Yellow neocaridina, otocinclus and a male crowntail better

I'm sure you've seen the pictures on my Fluvial spec replanting journal but I thought this section of the forum looked very empty.

I have a clean up crew of yellow golden back neocaridina in my spec. The Oto's get moved between aquariums on demand. I originally had 3 but conan ate one. That was the very fast, big one and it may have been injured when it was moving between tanks or it could have been old age.

As a clean up crew i've been very happy with the neo's and too's. They are small enough that they do not dig up all the newly planted HC unlike the amano shrimp from out lfs's that all dig like crazy. Some HC does get disturbed but it small enough quantities that replanting is not a problem.




The final inhabitant of this aquarium is my male crown tail better Conan,(the barbarian). This tank is planted around his requirements, with a sleep/bubble nest anchor plant and the flow output from the filter has been drastically reduced because he has big fins that keep on growing. He happily hunts and eats his tank mates so hiding places for baby and moulting shrimp are essential in this aquarium. Due to Conan this will never be a proper aquascape but is used as a test/storage tank for plants.



Bubble nest anchor and sleep plant. He currently prefers to sleep on the thermometer or heater.


Moss coated coral(no sharp edges). This coral is full of holes and tunnels and the shrimp hide in here when they are vulnerable due to moult or are still "snack sized"

 

I forgot to say in my earlier post but unlike amano shrimp the neocaridina usually do not eat my plants.

 

I really like them. I bought them from sharnbrook shrimp alone with some blue jelly for my bedside aquarium. The stripe along their spine is almost neon even under natural light and I think the colour complements my plants. The only downside is it means they are easy to spot but Conan has got used to them now and has stopped following them around.

 

All the time. He used to eat the baby dwarf crawfish as well

 

It's not as bad as it looks. Conan can't get to the bottom part of the "forest" and the coral is full of holes some of which connect to a big hollow under the main stone. The shrimp hide in here when they moult and I drop small broken off parts of algae pad food every 3-4 days.

 

I had a nice surprise this morning. My anubias barteri is flowering.

 

Thanks. Conan kept photobombing and posing in front of it so it was a nightmare to get a good picture.