Equipment Needed

Tetra Guy

Hey guys,

Ok, so my LFS retired and new folks bought it, and I know more about fishkeeping than they do, which is sad, because I consider myself new at this still. So im not going to go in there anymore, very bad vibe.

So does anyone have a 5 gallon tank they are looking to sell? I want to start a shrimp tank that will sit on my counter.

Also, I need to aquire the shrimp. No pet store in this area has anything. I would like Cherry shrimp, along with other shrimp that like similar water perameters. Does anybody know where I could get these guys?

I'm torn on dark or light colored substrate. I'm going to use sand.

Also, any recommendations for live plants that would to well in a 5 gallon? I also need to aquire a proper light.

Byron

As you are in Oregon, you might want to check into The Wet Spot, a fish store in Portland. They have a website. This is a store with a very high reputation among aquarists. It is a true hobbyists store, and they get in some very rare fish.

On substrate, if you have fish, darker is better. I use Quikrete playsand. Good pants for a 5g are Pygmy chain sword, Dwarf Sword, Corkscrew Vallisneria, crypts. For floating, Brazilian Pennywort works in smaller spaces.

Byron.

Tetra Guy

Ok, great thank you Bryon. So I found a nice 5 gallon tank, and lid. I got some sand substrate, it was treated. It's about 3 inches deep. It's heated, holding at 78. I bought 7 white mountain cloud minnows, to help with cycling. They are small and have some growing to do. I bought a few plants, one of them was the pennywart you mentioned. When the tank clears up, I'll try to get a few pics up.

One question, is 3 inches too deep for the sand? I transplanted a two rooted plants from the two gallon. I'm wondering too if I should add a root tab or two.

Byron

I would not have more than 2 inches of sand, that's all I have in my large tanks; in a 5g probably only 1.5 inches overall. You won't have plants with extensive root systems in a 5g.