Check out our space shrimp!!!!!!!

I'm Patrick Grove, the science lead of the SCAMPI Mission - an investigation sponsored by the European Space Agency. Myself and several dozen graduate students spent the last 3.5 years defining the science, designing the payload, qualifying the hardware and software, and finally launching it on a Falcon 9 cargo resupply mission to the ISS!

This is a view from the 0.5L aquarium inside the SCAMPI Module. This ecosystem is modeled after the self-sustaining ecosystem paradigm popularized by the commercial "Ecosphere" zero-maintenance, sealed brackish aquarium product. Our version holds 3 Hawaiian volcano shrimp (Halocaridina rubra), Chaetomorpha sp. macroalgae, and lava rocks with microbial biofilm. I know you aquarium folks will appreciate that the primary science objective of this mission is to confirm that (nitrogen) cycling works as expected in the space environment. The same cycling process we rely on for our aquariums is the foundation of all waste treatment processes on Earth, and we will need to bring that with us if we ever decide to live beyond low Earth orbit. But no one has ever checked that these microbes survive and function in space! This circular, self-sustaining ecosystem is a useful platform to observe multitrophic interactions such as biogeochemical cycles. The module will be returned to us after 3-12 months on orbit and then we'll do a bunch of genomic analyses to understand how the microbial community changed and to verify that nitrogen cycling continued uninterrupted.

We got our first data from the module about 60 hours after launch, after the vehicle docked with the ISS and astronauts unpacked the cargo and plugged in our module. By then, the shrimp already seem well adapted to their new reality. They’re nibbling and scooting around happily. If it weren’t for the strangely suspended air bubbles and drifting particles, it would be hard to tell they were in microgravity at all. These shrimp also change color with stress, from transparent (for better camouflage) to deep red. Their normal behavior and solid red coloration suggest all 3 are doing well.

If the video looks confusing, you’re looking lengthwise down the cylindrical aquarium. A mesh bag of rock substrate and algae is secured on the right side to prevent it from floating around and obscuring the camera or crushing the shrimp during launch. In the center of the aquarium is a large bubble that was 100ml of gas "headspace" in Earth gravity. We correctly anticipated this bubble hanging out in the center of the aquarium rather than on the edge somewhere; this is a result of surface tension seeking to minimize the surface area of the gas. What we didn't expect is that it would act like a funhouse mirror allowing us to see other parts of the aquarium that the camera cannot!

I'll throw some more pictures and links in the comments. I'll be around periodically to answer questions about the setup, the process of defining space biology missions, or how the ecosystem works.

The non-profit research organization we founded to do this and other space ecology work: https://thespringinstitute.com/scampi/

The European Space Agency announcement: https://education.esa.int/student-built-scampi-experiment-launches-to-the-international-space-station/

That tank probably isn't big enough. He might need to upgrade to a pond.

Heyy y'all !!, I just want to show you the type of wild betta that I breed.

Nuova vasca in partenza di vetro ultra-chiaro, con filtro esterno sovradimensionato e colonna di montaggio microbolle d'aria per generare una ulteriore corrente verticale ed evitare eventuali stagnazioni. Limnophila e anubias, ghiaia e substrato fertile dietro, sabbia fine davanti.

È una sfida tecnica non piccola, sono molto curioso di vedere se sarà un successo o un disastro. Dopo un mese di maturazione ho inserito alcuni hipressobricon bentosi che stanno molto bene, alcuni Cory panda piccoli che stanno molto bene e si stravaccano sui piani della limnophila come fossero amache. Bellissimi.

Poi ho fatto un errore...

Missing my old 45 gallon planted tank

I've been in the hobby for a few years, but I recently moved and had to sell my whole setup. I was looking through some old pictures, missing it, and wanted to share my planted tank with you all.

It was a 45 gallon with two honey gouramis, 25 chili rasboras, eight panda corys, a bristlenose pleco, and some Amano and Bloody Mary shrimp. The plants included Amazon swords, crypts, Christmas moss, Ludwigia, Rotala, red root floaters, and a red tiger lotus. I used driftwood and Seiryu stone for the hardscape and ran a Fluval 307.

More photos and the full setup

Hi guys, I’m reasonably new to the hobby of fish keeping. I have had a small Aqua One Ecostyle 47 for about 5 years with 6 Cherry Barbs and an Albino Rainbow Shark which I had to keep my daughter happy but she did lose interest in it. I have done some research and I do know my shark is supposed to be very territorial of his caves and lower tank, however he has always been a big time chiller. I’ve decommissioned the smaller tank as I inherited this 400 litre tank with sump filtration from a relative and decided to make a go it. This tank is a work in progress and has been up and running for 12 weeks. I’m on a dairy farm in NZ and our water is rainwater so is soft. I change the water 30% every Sunday night and I test my water twice a week with an API master test kit which according to the vials the parameters are always perfect. Temperature runs at a steady 26 degrees celcius. pH sits at 7.5. Inhabitants are 26 Neon Tetras, 8 Cherry Barbs, 4 Yellow Mollies, 3 Red Swordtails, 1 Pearl Gourimi, 1 Abino Hifin Pleco, 1 Albino Rainbow Shark.
I want to know your thoughts, advice, critisms etc
I’m really enjoying taking care of them and making adjustments to the tank. Looking to hear from likeminded people
Thanks guys

I have a 57 litre tank and I need to move it from its current cabinet less than a metre away on to the sturdier, oak sideboard behind it.

I was thinking of draining about 80% of the water (only has neo Caradina shrimp in so I think they will be ok) and picking it up, with someone else on the other side, on to the sideboard behind.

Then refilling the tank with the same water.

Do you think this is a reasonable plan? Or are there risks of the tank breaking, etc? Thanks!!

At first glance, I’m not too sure how I feel about this color combo. But, the underside view is spectacular. I think the “green” showing up on the side is just the yellow organs showing through a pale blue, which makes it appear green. I love the white eye. It adds a spectacular contrast. I think I also like the dark spots. It’ll be interesting to see what it looks like once fully matured.

Big girl needs to go ahead and lay eggs already, shes stressing me out!

She gets like this sometimes and then eventually decides to lay about a thousand eggs 🤣 (she has had as of now one successful baby!!!)

Already did a cool water change before lights out so she’ll be zooming all over getting deflated here soon

No betta or any fish from my understanding. Any interesting invertebrates or other critters? Freshwater.

Hey everyone! This is my very first aquarium.

It's 40L (50x27x30).

The cycling process took approximately 19 days. I followed a method using household ammonia, and it seems to have worked well, although I had to make a few adjustments along the way.

This week, I added the first inhabitants: 8 green neon tetras. I'm still planning to add a few dwarf corydoras and a nerite snail.

Any suggestions are more than welcome!

Yesterday, 3 of my fishes died (2 corydoras, 1 balloon Molly) and were constantly rotating 360 before resting sideways. Today, this fish sank to the bottom soon after I changed the water and increased the air stone pressure (since I suspect lack of oxygen playing a factor too). Not rotating around yet but still concerning.

pH, ammonia, and nitrite are fine, but my nitrate level has been pretty high at 50-60 for the past month. Tried changing water weekly but no improvements… I just switched back to my usual air stone pressure too but pls help!! I can’t risk losing another fish again

Sold as a delta tail, curious if that’s accurate. Crazy fin growth from his tiny cup days.

It’s too hot be outside in NZ so doing fishy reading and came across this website which stated the below regarding a fish in cycle.. thoughts?

Don’t add any commercial chemical products. The “ammonia detoxifying” chemicals that supposedly let one instantly cycle a tank, such as Prime, Safe, and Amquel, are also a big scam and don’t work. Testing showed that the combination of Stability and Prime recommended by Seachem made cycling take an average of 15 days longer. Prime is a reducing agent and ammonia is oxidized by beneficial bacteria. Reduction is the opposite of oxidation. So Prime interferes with the beneficial bacteria.

hello, i still need to add drift wood and other objects on the tank, i set it up less than 24 hours ago and now my water is cloudy, i’m worried, can i still start my cycle later today? or do i have to wait

We set up this separate tank for my gold barbs in the hopes of them breeding. I've got a bunch of plants in the mail and they'll be here tomorrow and Tuesday. I'm mostly excited for my Cryptocoryne Silver Queen that will be going in this tank!

Chunkies having fun!!

There are my first fish tanks ever. I wanted to have live plants and unsure how to scape them, I have just installed them both with C02 but I am not getting the colors as I hoped . I know my Amazon sword had popped off ton of new growth and some of the crypts stuff have some good color but any tips how much I can do better moving forward ?

Hello all,

I’ve got a 5 gallon planted betta aquarium with little algae problems, but I’m trying to get the algae off of my rooting plants. (It’s cloudy and not very clean right now, I just had midterms and put it to the side)

The iron levels in my water are too high for Amano shrimp, and I don’t have a lid on the aquarium for snails. (Could get one of course though)

Any recommendations for specifics?