Quick update - I wouldn't recommend leaving potato in a shrimp tank, make sure you remove it once biofilm is eaten by shrimps. I've noticed that shrimps start eating the potato itself and it's not good because it was fermented and can start to rot. It works the same as a lubao bag but the content is not wrapped with cloth to prevent shrimps eating it so it would be safer not to leave it in the tank for too long.
A piece of mopani wood I put in a new tank grew an amazing layer of biofilm while I was waiting for the tank to be ready for fish. My housemate thought it looked awful, but I was thrilled to see it. It was fun explaining to her that a healthy, "clean" aquarium is not a sterile environment! I'm planning to start a shrimp colony as my next project, so thanks for the tip about the potatoes.
Some people take a fork and put it in the piece of sweet potato to weigh it down, so that it sinks. (Assuming the fork is a metal that is safe for the aquarium).
Amazing video, very informative and really precious considering that very few video are dedicated on the importance of biofilm in the shrimp diet. Absolutely a jewel!!
The joke at the intro would be funny if you went on for an hour talking about "what was that, what was the purpose? I don't understand? Why is this a thing? Why did it happen?".
Great video, I tried and achieved this with cuccumber, but for some reason none of my shrimps were on it, not even my otocinclus, or kuhli loach. I wish I knew why and how I can get my inhabitants swarm it like in your video lol
Thank you for watching Mark! Definitely try this, I want to see it on your channel. I hope it works. I still not sure if it would work in a smaller volume of water and if the process triggered with bacterial powder in the tank so need to do more experiments with it.
Great video!! I am considering shrimp with my other fish. Interesting how the yellow potatoe wouldn't develop biofilm.. I'll do some research - Will update if I can provide some information (:
That was my experiment, but I wouldn't do it again as there is a risk you can introduce a bad bacteria with this potato and once, I ended with some worms on the potato, so I stopped doing it.
@@ShrimpMania I have allowed tank full of snails devour an entire carrot.. whatever was left over my plants utilized.. i used fluval substrate capped with fine black sand. I do not use any fertilizers or co2. My plant's are low light plants that thrive on less then 15w. I occasionally use a filter.
I was just cleaning my aquatic frog tank , lifted a piece of wood and didn’t notice the chunk . Within minutes my fat frog grabbed it and ate it . I had no idea until it was in his mouth. I guess he will live !!???
Does the water need a filter? I'm wondering If I could grow biofilm in a 5 liter plastic container I have using old water from water changes and some expected fish food If I didn't have a filter in the "tank" would biofilm still form?
I dont have a lot of shrimps. I use half an algae wafer. It grows the biofilm, but my shrimps rarely touch it. Maybe because i have wood and almond leaves they are munching on.
My shrimp won’t eat algae wafers either, they do like the Repashy Super Green though, I use that to supplement algae but it’s doesn’t last long enough for biofilm
I know that this is a 2 year old video. Do you still grow biofilm this way? I have a 10 gallon Neocaridina tank. I keep a couple Indian Almond Leaves in old tank water in a small container outside of my tank, and after a month or so, the leaves start to break down and they do get a nice layer of biofilm on them, but nothing like the sweet potatoes do in your video. But those leaves have the advantage of also themselves being food for the shrimp. I have about 100 or 120 Neocaridina in the tank. I may try a couple pieces of sweet potato, but I wouldn't want to leave them in my shrimp tank long.
It really was just an experiment, I don't do it anymore. I think that potato might start to rot and can be dangerous for the shrimp if left in the tank for too long so the catapa leaves would be safer option I would say.
@@ShrimpMania question, what is the color of the outside of the white flesh sweet potato, is it white as well? Looking for it here 😆 but want to use the right one
If be honest I wouldn't recommend to repeat this method. I lost some shrimps due to bacterial infection and it happened after I feed them with biofilm from potato so I suspecting it can be the case
I think it depends on freshness. My white sweet potato was quite old and started to spoil a little bit in some places. That's why it started fermenting like a crazy - you can see it bubbling in the video. I think this is why it grown biofilm very fast.
I tried the same with "raw potatoe" the fermenting is OK for your shrimps, but I would not recommend to keep it continiously (for the toxins that will get)
@@ShrimpMania :) Unfortunately, I do not have a pure spirulina tablet now. although a spirulina tablet for people is somehow pressed, probably / somehow, or maybe some kind of binding substance.
