My Shrimp Tank Is Finally Set Up!

So I slacked off a little setting my second tank up by not testing the water and just adding however much ammonia I felt like it needed, and realised last weekend that I'd been overdosing it a heap, like, the ammonia readings were off the scales of the test kit haha. So I changed most the water out and started checking the concentration already in the water before dosing this week and a couple days ago, it was all done! No ammonia and no nitrite readings 24 hours after dosing.

I forgot to check the nitrate levels but I changed out most the water again today because I wanted to get rid of the dying moss in there (it was everywhere) and the decaying gunk that was left from the fungus that grew on the driftwood I put in without properly having soaked first haha, so it should have been okay.

I'm a shitty fish keeper. Or tank-setter-upper. All 9 of my fish in my other tank are still alive, amazingly. I'm really quite impressed with myself.

So today I went down and bought about a dozen red cherry shrimp. They're hardier than the crystal red shrimp and the least expensive of all the dwarf shrimp so I thought I'd give them a go. And they're so pretty. Just look at em!

These are 3 of the 4 berried ones I bought:



I have no idea how far along their eggs are, but I don't think I can see their little eyes yet so maybe another week or so until I start seeing baby shrimp everywhere.

And this is one cleaning the roots of a really nice plant I bought for both my tanks:



In my other tank the water current is a little stronger so the plants aren't doing quite as well, but they're still multiplying. On top they look a bit like lily leaves in a little cluster. But I love the roots like this the most. I bought a plant for its roots, haha.

This one is sorta spotty:


I'm already so in love with this tank. I still have I think 4 shrimp in my other tank, doing their shrimpy things, but they hide a little because of the fish in there. I actually didn't know until a couple days ago that I had 2 young blue dream shrimp. I thought it was just the one until I saw them side my side.

In this new tank I'm already noticing little things that I haven't in my other, like how I saw one cleaning his tail. It was adorable. They remind me a little of like, underwater ants, in the way they clean haha.

So yeah.

Now all I'm waiting on is for the small clippings of moss I took from my other tank to grow out and cover the driftwood a little and I'll be happy with my tank.

And I totally almost forgot, but I made little gravestones for this tank:



They're not as clean-looking now but I think it adds to the vibe. It'll be super cool when the shrimp molt as it'll look like the cemetery has carcasses laying around haha.

Oh my yes I do need to get out more.