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Latest update: March 19, 2010 20:12

Tips and tricks for the keeping of invertebrates

In this section, I provide my tips and tricks for the keeping of invertebrates. Please feel free to submit your experiences and I will gladly include them.

List of the Tips and Tricks on the care of shrimp and crayfish



Leaves in the aquarium

Biotopes in nature are difficult to compare to the artificial world of aquariums, especially for us Germans who like to make things unnaturally neat. A good compromise is the use of leaf litter, which provides a natural appearance with positive benefits.

The use of leaf litter in an invertebrate tank helps the molting process and enhances the water with slight antibacterial and antifungal properties. Different types of leaves produce different effects. For example, sea almond leaves and walnut leaves are highly specific. The second-tier leaves for use include oak, beech, hazelnut, birch, cherry, maple, and others. I use primarily beech leaves for two reasons. First, I find they provide a neutral appearance, looking natural on the tank floor, unlike the oak leaf. Second, they are easily gathered en masse quickly where I live. I can dry them and store them for long periods of time. To use the dried leaves, I fill a 5 liter bucket half full with water and place two handfuls of leaves into the water to soften the water. After a few days, the leaves are soft and beginning to break down, and I can place them into an aquarium for leaf mold.

In the aquarium, invertebrates like the layered effects of leaves for hiding places, and they are able to eat from the bacteria growing upon the leaf mold, which is of excellent nutritional value. The leaf mold typically tints the water a brownish color, which also makes the animals feel hidden and secure. After some time, leaves will be broken down by bacteria until there is very little remaining.



The use of Alder cones in the aquarium

Aquarists have used Alder cones for some years now, to condition water for aquaria. Alder cones also provide conditioning for water which leaves it tinted brown and renders to it slight antibacterial/antifungal properties. In the small concentration typically used, Alder cones do not affect the pH of the water. I use a few in about 15-20 liters of water, as I like the concentration to remain dilute from the effects. Alder cones provide benefits for raising the young. Only dry, brown, opened cones should be used; green ones are unsuitable.

If it is your first time trying Alder cones, try a few, and if the water tints very dark, use fewer. The color of the water will lighten in a few weeks, naturally.




The use of plant fertilizers in a invertebrate tank

When keeping invertebrates in a planted tank, it is important to remember that copper is toxic to invertebrates. We must always keep this in mind when designing a fertilizing or medicating scheme for our tanks.

Many aquarists who keep invertebrates in planted tanks take great pains to provide a beautiful natural habitat. This encourages healthy animals, good natural food sources, and better reproduction. We are familiar with Dennerle produces V30, E15, and S7 in the use of planted tanks containing invertebrates, and have used them for many years in reduced dosages with success. We also know that Doctor Kremsers fertilizer and Tetra products pose no problems when used correctly. Undoubtedly, other types of plant fertilizers may also be safely used, but we are limited in our specific information as to which. In principle, when trying a product, begin with a much reduced dosage and see the effects, so as to avoid a toxic disaster in your tank if the product is toxic. One can always increase the amount, once a product is deemed safe.

If you have specific experience with a product you would like to share with us and add to our knowledge base, feel free to share with us and we will gladly incorporate your information in our website.


New aquatic plants

Aquarists often run into problems with their invertebrate tanks when introducing new plants. This may be because of toxic fertilizers used previously with the plants, or other treatments which leave toxic residue for invertebrates. When introducing new plants to your invertebrate tank, we recommend you first thoroughly clean and rinse the new plants in moving water for a week before introducing them into the tank. This allows residues to wear off before the plants are put into your tank. Even better, try to procure your plants from sources where you know there are no toxic products used on the plants, such as friends or other hobbyists that you can trust.

In addition, we mention small planting pots and their dangers. Often pots use mineral wool as a planting substrate, and, even if the pot is fully placed under the gravel, a digging invertebrate can find the mineral wool. The glass fibers in mineral wool is damaging to our animals, so must be completely removed from plants before the plants are placed into the tank.


Disinfecting aquatic plants

When I wish to disinfect an aquatic plant, I use carbonic acid (carbonated water). I take a plastic bucket of about 5 liters and put about 1 liter of tap water into it, then add two liters of carbonated water (club soda). The carbonated water will bring the pH down to about 5, which will disinfect most plants. I usually leave them in the bath for 1 to 1.5 hours. If the plants have a tendency to float, I weigh them down with a stone, so they are completely submerged. Afterwards, you will see the removal of pests, etc. in the bottom of the bucket, to see what you removed.

Previously, I used to use alum, but it became very expensive and if the bath were not timed right, it could damage the plants.


Cleaning of a invertebrate aquarium

All aquariums need an occasional cleaning. When cleaning a tank with fish or invertebrates, one must take care not to suck up the young.

Kurt Mack of the AGW ("working group of invertebrates of animals of the inland waters" under www.wirbellose.de) described the following ingenious idea. He fills a container with a layer of mulm in the bottom, about 10%, and the rest water. He lets this sit until the mulm has settled to the bottom, then places the bottle in a bucket in the bottom of the tank, with the opening of the bottle above the ground level a few centimeters. After about five hours, most all the young shrimp will be attracted to the mulm and will travel into the bottle. A few plants placed into the bottle for hiding places helps out, too. When the young are in the bottle, safe, then the tank floor can be cleaned.

This is such a simple technique, but saves many lives of small animals, and it works for crayfish as well as shrimp.

Some mulm on the bottom of the tank is to be desired, as it provides vital food to the young animals. However, excessive waste is toxic, so it is a balance to keep the tank partially cleaned using this method.

During cleaning of the filter one is likely to encounter young animals as well, as they seem to make their way into the filter substrate. If one uses a Hamburg mat or sponge filter, however, this occurrence is extremely rate, unlike the use of canister filters.

The objective in cleaning a filter is to de-bulk particles that may clog it, but not to totally clean it out, as the filter relies on a population of bacteria for action. So basic rinsing, without total cleaning, is best. After several years, an accumulation may occur that is problematic, and at that time a major cleaning may be done, with new filter media. Some aged filter media should always be left, to seed the new media. In the case of a Hamburg mat filter or sponge filter, a rough squeezing out and slight rinsing is the desired technique, leaving bacteria in the sponge still. Do not allow filter media to dry out or remain uncirculated for more than 4-5 hours, or the bacteria will suffer.

At times plant removal or pruning will also need to be done. Care must be taken not to remove young animals which may be on the plants. I usually rinse removed plants several times to remove any animals.


The Hamburg mat filter

The Hamburg mat filter consists of a filter mat (filter foam material) and a pump which acts to drive water across the surface of the sponge material. It is the same principle and material as a sponge filter, but in a sheet-like shape across a partition of the tank.

I have used this type of filter for years with success and thoroughly endorse it. It is in my opinion the best method of biological filtration in a invertebrate tank. See this article on cleaning of an invertebrate aquarium.

For detailed information about the Hamburg mat filter, click here.




Battling algae in the invertebrate aquarium

As with medicating and fertilizing, we must take care in a invertebrate tank when introducing chemicals to treat for algae. Do not use any medication or treatment which contains copper, as it is toxic to invertebrates. Some hobbyists report excellent success with pro talon - 707 when used in invertebrate tanks. Some have used the normal dosing with sufficient success, and others report the use of increased dosage, up to double, to control algae.

Keep in mind that it is best to treat the cause of algae, not just medicate a tank to remove it. For this, an understanding of the balanced tank is necessary, and you would be advised to educate yourself on this matter through Google research.




The use of driftwood in invertebrate tanks

Peat cured driftwood is a great addition to a invertebrate tank. It can provide a very natural looking decoration as well as provide necessary hiding places for our invertebrate inhabitants. But beyond that, it has yet more benefits. Peat-cured driftwood is a valuable natural substance that has taken up to thousands of years to cure, naturally.

Peat cured driftwood can provide positive effects in the right amount, due to its influence on the tank water. In lower quantities, it can impart to the tank water antibacterial and antifungal properties. This effect is dose-dependent, however, and in too large of quantities the same effect can turn toxic. So it is important to monitor your tank when placing driftwood inside, to look at the behavior of your animals, and do regular water changes so the effect does not accumulate to toxic levels. In particular, the acidifying effect of peat cured driftwood can be damaging to fish if the pH drops too low, and damages their gills. Watch for a brown color in your tank, to indicate the concentration is getting high, and keep water changed so the water does not turn brown, to stay within safe levels. Take care to watch for the rotting of the wood as well, as this can turn your tank toxic, as well and have devastating consequences.