It started with these guys
I was provided a 5.5 gallon tank by a friend. I wanted to fill it with these guys for a practice run.
The beginning of the final setup
It's a good thing I decided to do a practice run with no fish, because I had to start over and this is the result. I will later double the amount of plants.
Some of these guys even survived the transition!
Not many of them, but I still see them at the bottom of the tank occasionally.
Shrimp on a rock
When it was only the shrimp in the tank they grew very bold.
Shrimp on another rock
They seemed to like to look out over their domain.
An univited guest
I never intentionally introduced snails. They likely were hitchikers aboard the live plants. Even though I washed them before planting.
Snail on an adventure
They both explored every inch of the tank
Shrimp on an adventure
They both explored every inch of the tank
Shrimp and Snail on an adventure together!
And I mean, every inch.
Shrimp with eggs!
One of the shrimp came bearing eggs from the store! They seemed to be pretty new because they took forever to hatch!
Snail with eggs...
She wasn't the only one with eggs either.
Baby Shrimp!
I caught a baby photo of one of the baby shrimp shortly after hatching! They really are just fully formed mini shrimp.
Baby Snail...
Despite removing snail eggs whenever I could find them, I could not stop them all.
Mama shrimp after ditching her eggs
I saw her like this before I even realized that they had hatched and wondered what had happened to them. Pretty obvious after I spotted the tiny babies.
Baby shrimps growing fast!
Baby shrimps exploring their new world.
Baby shrimps growing really fast!
Here is mama and a large baby feasting on some protien supplements
Shrimp and catfish hanging out on the deck!
The algae was a big problem during the first tank. So this time around I introduced some catfish to help keep it under control.
More snail eggs
The snail problem was growing out of control. I could not keep up. The first generation of juvenile snails were now beginning to lay eggs of their own. I needed a solution.
A deadly and fearsome predator approaches
I finally added the centerpiece of this little garden. This betta fish will eat all of the baby snails and their eggs. And he will look great doing it.
Barry the Betta fish
This terror hunted down and destroyed every other inhabitant of the tank that he could catch. Luckily those flashy fins make him very slow. So pretty much only the snails were in danger. Sometimes the shrimp if they are vulnerable during a molting.
Barry the Betta fish
He will be feared throughout the realm
Barry the Betta fish
Nothing can escape his notice. Nofishy can rest. He will find them. The other inhabitants have gotten very good at hiding and holding very still. It is rare to even see them anymore.
Barry the Betta fish
He will find them and in the darkness, devour them.
He had friends once... So he killed them.
He will find them and under the light, devour them.