# New Shrimp Bowl



## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

Hello! I put together a new bowl today. I've had a couple failed attempts, so I thought I'd start a thread this time in case things start to go south again,

Here's the bowl.









The soil is 1" well-mineralized generic topsoil with a gravel cap.

I decided to stuff as many plants as possible in from the beginning, so I have corkscrew val, green hydro, crypt. wendtii, micro sword, marisilea quadrifolia, ludwigia, and hornwort floating. I'll be watching to see what takes off and thin out what doesn't.

Hanging above it is a 13 watt CFL.

My water is KH 35.8 and GH 214" and Ph 8.4.

So we'll see. I'll be adding shrimp and tetras after it cycles.


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## GadgetGirl (Sep 25, 2013)

Looks good! But that's not big enough for tetras. They like to be in groups of at least six.


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

I thought six of the little glowlight tetras would be ok. Do you think that's too many?


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## GadgetGirl (Sep 25, 2013)

I personally believe it's too many. Also, tetras require heated water. Unless of course your spot is always 76 deg.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

The bowl is too small for any number of tetras. You might be OK with a single betta or a few male Endler's livebearers, but it would be better to stick with shrimp.


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks to both of you for the advice! I'll stick with shrimp, when it stabilizes.


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

My bowl seems to be doing fine. The vals are melting, so I cut out as many leaves as I could. I can see new, submersed, leaves growing already. The marsilea is growing but hasn't transitioned yet. No sign of an ammonia spike yet. I did a small water change today and nitrates and ammonia are 0.


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## GadgetGirl (Sep 25, 2013)

Looks really nice!


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

Thank you!

Not much changed this week. I did another small water change today. Ammonia and Nitrate are still at 0. Nitrite ticked up to .25ppm. And my Ph has dropped from 8.4, when I started, to 7.6.

The green hygro is rooting and growing well. The marsilea is transitioning, and the vals and crypts are melting, so I'm working on cleaning them up. I also removed a little hair algae today.


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## GadgetGirl (Sep 25, 2013)

I love it! I'm gonna try a bowl one of these days.


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

I did my weekly check today and my ammonia has shot up to 1 ppm. I did a big water change. My nitrate and nitrite are at 0. I took out the ludwigia, which was doing nothing, and the vals are still transitioning o their new home. I've cut a lot of leaves out that were decaying. The hygro is growing great but is going to be way too big for the bowl, but I knew that was going to happen.


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## Hillbilly Homer (Sep 25, 2012)

Looks good...


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

Well it's been several months and the bowl is doing great. I've had one algae bloom, but it subsided quickly. I've added five amano shrimp. I took out the hornwort and ludwigia. Everything else seems to have gotten through its transition. This is the best I've done with a bowl. Previous attempts have fallen apart pretty early. I think my decision to pack it with plants from the beginning helpped a lot.


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## BarryR (May 30, 2016)

Wow that looks nice. I just started a 1 gallon 3 days ago but it is not nearly as well planted as yours. I got my plants from Petsmart and they can get expensive for a beginner like me that has no idea. I want to put about 5 Cherry shrimp in it but I don't know if it has ammonia or not because I bought tetra test strips and it does not include ammonia. i will have to get a ammonia test kit.

Would have attached a picture but that is not working at the moment.


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks! Packing it with plants definitely helped. I've gone through a lot of trial and error, and this is definitely the best I've accomplished so far. It's been about 8 months and the bowl is doing great.


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

I just wanted to update my little bowl. I gradually weeded out most of the fast-growing large plants, and it continues to be beautiful after two years. Very stable and clear. Sorry for the ugly heater in the back!


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

pretty glosso carpet, marsilea hirsuta?


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks! Actually it's marisilea quadrifolia. This is the first time I've ever gotten it to take off like this.


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

Metzengerstein said:


> Thanks! Actually it's marisilea quadrifolia. This is the first time I've ever gotten it to take off like this.


Super cool and pretty,

One thing I noticed. Is that in the very first image you posted, you have the SAME phone book under the bowl LOL I literally laughed out loud I thought that was so funny you have it on the same phonebook now as then before lol!!!!!


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## Metzengerstein (Apr 20, 2007)

Yes! And for two years I’ve been looking at it and thinking, “maybe I should put it on something besides a phonebook.”


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

What a cute little bowl, a perfect home for your Betta. 

This is the first time I've seen a phone book put to such good use!


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## Rodgie (Dec 28, 2017)

Hi!

Any new picture of your cool bowl this month?


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