# There’s shrimp in my cookie jar! Setting up my planted shrimp tanks 🦐



## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I’m excited! I’m terrified! I’m learning! These “shrimp tanks” are going to be my first fish tanks since childhood. I’ve got a green thumb so I hope that helps with setting up a planted fish tank. I also wanted to make these on the cheap so I bought these 2 gallon cookie jars from Target for $14 a piece. I’ve read Diane’s book and shrimp tutorial so I want to keep it simple and low tech as possible.










I started with Organic MiracleGro potting soil. It was black, rich in organic matter and had no pearlite! I added a little oyster shell to the bottom of the jar and on top of the soil.










I’m going to use the “dry start method“ and grow the plants in the jars like a terrarium for several weeks before adding water. The bottom of the jars is a little “domed” in the middle so I have a 1 1/2“ channel of soil on the sides but it’s as thin as 1/4” in the middle of the jar. I bought some “paver” gravel. It’s white and it says it’s mostly made of quartz so it should be inert enough. I added the plants and the gravel at little at a time together. I didn’t want the plants to have to reach through 1“ of gravel to get nutrients. The plants I bought are ”dwarf baby tears” (hemianthus callitrichoides), “Anubias Nana Petite”, Telanthrea Rosefolia (Alternanthera reineckii) and American frogbit. I have experience with native Florida plants but not _these_ plants, so it’s all a big experiment! 😎

The baby tears came as a mat with some metal mesh on the bottom. I removed the mesh because I don’t know what will happen to it once it starts to break down or possibly rust. I’m expecting the baby tears to take over the bottom as I let it grow.

The Anubias was much smaller than expected. It was also very firm. I expect it to grow slow and it might get taken over by the baby tears. Oh well.

The Alternanthera was long with lots of good buds and roots on it. I believe it’s technically the submerged form. I tucked the first half of the stems along the sides of the jar letting the leaves stick out of the middle. I‘m hoping these will become a “background“ plant and give the aquarium some color.


















Plant cutting technique: The Alternanthera looked like a “cutting” rather than an individually established plant. I planted it with the stems half buried giving the plant plenty of opportunity to establish roots. It’s a bit much to take a cutting and stick a small amount of the stem tip in the soil and expect it to establish roots. I did the same thing to a branch of ”Champman’s senna” that my landscaper broke off. I stuck most the the branch into the ground and trimmed most of the top leaves. It established roots and is now the largest Chapman’s senna in my garden (Go figure 😂) Pictured below:










I tossed the frogbit into a failed “bucket pond” I tried setting up last year. Neglected spider lilies are still growing from last year in the soil. I hope I’ll all be okay. The frogbit was VERY leggy! I was hoping for some of the cute tiny clumps I’ve seen in other people‘s tanks. I hope it makes some smaller babies I can use for the shrimp tanks. We’ll see!










I’ve had great success setting up my terrariums outside in indirect sunlight to get the plants established. I’m going to try the same thing here. I’m not sure if I want to leave my (future) shrimp jars outside overnight. I have lots of nosy and naughty raccoons and I don’t want them breaking my jars. The Alternanthera has already “perked up” after just an hour outside so I feel optimistic. I have probably made some mistakes but I’m hoping to work it all out! I’ll post updates as they happen. Hopefully I’ll have shrimp set up in the next couple of months. 🦐


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## maico996 (Nov 6, 2016)

Anubias is a rhizome plant and will do best if attached to something, like a rock or small piece of wood. If the rhizome is buried it will rot and the plant will die. It's definitely a water column plant (not a root feeder) and a very slow grower.
Be careful with Duckweed...it will take over in a matter of days.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

maico996 said:


> Anubias is a rhizome plant and will do best if attached to something, like a rock or small piece of wood. If the rhizome is buried it will rot and the plant will die. It's definitely a water column plant (not a root feeder) and a very slow grower.
> Be careful with Duckweed...it will take over in a matter of days.


No duckweed! That’s “hemianthus callitrichoides“ dwarf baby tears. I’m not a fan of duckweed, it’s messy. Thanks for the advice on the Anubias. I have some cholla wood I ordered for the jars. I can see about attaching it on that when I flood the tanks. Right now it’s just sitting in the gravel with a little water. It’s not too mucky there. It was inexpensive and an experiment. I’m trying to see what does what.
My biggest issue is how “developed” the frogbit is. It looks like it was grown very mature (long and leggy) in close quarters, not the cute little clumps I see in people’s tanks. I’m hoping it’ll relax a little in the patio pond I‘m keeping it in.


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## FishPlanet (4 mo ago)

Really nice.  What kind of shrimp are you going to get for the "cookie jar"? Forgive me if you already mentioned it.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

FishPlanet said:


> Really nice.  What kind of shrimp are you going to get for the "cookie jar"? Forgive me if you already mentioned it.


Thank you! And I didn’t meantion it! I’m going to try my best to find cherry shrimp. Something happened to the local pet stores. They used to have well stocked tanks and aquatic plants. Recently, after people started to go back to work in person the aquarium sections have become these sad spaces with nearly empty tanks with dead fish and plants. Yikes! I’m trying to make friends on facebook to see if I can buy them locally from a hobbist. I want some dark red shrimp so I can see them easily in the tank. Godo thing I won’t need any shrimp for a month or two.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

UPDATE: The jars have been placed outside in indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight would quickly steam the plants to death. The inside is so humid the condensation is like perpetual rain over the plants. When I reach my hand inside it feels like a cloud, very steamy.


















The plants inside have “perked up” since transplanting. Leaves are upright, leaning towards the sun with “phototropism“ meaning they are recovering well and establishing themselves in the tank. I hope to see some noticeable growth in the next week. The inside smells like fresh, raw vegetables. I would be worried if I smelled “fishy“ or otherwise “off”.










I wonder if there could be an advantage to a “shorter” Dry Start Method period- as in all new tanks could use a “break” in this state just to give plants a chance to rest and recover from transplantation. For regular garden plants, transplanting is traumatic; roots get damaged, pruning may be needed to offset the root damage, the plant has to adjust to its new environment with light, soil and water, etc. The submerged underwater environment is sensitive where plants, soil and animals all share water like a single bloodstream. “Balance” must be achieved. Asking a plant to help with that balance while it‘s in the process of recovering from transplanting could cause the plant more stress. The “DSM” has its own limitations but waiting for plants to grow for two or three months has its advantages. Maybe in some cases just waiting one, two or three weeks in the DSM can give some plants time to get oriented and recover before ”taking the plunge”. Just some thoughts.
With the hot, steamy and bright environment I’m providing for my tanks I plan on seeing if it’s possible to fill my tanks with water in about a month. I’m looking for growth from the dwarf baby tears and the alternanthera.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

So I revived my Walstad-ish patio pond to give my frogbit a home while my shrimp tanks grow with the Dry Start Method. Interesting developments! The spider lily that has been there since last year is melting a bit but I still have many fresh looking developed leaves. The frogbit has already put out a new leaf on each plant! The pond is teaming with tiny swimming arthropods that look very happy. They are no bigger than a ”.” and they are dark brown. Anyone know what they are?
I added a chunk of mosquito dunk to treat any mosquito larva and I added about 5 mosquito fish from a local pond Very cute! They are about the size of a grain of rice. I figured they would eat the little arthropods and any new mosquito larva. I’m not sure I have to “feed” my pond at this time. Algae seems to be very well controlled at the moment by the plants and tiny fauna.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

I would air out those jars to release some of the gas and condensation build-up. The environment should be humid not dripping with water. You could keep the lids cracked just slightly.
Remove any dead plant material. 
Hopefully you will get advice from others about their DSM experiences. I only did it once. 
I hope you did not put the plants in full sunlight without adjusting them to the intense light. But if the plants are doing okay by now--two days later--then you're fine. (I almost cooked a magnolia sapling after transferring it from heavy shade to a sunny garden spot. Leaves turned brown overnight!)
Looks like a fun project and I wish you luck!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

dwalstad said:


> I would air out those jars to release some of the gas and condensation build-up. The environment should be humid not dripping with water. You could keep the lids cracked just slightly.
> Remove any dead plant material.
> Hopefully you will get advice from others about their DSM experiences. I only did it once.
> I hope you did not put the plants in full sunlight without adjusting them to the intense light. But if the plants are doing okay by now--two days later--then you're fine. (I almost cooked a magnolia sapling after transferring it from heavy shade to a sunny garden spot. Leaves turned brown overnight!)
> Looks like a fun project and I wish you luck!


Thank you for the input! I have experience with making terrariums outside in the Florida heat with tropical plants. These jars are set up in a spot so they never have direct sunlight but bright light. I also have experience with terrestrial plants in general. If this was a terrarium the jars would be over-saturated with water and I would dry them out, but I’m letting the the moisture work to my advantage here. In fact I’m misting the plants AND allowing the humidity to oversaturate. I am being very careful not to cook or rot out my plants. After four days I have perky plant tissue, no dead leaves and the jars have a pleasant “vegetable” smell. The plants are starting to grow a little. I am opening up the jars daily to “degas” them and to mist the leaves with extra water. I am only doing this because these are aquatic plants.
I have a plan: I’m using the heat, bright indirect light and heavy humidity to promote rapid growth. This is instead of a making a semi-humid environment indoors with artificial light and cooler temps. I can cut the growth period for the DTM down from 2 or 4 weeks instead of 10+ weeks. In other cases I can see how the plants would be cooked and the whole thing can become a rotten, fungus infected decaying mess. I have the opposite here happening!
I will post an update in the next couple of days of the progress.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Update! I have a side by side comparison of my DSM (Dry Start Method) shrimp tanks after 1 week. I have happy plants and noticeable growth already! I am keeping the insides of the jars hot and wet stimulating plant growth. I would not encourage such humidity to grow other kinds of plants or plants in a terrarium- but these are aquatic plants so I want it dripping wet! So far, I have been successful.

Jar #1 before and after.









Jar #2 before and after.









The plants are perky and growing. I’m getting more vertical growth on the dwarf baby tears rather than “runners” but it’s spreading nonetheless. I think I’ll see more horizontal growth this week. The Alternanthera seems very happy. I noticed on day 2 that the leaves felt oddly “dry to the touch” in the jar despite the high humidity. Terrestrial plants have all sorts of evolutionary tricks to keep moisture in such as producing waxy leaves. Aquatic plants don’t need to do that. Therefore I’ve been misting the leaves daily with a spray bottle to keep them wet. Misting seems to whet the appetite of the heavy condensation in the jars so a mist in the morning is enough to keep the leaves wet all day. The jars still have a pleasant “vegetable“ smell, no signs of rot or fungus so we’re good to go!
I’m hoping I can fill the jars with water in as little as 3 weeks from now. The plants look in good shape so now they can just grow grow grow!


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## Bens pico reef (4 mo ago)

I might have experienced and have heard that while the dry start for Dwarf baby tears (most plants) is good to allow roots to dig in and allows to keep better water quality and algae out in beginning (among other things), some/most the leaves will die once emersed as they are not used to being submerged and new leaves will grow in. Have you had this experience with other dry stat methods or first attempt. I havent done so myself so curious.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Bens pico reef said:


> I might have experienced and have heard that while the dry start for Dwarf baby tears (most plants) is good to allow roots to dig in and allows to keep better water quality and algae out in beginning (among other things), some/most the leaves will die once emersed as they are not used to being submerged and new leaves will grow in. Have you had this experience with other dry stat methods or first attempt. I havent done so myself so curious.


I’m in the middle of that now. I am trying a “wet and hot and fast” method that might not be able to be reproduced in other climates or seasons. I would suggest keeping the humidity high in your tank with the dry start method but there is a risk of fungus outbreaks or disease. I’m trying to “skip” the leaf melting stage as much as possible. It‘s part of the experiment. I plan on updating weekly. What I am not doing different is the set up. I want to make sure my soil and gravel match suggestions by Diana Walstad. Including her book, I am using this article as a template for my shrimp tanks. I’m using this to gain experience in building other tanks and ponds.



https://dianawalstad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/shrimprcs2017.pdf



“pico reefs” and salt water fascinate me. I may pick your brain sometime.


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## Bens pico reef (4 mo ago)

FernKing said:


> I’m in the middle of that now. I am trying a “wet and hot and fast” method that might not be able to be reproduced in other climates or seasons. I would suggest keeping the humidity high in your tank with the dry start method but there is a risk of fungus outbreaks or disease. I’m trying to “skip” the leaf melting stage as much as possible. It‘s part of the experiment. I plan on updating weekly. What I am not doing different is the set up. I want to make sure my soil and gravel match suggestions by Diana Walstad. Including her book, I am using this article as a template for my shrimp tanks. I’m using this to gain experience in building other tanks and ponds.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 I have been seeing walsted method alot lately. Ill have to see what it is as well. I have a ton of opinions on pico reefs and lots of success and failures lol. 

Hopefully it works so you dont lose to many. Really want to see this submurged with shrimp


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Bens pico reef said:


> I have been seeing walsted method alot lately. Ill have to see what it is as well. I have a ton of opinions on pico reefs and lots of success and failures lol.
> 
> Hopefully it works so you dont lose to many. Really want to see this submurged with shrimp


I recommend reading her book “Ecology of the Planted Aquarium”. It gives you lots of insight on what is happening inside of an aquarium. I plan on having a light on my jars and that’s pretty much it! Low low, tech. Diana is even on this website and happily answers questions and gives suggestions. She likes to keep things simple and it usually works out! Her method is “purposeful” as in she does things with a reason or an outcome in mind and it’s backed by evidence. If you “stick to the plan” you likely won’t have any “failures”. If something is going wrong with a properly set up Walstad tank you can usually make adjustments and “fix” whatever is going wrong. She does it herself as mentioned in the shrimp tank article I linked to. She had an algae problem at first so she adjusted her lights, added floating emergent plants like giant duckweed and added snails to her tanks. Algae problem solved! There seems to be a slight advantage to smaller, simple planted tanks too. I suggest there be a balance between plants and fish as in “more plants and less fish”. The results are great!


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## Bens pico reef (4 mo ago)

Sounds like my reef tank. Light and air pump was all i used. Now i have that on all but one planted tank. This sounds like an air pump may not even be needed.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Bens pico reef said:


> Sounds like my reef tank. Light and air pump was all i used. Now i have that on all but one planted tank. This sounds like an air pump may not even be needed.


Diana shows how air pumps and bubblers can work against you in a freshwater planted tank. Sometimes all you are doing is nothing or giving algae CO2. She does use pumps for larger tanks so water at the bottom isn’t stagnant, but she’s careful to not make “turbulence“ or stir the surface dissolving more CO2 into the water. With these low tech tanks, less is more. Heaters may be useful (not much in Floirda for me), filters can take nutrients away from plants and vacuuming the substrate is a needless activity that again removes nutrients. The focus of a planted tank with dirt is to let bioactive microorganisms in soil and plants “filter” your aquarium along with occasional water changes. It’s such a holistic and back-to-basics approach to aquaria it’s almost radical 😂 Some people can’t deal because they feel reliant on technology but they should let go and trust the dirt and plants ☮


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## Bens pico reef (4 mo ago)

Ok, definetly.curious now lol. Im in florida as well. For planted tanks I can see not vacuuming the bottom. Makes sense if the plants are intaking nutrients from soil. My current tank is using fluval stratum. I believe you all are reffering to potting type soil.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Bens pico reef said:


> Ok, definetly.curious now lol. Im in florida as well. For planted tanks I can see not vacuuming the bottom. Makes sense if the plants are intaking nutrients from soil. My current tank is using fluval stratum. I believe you all are reffering to potting type soil.


Diana recommends cheap, unremarkable potting soil. She uses a bag of “Organic Miracle Gro” potting soil. So do I. Don’t mix anything into it. She picks out any sticks and twigs. Avoid potting soils with added fertilizer and perlite (Perlite is annoying because it floats). 1 inch of soil capped with 1 inch of gravel, not sand. For a nano tank you can do 1 inch of soil and cap it with a lighter coating of sand or gravel. She talks about that in her “shrimp tank” article. To keep things clean I put the soil in the bottom of the tank and plant the plants directly into the soil. I add the gravel after that around the plants and on top of the soil. If you keep it clean it stays clean. At this point you can grow the plants in the ”Dry Start Method“. The first time you fill the tank go SLOW. I’ve seen some people use a plastic lid and they gently pour water on that or into their hand. Even if you’re careful the water might be “tea colored” at first. That’s okay. It’s part of the soil and water settling. After a few water changes (and some people run a filter for a short while) the water will be clear.


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## Bens pico reef (4 mo ago)

I read through her pdf earlier. I have definetly seen/heard this before. Especially using a sifter with the potting soil.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

For those of you that are hesitant and/or don't have a big mix of adapted plants, you can mix the potting soil 1:1 with sand. Sand is inert so it won't cause problems.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Week 2 update! I am definitely seeing some new “bioactivity“ this week. I am getting a light bloom of what I think is both algae and cyanobacteria on the white gravel. I’m not shocked by this as this is probably from the gravel. They store bags of gravel and sand for sale outside exposed to rain and sun here in Florida. Many times the gravel and sand is green with algae or cyanobacteria. I was thinking it was only a matter of time before I saw a little bit of that growing on the bright white rocks. I’m not worried about it moving forward when I finally fill my tanks.

Tank #1 Update: Still seeing significant growth from the plants 👍









Tank #2 update: The largest single patch of dwarf baby tears is spreading and growing nicely.









The Anubias melted a little so I removed a few dead leaves. Tiny new leaves sprouted in their place so all is well. I’m planning on adding one more immersed-grown plant like a crypt or something before I flood these jars in the next two weeks. I want to make sure I have enough plant-based biomass before adding the water.

It appears I have some bacterial/slime/algae layers growing in the soil. I’m considering this a good thing. Also some “local” springtails have moved into the jars. Despite this new bioactive growth the jars still smell pleasant and the plants are continuing to grow.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Night observations: My jars are filthy?!? Why? An investigation:
I like to peek at my various terrariums and tanks at different times of day to see what’s happening. Sometimes the activity is different depending on the time of day. Other times it’s merely my perspective with different light at night or day. Well, I noticed the walls of my shrimp tanks are filthy! But the cause wasn’t obvious until at nighttime. The walls appear to have particles of the quartz substrate all over the place like a little storm happened inside. Since I placed the jars outside they have been invaded by the only visitors that squeeze past the jar lids. The answer? Local springtails!










I can see springtails at the bottom scattering when I blow a little air into the jars. They are crawling around the sides of the jars taking bits of sand and substrate with them. This shouldn’t be an issue when I flood the tanks. I’m expecting the debris to settle at the bottom when I add water. It’s just interesting to see what’s happening at this stage with the bioactivity of my tanks. When I shine my flashlight I can see the trails in the condensation on the walls of my jars where the tiny animals have been walking around. It’s not gravity!










Major update soon!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Update: Hurricanes can change your plans!
So we’re getting a hurricane here in Florida. I’m on the East coast so we’re not getting directly hit but strong gusts of wind and no sunlight due to clouds made me decide to bring my jars inside. This was supposed to be their eventual set up after growing outside in the dry start method. Instead, I’m going to do the last two weeks of growing inside with these LED lights. I had this empty space below my corn snake’s “vivarium“ and I decided to make it the home of my shrimp tanks.










I am using “Lumiman“ 900 lumen smart LED flood lights. They are installed in a typical gooseneck style clip light. Each clip light cost about $13 and the bulbs are about $14 each. The lights are fully programmable and are currently set at a constant 14 hour photoperiod, at maximum brightness at 6500k. Later when I fill the shrimp tanks with water I can schedule a siesta. With the bulb’s app, I can change the brightness, color and temperature of the lights. What‘s unfortunate about the app is I can only schedule one light setting at a time but I can create as many schedules as I want. The LEDs are also cool to the touch; they don’t put off any heat. Hopefully the intense light and photoperiod will encourage rapid plant growth!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

In my nightly searches I found a bladder snail in each of my jars! I was cultivating bladder snails in my patio pond to put in these very jars. There must have been eggs tagging along on the plants. They were small, slow and not as “active” as the bladder snails in my patio pond. I left them in the jars. I hope they are comfy for another two weeks!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I have temporarily relocated the anubias nana to my patio pond. It will be back when I add the cholla wood to my shrimp tanks.








Patio Pond! Ultra-low tech and mystery hitchhikers 🦐🐌🪷


I’m starting to have more fun with my ”patio pond” as I grow out my shrimp tanks with the “dry start method”. I thought I would share. Last year I put together an experimental pot with some water-loving plants. I took some information from Diane Walstad‘s book and applied it as much as I could...




www.aquaticplantcentral.com


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I’m a little peeved at the Lumiman lights. I programmed the lights to be set as a “group” and on a schedule. One light malfunctioned and didn’t turn on or obey the schedule. This is likely a software issue since the other light was functional. I need the lights to be consistent to be successful. I just ordered “Sylvania Smart +” color LED lights and I’m going to see if they have a better app that gives me more control and is more reliable. The Sylvania lights are cheaper too.


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## Aquatic Meditation (5 mo ago)

Just stopping by for 2 things -

A) I love the shrimp jar idea. I have a few glass containers that I recently picked up from Ikea for a similar project - so I'll be watching this thread moving forward for sure!

B) I just wanted to wish you (and your aquatic friends) luck with Ian. This hurricane is looking pretty intense - I hope you and your loved ones stay safe, and that we all get to see some fun updates with your shrimp projects over the coming weeks!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Aquatic Meditation said:


> Just stopping by for 2 things -
> 
> A) I love the shrimp jar idea. I have a few glass containers that I recently picked up from Ikea for a similar project - so I'll be watching this thread moving forward for sure!
> 
> B) I just wanted to wish you (and your aquatic friends) luck with Ian. This hurricane is looking pretty intense - I hope you and your loved ones stay safe, and that we all get to see some fun updates with your shrimp projects over the coming weeks!


Thank you so much for the well-wishes. Thankfully I’m on the South-East coast and away from the worst of it. Right now it’s just cloudy and hot here and it isn’t even raining. I still have power where I am and we’re going to be okay.

About the shrimp jars I am moving SLOWLY, so stay tuned! I won’t be adding water and more plants for at least 2 weeks and I might wait another month before I add shrimp. I’m hoping slow will eliminate some problems while I learn. In the mean-time I am raising micro fauna and snails that I will add at the same time. I hope to post some videos (GIFs) of the critters as they settle in.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Your tank setups look really nice, and I detect an investigative inquiring mind. I suspect that you will add water to one jar at a time. See how it does and proceed from there cautiously. 
Hope you and your jars will ride out the storm. Here in NC, it's the hurricane aftermaths that bring rain to break summer droughts, so they are welcome.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

dwalstad said:


> Your tank setups look really nice, and I detect an investigative inquiring mind. I suspect that you will add water to one jar at a time. See how it does and proceed from there cautiously.
> Hope you and your jars will ride out the storm. Here in NC, it's the hurricane aftermaths that bring rain to break summer droughts, so they are welcome.


My tanks are starting as identical but are already diverging. I’m using this experience to get to know the nature of different aquatic plants. I’m already planning on NOT using dwarf baby tears on a future aquarium. I think it’ll work great in a shrimp tank but not one with a different set up with fish in mind. At the time I flood my tanks, I‘m going to add some true-aquatic plants and plants that were grown already immersed. I want to see how dwarf sword plants or crypts will do. This is an opportunity to experiment! The idea of flooding them at different times gives me an excuse to go to the fish store a few more times to shop around and learn more 😂

Take care with the weather! In Palm Beach County it was hot and windy! It didn’t even rain so much.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

FernKing said:


> In my nightly searches I found a bladder snail in each of my jars! I was cultivating bladder snails in my patio pond to put in these very jars. There must have been eggs tagging along on the plants. They were small, slow and not as “active” as the bladder snails in my patio pond. I left them in the jars. I hope they are comfy for another two weeks!


I’ve decided to move the snails from my jars to my patio pond. I think they need more water. They just look slow and miserable. The snails in my pond are fast, busy and growing quickly. So far I found 3 snails in my jars. I will catch them and return them to the jars when I flood them. I wonder if the snails were having any beneficial impact on the jars up to this point. I will report any changes.


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## Aquatic Meditation (5 mo ago)

FernKing said:


> I’ve decided to move the snails from my jars to my patio pond. I think they need more water. They just look slow and miserable. The snails in my pond are fast, busy and growing quickly. So far I found 3 snails in my jars. I will catch them and return them to the jars when I flood them. I wonder if the snails were having any beneficial impact on the jars up to this point. I will report any changes.


I've had a few bladder snails try to escape over the years - they usually don't make it very far..
It's likely that the humidity level in the jars is providing just enough moisture to keep them from drying out. Your plants also look very healthy, so I can't imagine there was much for them to snack on anyway haha.
I think they'll enjoy their temporary housing accommodations  

Can I ask the "big question"...?
Have we decided what kind of shrimp will call these jars home?

(apologies - my love for shrimp is somewhat irrational lol)


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Aquatic Meditation said:


> I've had a few bladder snails try to escape over the years - they usually don't make it very far..
> It's likely that the humidity level in the jars is providing just enough moisture to keep them from drying out. Your plants also look very healthy, so I can't imagine there was much for them to snack on anyway haha.
> I think they'll enjoy their temporary housing accommodations
> 
> ...


The snails in the jar was unintentional (stowaways!). I let them join my other snails in my patio pond where they are having a good old time. They are growing fast and I see eggs all over my frogbit. I plan on getting the reddest cherry shrimp I can get my hands on. I want to be able to see them clearly against the plants.


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## Aquatic Meditation (5 mo ago)

FernKing said:


> ...I plan on getting the reddest cherry shrimp I can get my hands on. I want to be able to see them clearly against the plants.


That contrast is going to look amazing!

If you haven't already sourced your shrimp, I'd like to recommend the "Bloody Mary" color morph.
I've kept most of the popular colors you'll find in the hobby, and they have the most vibrant red coloration I've seen.

They are somewhat unlike other Neocaridina, as the color is actually coming from their tissue, instead of their shells (which are transparent).
I really love this because the babies don't need to "grow into their color", as I've experience with the other color varieties - you'll end up with ultra red shrimp of all sizes. 🦐🦐

Also... I've ordered from many of the popular online shrimp breeders at this point - so I'm happy to recommend some sources that I've been very happy with, should you not have a good local source.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Aquatic Meditation said:


> That contrast is going to look amazing!
> 
> If you haven't already sourced your shrimp, I'd like to recommend the "Bloody Mary" color morph.
> I've kept most of the popular colors you'll find in the hobby, and they have the most vibrant red coloration I've seen.
> ...


That’s the variety I was looking at but I didn’t know those details. Even better! I’m going to ask my amazing local freshwater fish store first. They can pretty much order anything I want at the same price or cheaper than online but with no shipping costs 😎


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I’ve decided to make an ostrocod culture for my future tanks.








Mama Mia! Pasta Sauce Jar Ostrocod Culture! 🍝


I first got my ostrocods from a plant order hitchhiking on some frogbit. The population exploded in my patio pond. The ostrocods, along with some stowaway bladder snails, have been eating all dead plant tissue in the pond and they are keeping algae levels to near zero! I attribute the success of...




www.aquaticplantcentral.com


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I take back every mean thing I said about the Lumiman smart lights. The Sylvania Smart+ lights and app was so terrible I almost lost all hope. I’m returning that trash!


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

It doesn't look like these Smart+ lights have a timer.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

mistergreen said:


> It doesn't look like these Smart+ lights have a timer.


No! The Lumiman lights have a timer and schedule maker on the app. It was fairly easy to connect to too!
The Sylvania lights were a PAIN to connect and they have no way to set a timer or schedule! What’s the point?!
I’m 100% team Lumiman until they don’t meet my needs anymore or I find something better. I’m disappointed in the Sylvania lights as I use the LEDs all over my home- but their “smart lights” are stinkers! 💩


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Oh, you can use google home to connect to these smart lights. You can schedule a routine on that.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

mistergreen said:


> Oh, you can use google home to connect to these smart lights. You can schedule a routine on that.


Except, you first need to wrangle the set up in the original app then connect it to google. I found that to be a terrible experience. I don’t need to spend that much time on a single light. Further, the system is much less sophisticated compared to the Lumiman lights where I can set the color temperature by Kelvin number (6500 K).


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Hydrogen (peroxide) bomb for blue green algae!
So I have a solution if someone accidentally grows cyanobacteria (blue green algae) during the “dry start method” DSM:
My local freshwater plant expert informed me that before I try algaecides I should first try oxygen! He said cyanobacteria hates oxygen and it kills it. In a tank you can try pointing a powerhead at it and simply kill it with water flow or try an air stone temporarily. Since my tank was empty and didn’t have any animals in it, he suggested hydrogen peroxide, H2O2. I used a regular squirt bottle and sprayed the CB with 3% solution hydrogen peroxide. 48 hours later I think the results are pretty stunning. I suggest diluting it by at least half unlike what I did. My plants are fine but they look just a little “zapped” by the oxygen. My camera is also not helping with the odd color adjustment but I have noticed a change. Otherwise no damage to the plants and the cyanobacteria was fried! About week before I flood my tanks I’m going to add a scoop of pond water to restore beneficial bacteria.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Well, the day has arrived for ”Jar #2”. I added many more plants and flooded the jar!
From my local fish store I picked up:
”Pink Flamingo” crypts (the most expensive acquisition today 🤯)
Cabomba, Caroliniana
“Fancy Twist” swords
“Green Wendtii” crypt








I attempted to create balance. The middle of the jar will be “empty“ space so there’s a foreground with the pink flamingo crypts and the swords in the back with the alternanthera. I added a little more gravel in thin or messy spots.








I’m going to leave it to settle for a day and change the water tomorrow. I will continue to move slowly. Ostrocods have already found their way into the jar from the cholla wood and I’ll add snails and frogbit in a few days too.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I changed the water (almost 100%!), I added a big scoop of mature pond water, 3 frogbit plants, 5 mature bladder snails and a small “wonder shell” to the bottom of the jar. So far I have happy snails, happy plants and happy ostrocods.
I wonder when a good time will be to test the water for the first time- In a couple of days? In a week?


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Just tested Jar #2’s water. I would love some input if any of you can spare it.
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0.25 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
PH: 7.4
There are (almost) no animals. I have ostrocods and bladder snails and they look happy.
*Should I do a water change?* Should I let things settle for a while and do a water change later? Again, any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

FernKing said:


> Just tested Jar #2’s water. I would love some input if any of you can spare it.
> Ammonia: 0 ppm
> Nitrite: 0.25 ppm
> Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
> ...


I did a 90% water change and after three days my test results are:
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
PH: 7.4
Whoo hoo! The system works! Go Team Walstad! 🥳
And the frogbit is NOT messing around. It is sucking up any gross chemicals in the water and putting out new leaves almost daily. I can’t wait for my little “Pink Flamingo“ crypts in the front to recover and start growing. I love the color but they are melting.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Today’s a roller coaster! I’m telling myself “Remain calm”! 😂😭
So I like to check on my aquariums in the dark. Mainly this is to see what else is going on that is otherwise hidden by the light of day. Whew! Do I have some exciting developments! I have an _explosion_ of baby bladder snails 🐌 Maybe hundreds 🐌🐌🐌 I knew the frogbit had snails eggs and well- they all hatched! 








I also seem to have had an explosion of what looks like detritus worms too! My aquariums are a safe and healthy place for life to develop apparenly.









I’m seeing hundreds of these worms. My water is “balanced” 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and 0 nitrites, but I wonder if my plants are recovered enough to provide adequate oxygen for shrimp?! I’m seeing mixed results online that shrimp eat detritus worms. I know fish eat detritus worms but my jars here are on the small side. They are 2 gallon capacity but I probably only have 1 1/2 gallons of actual water. My plan was to introduce shrimp, get them breeding then add maybe one female betta to eat snails, worms etc to keep populations in check.
I’m definitely at the “What would you do?” part of this conversation 😂 Seriously, what would be your next steps?


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## maico996 (Nov 6, 2016)

These are all good signs! I doubt shrimp will eat the worms but you never know what something will eat when it is hungry enough. You could always start out with a "canary" fish like a Tetra or Rasbora and see how it goes from there. Then add a shrimp or two.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

maico996 said:


> These are all good signs! I doubt shrimp will eat the worms but you never know what something will eat when it is hungry enough. You could always start out with a "canary" fish like a Tetra or Rasbora and see how it goes from there. Then add a shrimp or two.


The worms are so small I doubt the average person would even notice. I have extremely good vision, off the charts. These worms are much thinner than a human hair and their body mass looks less than half of an ostrocod. Fry sized fish would probably see them but even a betta might miss them. I need to just relax and ignore them.
Shrimp are coming this Friday or Saturday. My local fish store is getting them in soon. I ordered 10 Bloody Mary shrimp. I’ll test the water again tomorrow. Everything should be fine! I need new tank mates. The bladder snails are helping but they are also misbehaving. The alternanthrea melted but the snails have NO interest in eating the dead leaves. HOWEVER, they are munching on my crypts! I was told they won’t eat live plants but I watched them! I think it’s a matter of stressed crypts melting a little, but I have seen with my own eyes my bladder snails eat the crypt leaves. I’m hoping the next generation of leaves will not be of their tastes. I put a slice of cucumber to draw them away from the crypts for now.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

1 week update on how the plants are doing:

”Pink Flamingo” Crypts look just terrible and the bladder snails keep munching on them. I hope they recover.
Cabomba is growing and has reached the surface. I don’t even think it put out roots yet.
“Fancy Twist” Swords look pretty good but no change and no growth.
“Green Wendtii” Crypts looks shabby. No growth and the snails are lightly nipping at it.
Alternanthera is having a NUCLEAR MELTDOWN. I have healthy stems but almost all of the leaves have melted into goo. The snails aren’t interested in eating any of the leaf goo. Go figure.
Frogbit is growing, growing, growing. It just keeps going. I credit it for sucking up any free ammonia and stabilizing the water.
Anubias nana is happy on the cholla wood but isn’t perceptively growing. It’s green and firm.
Dwarf Baby Tears are still recovering from getting burned by the peroxide but It’s green and growing.
I hope the crypts recover. I really want to use them in my next tank because they add nice texture and color to the foreground.








Pink Flamingo Crypts








Alternanthera


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

There’s a weird floating biofilm about 1 inch above the substrate. It’s like a fog floating above the ground.








Has anyone ever seen something like that before?


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

If you put a drop of that under a microscope, you'd be amazed. It's probably filled with protozoans.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

mistergreen said:


> If you put a drop of that under a microscope, you'd be amazed. It's probably filled with protozoans.


Sounds cool. My water conditions are perfect. Most of the plants are happy (the crypts are melting from replanting). I guess it doesn’t mean any harm. I’m trying to get some shrimp. I’m pretty sure they’d eat stuff like this 😂 My local fish store won’t get my shrimp until next week. It’s just weird to see what’s happening in the tank after a week. Lots of unexpected things!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

NOPE! NOT COOL! I did a little more investigating into the weird ”fog like” bio film floating an inch above the substrate. The tiny detritus worms were above but NOT below the “fog line“. Red Flag!! 🚩 I started to think “Is this two separate layers of water not mixing?” All of the plants above the fog line are doing great. The crypts and Alternanthera were not doing so good. The water in the jar tested perfect. So what could it be?
When I was doing water changes I was using a cup to scoop the water out. I had to stop an inch above the substrate because that’s as far as I could go! Today I just got my siphon in the mail so I sucked out the water starting at the bottom below the “fog line“. The water stank like rotten eggs! 🤢 The water on top smells clean and nearly scentless. I also poked the soil around the Alternanthera and lots of big bubbles came up from the soil. I think the soil and water layer got isolated by the way I was changing the water with a cup. Maybe now I’ll see a change in the behavior of the animals and how my sick plants recover.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

It happens. Poke the substrate every day until the anaerobic condition goes away.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Crypts take awhile to adjust, so its not surprising that yours melted. The Crypt was probably in the emergent form when you bought it. Now it must convert to the submerged form. If the root system is strong (lots of stored carbohydrates), it may do fine. 

Your soil is decomposing fast and has made the substrate very anaerobic. You don't have any water circulation in the bowl, so bowl probably has an anaerobic water layer over the substrate. Note, the setup I've described in my book always involved a large tank with some kind of filter or water pump. That brought oxygen near the substrate and counteracted the potential problems you are describing.

I'm not saying you need water circulation or aeration, but you'll need to counteract the lack of oxygen somehow until the soil "settles down."

Yes, poke the substrate gently with very thin object (opened paper clip) so as not to injure roots. Keep up water changes. If anything, the associated water movement with these activities will mix the anaerobic layer above the soil. The presence of all the animals suggests that there's a banquet of nutrients here.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

dwalstad said:


> Crypts take awhile to adjust, so its not surprising that yours melted. The Crypt was probably in the emergent form when you bought it. Now it must convert to the submerged form. If the root system is strong (lots of stored carbohydrates), it may do fine.
> 
> Your soil is decomposing fast and has made the substrate very anaerobic. You don't have any water circulation in the bowl, so bowl probably has an anaerobic water layer over the substrate. Note, the setup I've described in my book always involved a large tank with some kind of filter or water pump. That brought oxygen near the substrate and counteracted the potential problems you are describing.
> 
> ...


Thank you. I just ordered the _tiniest_ pump to help get things started. It’s 2”x2” and pumps 50 gallons per hour on the maximum setting and even less on the lower setting. I’m going to use it to very gently circulate the water while things settle. I’m so happy I flooded only one jar at a time. This is giving me ample time to learn and figure everything out. I’ve been referring to your book and I thank you for the extra input.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I just tore out the dwarf baby tears from Jar #2. The baby tears died. It was a rotten smelly mess. I put a handful of STS over the hole where the baby tears used to be. The local pet store had a healthy crypt and a sword plant for a total of $4.00. I planted them where the baby tears used to be. I’m hoping this will be the last big adjustment to get this jar up and running. I’m glad I decided to take this slow!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

So I bought the _tiniest_ pump I could find. I’m going to use this just to get tanks started with some water movement in the first weeks of setup. Jar #2 might not need it as water changes and poking the substrate seems to be working, but I don’t mind this as a “back up”.
It is super small! I placed it here next to President Lincoln for size comparison. It pumps at maximum 50 gallons per hour, which is very weak and exactly what I’m looking for. It will be just a light current of water in my 15 gallon fishbowl when I set it up. even the tiniest “power heads” were way too strong so this should work great. It’s amazing how hard it was to find a tiny weak pump! Everyone is trying to sell the most powerful pumps and power heads possible.








If that creepy anaerobic layer of water returns, I’ll give this little pump a try.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

It’s time for a picture update. The landscaping has changed because the dwarf baby tears died. I think I just had some bad luck. Today is a better day. I removed the baby tears, covered the hole with STS and added a little green sword plant and a very nice bronze crypt wendtii that was labeled “assorted potted plant”. When I removed the rock wool from the crypt it was three separate plants. The plants were only $2.00 each. Score! The plants were already submerged so I don’t expect melting like before. They seem to have spread out and look very happy so far. I really need my rooted plants to grow. I think that’s where most of my problems are from.
The cabomba must have doubled in length In the past two weeks. It was about 4 to 5 inches long when I planted it (I trimmed it that short to fit) but now it’s so long it has reached the surface and is growing diagonal 😂 I need to trim it but I want to wait until I can plant the trimmings into the next jar aquarium.
I believe the replanting and adding STS has changed my water chemistry slightly. Right now I’m at 0 ppm Nitrates, 0 ppm Nitrites, .25 ppm Ammonia and now my PH is 6.8. I did a 50% water change again sucking the water from the bottom. I’m also using a turkey baster to suck the water from the bottom for testing too. I think the bottom level water is giving me a more accurate picture of any bad news than water from the top of the aquarium.









I also just made a “substrate poker“ with a paper clip, wire and a chopstick. That’ll make things easier!









Hopefully I‘ll have smooth sailing from here. I want to add shrimp soon 🦐


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Interesting find in my researching how to properly prune cabomba that illuminates the difference between high tech tanks and low tech dirted tanks. While reading in a certain high tech aquarium forum people were reporting that if they pruned their cabomba, they would have to replant the pruned tops because the bottom section would turn yellow, then brown and die. The people with low tech dirted aquariums reported that pruned cabomba would send off three or four offshoots when pruned AND they were able to successfully plant the pruned tops. This is a pretty good illustration of the differences between dirted and “high tech” tanks. In the high tech tanks, the cabomba is essentially a free floating plant drawing its nutrients from the water column. The “planted” part in the inert substrate either has no roots or roots that are drawing no nutrients. When trimmed, the top continues to grow while the bottom withers and dies. In a dirted tank the cabomba is apparently drawing nutrients both from the water column and the soil. People reported offshoots from pruned stalks, runners sprouting from the root system and being able to replant the pruned tops. Dirted, low tech tanks provide a holistic approach to plant growth and nutrition.


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## Bens pico reef (4 mo ago)

Looking good. I wouldnt give up on dwarf. I had mine just about all died off in my high tech. Then few patches stayed and then took off. Now its doing well. Tanks look good and sound like they are doing well. People dont realise that you will need to over feed or use root tabs depending what your growing if you dont use rich nutrient soil. Great little post you did.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Bens pico reef said:


> Looking good. I wouldnt give up on dwarf. I had mine just about all died off in my high tech. Then few patches stayed and then took off. Now its doing well. Tanks look good and sound like they are doing well. People dont realise that you will need to over feed or use root tabs depending what your growing if you dont use rich nutrient soil. Great little post you did.


Thanks. My other shrimp jar has very healthy dwarf baby tears. I think it’ll do much better. I‘m going to plant more plants and flood it this coming week! I’m going to avoid the mistakes I made with the first jar 😭


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

So I was away for the weekend and I couldn’t “mess” with my jars for three whole days! On Jar #2 I did a near 80% water change just before I left. Today I tested my water. I used water from the bottom of the jar near the substate using a turkey baster. I don’t notice that ”foggy” anaerobic layer any more. My test results were:
0 ppm Nitrates
0 ppm Nitrites
PH 6.6 (slightly acidic since I added STS)
Ammonia 0 ppm to 0.25 ppm (the solution is ever so slightly green)
I think this is a good result! The jar is stabilizing and I’m over the anaerobic bump for now. I’ll continue to poke the substrate until the plants grow in more. I’m thinking of the slight ammonia as fertilizer for my plants. I’ll do a water change next week.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I wanted to highlight these little guys that have been helping out in my jar. As the jar was settling down after planting I got a sudden bloom of all sorts of creatures: worms, ostrocods, larvae (maybe even mosquito!). It was getting a little out of hand so I caught these three micro (super) predators from the neighborhood pond: mosquito fish! They are very small. They have definitely lowered the population of microfauna down to more manageable levels. I want to breed shrimp in this tank, so I’ll probably move them to my patio pond when I order the shrimp. They are teaching me about my water quality too and oxygen levels too. So far they are alert, fast and swim at all levels of the water. They follow me around the tank as I fuss and poke at plants. I see them eating things as I stir up the tank. I think they’re cute!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

The day has arrived for Jar #1! I stuffed it full of plants. I have a better feeling on this one than how Jar #2 started.
Plants inside the jar include:
Dwarf baby tears (In the middle, started with the DSM)
Alternanthera
Several unknown “dwarf” crypts, (possibly Cryptocoryne parva)
Red tiger lotus
“Fancy Twist” swords
Java fern windelov
Cabomba (trimmings replanted from Jar #2)
Banana plant








I capped off the white gravel I used in the “dry start method” with STS. I have a big bag of STS and it’s starting to grow on me. I like the color and size and it’s easy to work with. I suspect that it could be a source for minerals as I understand it breaks down slowly. I’ll probably end up using STS on my giant fishbowl.








The water is cloudy but I expect it to settle. I’ll do a water change tomorrow. This time I have lots of healthy rooted plants on my side so no anaerobic layer! I’ll do weekly water changes or more until the soil settles and the plants take root. I already added bladder snails and they went right to work!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Jar #1 and its plants is really handsome! This is the jar today after its first 100% water change. The water is crystal clear! The STS and a wonder shell has really cleared up the water. I think we’ve got some electro-checmical binding going on. I’m not even bothering to test my water yet. Maybe next week. I’m focused on giving the plants what they need to grow and water changes. I’ll add frogbit sometime today or tomorrow.


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## maico996 (Nov 6, 2016)

Looks great!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

maico996 said:


> Looks great!


I think it looks like a nice salad at an expensive restaurant, lol 😂🥗


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I added the frogbit. These are the new “mini” offspring from my original “giant” frogbit order. I hope they do a good job sucking up ammonia!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Jar #1 has excellent chemistry so far! I took the test water just above the substrate.
0 ppm Nitrates
0 ppm Nitrites
0.25 ppm Ammonia
PH 6.6
Why is my water chemistry better on Jar #1 so far? I think it’s several factors. Jar #1 sat longer, about a month, in the DSM allowing the soil to “cool down” chemically. Jar #1 started with more healthy, live plants and bigger plants like more swords compared to Jar #2. I also think the use of STS is helping. STS definitely changes the PH and I wonder if it absorbs other chemicals in the water, like nitrates (?). Water “movement” will be key so I want to poke the substate of both jars just a little and do partial water changes _from the bottom_ for at least a few more weeks. Even 20% water changes, siphoning from the bottom, is enough.


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## PlentyCoup (Aug 22, 2021)

These have turned out wonderful! I have been boycotting this journal because I have wanted to try shrimp jars my self and i knew that seeing your success would have me tearing my house apart to try and make room 😂
They look really really good. Mosquito fish are wonderful little native fish.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

PlentyCoup said:


> These have turned out wonderful! I have been boycotting this journal because I have wanted to try shrimp jars my self and i knew that seeing your success would have me tearing my house apart to try and make room 😂
> They look really really good. Mosquito fish are wonderful little native fish.


I wouldn’t call this “success“ yet! lol! I‘m still stabilizing and troubleshooting problems. I would even say my shrimp jars aren’t even ready for shrimp yet! I need a few more weeks to make sure the soil is “cooled down”. The mosquito fish are a great help but they’ll be a problem later if I want to breed the shrimp. They will happily eat baby shrimp. I’m close though and the plan is working!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

I tested the water in both jars today:
Jar #2 is 0,0,0 ppm ammonia, nitrates & nitrites, 7 PH.
Jar #1 is <.25,0,0 ppm ammonia, nitrates & nitrites, 6.6 PH
I think I‘m ready for shrimp! What’s _KILLING_ me is it appears that the dwarf baby tears is also now dying in Jar #1 🙃 That’s two for two dwarf baby tears dying. Jar #1 had a much better start with the baby tears and they are STILL dying. There’s not much room for ”melting” with dwarf baby tears. The leaves are just all detaching from the bottom, floating to the top like gross duckweed and everything left behind on the bottom looks like it’s rotting. When I took out the baby tears from Jar #2 they lasted about the same time (two weeks) and became a stinking, rotten mess. I’m preparing to rip them out and I don’t want to try them again 🤬
My local fish store had some crypt “tropica” or “florida sunset”. They labeled it “bronze”. No way. It was multi colored and very beautiful. Each plant had green, bronze and pink leaves typical of ”florida sunset”. There seems to be a lot of mix up between crypt wendtii ”red”, “bronze”, ”Florida sunset” and “tropica“ between sellers. I’ll try to sort it out.
Bladder snails and ramshorn snails have been selectively munching on the frogbit. I guess they’re eating older leaves. That’s fine with me because my frogbit is my most intensely growing plant. I’ve been supplementing the diets of my invertebrates with slices of cucumber and there isn’t any traces of algae to be found. I wonder how these impacts the “Walstad Method” as how I am “feeding” my various tanks. I’m not “feeding” in the traditional sense because I lack shrimp and aquarium fish at the moment. I am not feeding the mosquito fish because I am depending on them eating the micro fauna in the tanks. While everyone seems to be enjoying the cucumber I wonder if the “mulm” created from the cucumber is enough to provide nutrients to the rest of the tank and plants. This is temporary anyway because I plan on adding more animals and then feeding them at a later time. We’ll see. I hope it keeps in balance.


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## maico996 (Nov 6, 2016)

It's hard to get Baby Tears to thrive without high intensity light and CO2 injection.


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

maico996 said:


> It's hard to get Baby Tears to thrive without high intensity light and CO2 injection.


Well they worked with people who gave them a head start with the DSM, just not with me!


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## FernKing (4 mo ago)

Today was a BIG maintenance day for the jars! I had to tell the people in my household to leave me be so I can get some much needed work done! 😂
“Do you have a moment to. . .”
“No!”
”Can you take care of. . .”
”When I’m done”
“Do you want to. . .”
“Not right now!” 😂
I bought some new bronze crypts to take the place of the rotten dwarf baby tears. I’m a sucker for differently-colored aquatic plants so I couldn’t resist the crypts at my local plant store. I drained the water from Jar #1 almost completely. Then I tore out the rotten baby tears and added the new crypts. I was able to split the bundle of bronze crypts into six separate plants. I planted four in Jar #1 and planted the other two crypts in empty spots in jar #2. I’m trying to get a plant and roots in every section of both jars to prevent anaerobic patches. I gave the cabomba a trim, replanted tops and any loose “floating“ plants. STS was sprinkled around in bare or low spots.
The cabomba is growing at a rapid rate, like about a foot a week. This is both good and annoying. I have a much easier time with the rosette style plants. If someone else is planting a nano or small tank I recommend crypts, small swords (like “fancy twist” or “aflame”) and other rosette plants rather than stem plants. There just isn’t room for stems to grow. Small Java ferns and anubias seem to be doing alright too.
I took out the frogbit and gave it a trim and threw away some clumps. It was getting out of hand. So far I have healthy plants and animals and I hope it continues! My local fish store is awaiting shrimp. They said they haven’t seen them available from their source as of late. One day, my shrimp jars will have shrimp! But I’m glad it hasn’t happened yet because of the more dramatic replantings and water changes I’ve been doing to get things settled. While the plants and water is “stable” enough for shrimp I don’t want to disturb them other than occasional plant trimmings. I think I’m at that point now though. Maybe my LFS will finally get my shrimp order within the next month?








Jar #1








Jar #2








Also a note about cylinders. They are hard to see in! I have a hard time seeing the interior/middle of the aquariums due to the warped and curved exterior. I put the jars on lazy susans to make it easier to see around, but the distortion does make it harder to see in the middle. Keep that in mind if you want to plant in a cylindrical shape like me. Otherwise I’m happy with the look of the jars.


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