don't really work here. Sponge filters are annoying and even if it doesn't bother me he'll complain about the hum and bubbling noises. I don't have any extra internal filters on hand cause it's in his tadpole tank and I don't really want to spend money to buy a new one. I might just leave it unfiltered and stick my minjet 404 to the side. That would run around 80gph on ~20g of water. I've been busy working and when not working still working to fix up a house so I wanted something easy and cheap I could setup to improve my week. You know that part where you get all excited, setup a new tank, then feel happy when you get it done and watch the critters swim or just sit around watching the plants grow..

Only thing I'm spending money on is plants because any extras I can sell and if I take the tank down I always have plenty of use for any plants. I was kinda thinking now of just covering most of it in mosses. Fissidens? Make a moss garden out of it. Also any floating plants that wouldn't take over in an instant that I can have a little scattering of? Only floating plant I have right now is duckweed and if I put that in there I wouldn't be able to see within 3 days.

I'm with illustrae and yourself on this.

MOSS MOSS MOSS. Any kind would be good. I'd even say spread a thin layer of gravel across the bottom, just enough so that the moss can attach to it and grow RIGHT ACROSS. Mind you, you'll need to keep it trimmed down if it's on the substrate.

Sorry to hear your b/f is picking on your hobby. Sounds like further training is required And gratz on finding a house, more room for tanks !



The Amazon Nut...

Using thick wire I wrapped it around the cord of the heater and powerhead then shaped it to the side of the container so it holds both above the bottom and the suction cups while they don't stick seperate both from the plastic sides. Unfortunately it tests 2ppm ammonia and I've added nothing that would break down. This is the 2nd time I've had containers like this give off ammonia. I see plenty of people using them for raising inverts like shrimp and snails. Even the same brand as I've bought. Maybe they add an ammonia source right away to cycle it and don't realize part of the ammonia came from the container itself. If I can't get it stable and my test ghost shrimp don't survive I might still use it to grow out the plants for when I setup an actual aquarium for shrimp and snails(want a 30L or 40breeder).

Chris finally appologized. Mostly cause I hauled him along to my favorite fish store with all interconnected indoor ponds setup in the backroom that have waterfalls and fountains running through them. Now he wants a pond. We're discussing maximum allowed tanks and tank sizes for the new house.

Ok, I retract my previous statement, this guy can stay. That's too bad about the rubbermaid containers giving off ammonia, maybe you can line it with a bag or, more expensively, a small pond liner or something similar.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

At that point I might as well grab some plywood and build a pond with the pond liner. Don't tempt me, I have to move out of the apartment first.