Embryons desséchés

March 17, 2021 3:19 PM

Shrimp eating broccoli | carrot | watermelon and other peaceful meditations on the planted aquarium
posted by They sucked his brains out! (11 comments total)

I knew even without looking that this was going to be from the "Foo the Flowerhorn" channel! This is something that Youtube coughed up for me once and every so often I poke in to look at the gentle goings-on of this dude's shrimp and fish.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:56 PM on March 17, 2021 [3 favorites]

Foo the Flowerhorn are usually Walstad-method planted aquariums, which are a specific type of low tech aquarium. They require a fair amount of work/research at setup to get right but can run for years with very little maintenance if done correctly. That's what the whole "NO filter, NO CO2, NO Ferts" thing is about in the description. The gist is you go with a nutrient-rich substrate (typically miracle-gro with a sand cap) and then densely plant the substrate to around 70% planted. The density of plants will keep the water conditions healthy so long as the livestock is kept well below what is typical. Think of them more like water gardens that happen to have a fish or two than a fish aquarium.

That aqueon setup guide isn't great. It's more like an overview than a guide and honestly isn't that up on planted tank info. Aquarium Co-op's version is better and more actionable. They also have pretty good beginner guides on most everything else on their website. There are also plenty of other guides out there and some go into exhaustive detail, but I think the Aquarium Co-op one strike a good balance of overview, actionables, and links to more info.

All that said... I think the very best start for someone to get started with low research and be setup for success is one of George Farmer's low-tech tutorials. Follow along with him and you'll be good to go. This one will get you into the hobby for under $200. Note, this won't be Walstad-method and more expensive than going that way but will be easier overall and you won't end up with stalled growth or trouble with the plant choices.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 4:01 PM on March 17, 2021 [11 favorites]

For anyone that would just like to follow some aquascapers on YouTube to enjoy the chill vibes, plants, fish, and pleasure of watching a scape come together:

The CineScaper

George Farmer

MD Fish Tanks
posted by forbiddencabinet at 4:25 PM on March 17, 2021 [3 favorites]

How can shrimp be transparent? That is crazy. that's just nuts. What would a human look like if it were transparent the same way a shrimp is?
posted by rebent at 6:18 PM on March 17, 2021

Also - Here's that $200 set-up at 8 months on
posted by rebent at 6:42 PM on March 17, 2021

er, wait, I don't think it is... sorry.
posted by rebent at 6:45 PM on March 17, 2021

Nice try, rebent. While that's a lovely tank, it's definitely not budget-friendly or low tech. That oase thermo filter alone is $400 USD or so. This is the build video. In that video he talks about the included filter that comes with that kit, which is much more reasonable than a heated canister filter worth more than the aquarium it filtering.

If you're curious about seeing the Fluval Flex all grown in you can see the 140 day update video here.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 7:11 PM on March 17, 2021 [2 favorites]

Oh, and if you liked the transparent shrimp then there are so many other cool transparent or "glass" fish to check out. I think glass catfish are some of the coolest fish to watch.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 7:29 PM on March 17, 2021

I love this. But fair warning to those who are attracted to this tank: it is a lot of work and attention! Not easy, but very worthwhile once it starts to cycle. Care and attention!
posted by Khazk at 8:37 PM on March 17, 2021

Foo the Flowerhorn found me a bit before Covid popped off and carried me through the first few weeks: a soft, delightful constant surrounded by slow motion chaos. Glad to see it on the blue. Does have me eyeing my aquarium wish list again though..
posted by RobertFrost at 9:28 PM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]

There's another Foo-the-Flowerhorn playlist about a second similar aquarium setup; it's another planted aquarium, but he also uses it as a hydroponic indoor garden, and experiments with growing sweet potatoes, cat grass, spinach, strawberries and peppermint in there at different times.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:37 AM on March 19, 2021