5 Gallon Cave Aquascape Tutorial (With Blue Shrimp!)

Low-tech (no filter, no CO2, no ferts) 5 gallon aquascape using seiryu stone and easy aquarium plants.
Plants used:
1) Anubias barteri
2) Java fern
3) Java moss
4) Cryptocoryne wendtii green
5) Süsswassertang
Substrate: Eco Complete
Inhabitants:
1) Harlequin rasboras
2) Blue cherry shrimp
3) Otocinclus
The key to keeping a tank like this without a filter is regular water changes (1-2 a week), which keeps the water parameters (mainly nitrates) in a healthy range for the fish and shrimp.
The Seiryu stones in this tank provide excellent surfaces for beneficial bacteria to colonize, which helps a lot in a no filter tank.

[@kavinkrishnan7446]

That sunset glow is truly a genius idea.

[@stayzenaquaria]

Thank you! I appreciate that 😄

[@Bigmancorycat]

These fish like big schools and need a 20 gallon tank they will grow big!

[@stayzenaquaria]

I upgraded them a while back; they do enjoy bigger schools so a 20 gallon is more ideal for them, but they stay relatively small.

[@leesapollo]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a light effect underwater before. Well done!

[@stayzenaquaria]

Thank you! I love it too haha.

[@stayplanted1093]

Beautiful scape! Great work!!

[@stayzenaquaria]

Thank you! I had a ton of fun with this scape, and it seems to evolve every couple months.

[@mymysticaqua2952]

Thank you for sharing this video.
Nice scaping technique.
I enjoyed the whole video. 😊👍🏼
I'll try your technique out when I rescape my tank in the future.

[@stayzenaquaria]

Thank you! That makes my day 😄

[@mymysticaqua2952]

@@stayzenaquaria ☺🙏

[@davidhafner3855]

Fantastic!

[@stayzenaquaria]

Thank you, David! I enjoyed making that cave aquascape.

[@moraisins]

Thank you! This is such a great tutorial - really well done. I’m excited to start my own tank 🥰

[@stayzenaquaria]

Thanks Steph!! I appreciate that, I'm sure your tank will look awesome!

[@hitendraverma443]

Excellent aquascape. Can you provide a link to the LED light you used?

[@stayzenaquaria]

Thank you, Hitendra! The exact LED light I used may not be available anymore, but I did include an alternative in my written article for this aquascape under "Step 9: Add an LED Light and Heater": zenaquaria.com/5-gallon-aquascape/

[@dollin9515]

harlequin rasboraas/rasbora hets need a 3 foot tank...

[@stayzenaquaria]

A 3 foot tank is great for a school of harlequins, I totally agree. Smaller tanks also work well if adequate water changes are performed and the tank is not overstocked.

[@dollin9515]

@@stayzenaquaria no its not a problem with the filtration- its a problem with how active the fish are. That tank is overstocked and the fish are cramped

[@stayzenaquaria]

The shrimp may cause the tank to look more crowded than it is, but I was actually thinking about upgrading the hets and having this tank be purely shrimp. Do you also keep harlequin rasboras?