Invert tank

So if you were to have the *perfect* freshwater invert tank, what would the specs be?
how many gallons? What shape?
What lights?
what filters?
what plants?
what growing media?
and of course, what would you stock?

I love love love snails and I adore the ghost shrimp we used to keep (start cheap, its my moto on hobbies!) and the cherry shrimp were fantastic...but alas, I don't KNOW enough about them and they were slowly (ok not that slowly) eaten by my other fish. So my ultimate goal here is to upgrade my tank in about 2 years (when we move - i am NOT moving a second fish tank!! one is enough stress!) and get a tank that will have everything I want in it for my freshwater fish (until of course I eventually need more more more) and use the 30gal for an invert tank. That gives me 2 years to play around with ideas about what the best set up is and who are the best tank mates :) so indulge me, show me your pretty invert tanks and your inverts who happily co-habitate with your swimmers.

I'll bite.
Shrimp (I also got interested after watching Ghosts put in as Axolotl Food and they are 12 for a buck around here.).
Standard 55 Gallon
Regular cheapie fluorescents Or LED's.
Sun Sun Canister filter, any decent hang on back, Small Canister like Zoomed 501. All at once.
Plants I can't kill. Java Moss and Ferns. Anuibas, Hornwort and Pothos Vines, driftwood, a fake stump, a 3d background.
Carib Sea Tahitian Moon Sand.
A Neocaridina species (blue pearls, cherries, or Yellows) Crystal Red and Black, Nerites, a mix of Ramshorn and Assassin Snails, Sulawesi Malawa, Bamboo, Amano, and Tigers if I was feeling crossbreedy.
And no fish. They eat the shrimplettes.

My red cherry shrimp tank is a 20g long. Naturally planted (dirt topped with gravel) Random assortment of plants. Some hitchhiker snails (pond ramshorns MTS) A dorky little HOB filter with a sponge over the intake.
Counted 12 young ones in there the other day so they must be happy!

We're gonna go with a 20long to start.

Substrate would be something around Eco Complete for planted acquariums (or similar) on top of a small layer of crushed coral. Get that pH up there nicely around 8.4ish.

Few pieces of driftwood and assorted plants.

Keep the temp up around 78.

And then stock with assorted Sulawesi's.

I'm starting small with the ten gallon I bought at Petsmarts supa sale, probably will stick with the hang on filter it came with but with a sponge over the intake. no clue what lights to put in the hood - I want something good for the plants, but the hood takes those short screw in lights and I don't know that they make any good plant lights in that size. I'd like to set it up soon, cycled, and get the plants growing and happy first before I pick my shrimp. I've seen some decent deals here and there, but back in the day when we kept shrimp I got this super amazing deal of $15 for a dozen cherry red shrimp and I just can't get over that deal - it makes everything else look super expensive lol
fortunately by the time I'm ready for shirmp, it will be spring and warm enough to have some shipped and hopefully someone on here will be looking to get rid of some shrimp!
I have mussels and clams in my other tank, I'd love to get some for the shrimp tank, but they're HARD to find now! When I got them 4 years ago they were cheap and easy to find. Maybe there's some laws that prevent their sale across state lines now or something? I've lost a few mussels over the years but I think I still have 4 alive and happy. I think I still have all 6 clams alive.

If you can keep claims alive you will have no problem with shrimp! They make CF screw in bulbs I have one in my 5 gal betta tank and keeping all the plants alive and growing. Bought it from Big Al's.

Big Al's? never heard of 'em, off to google. Yeah the clams are really awfully low maintance in my tank. The mussels are more fun to watch though, they're move obvious when they're moving, the clams are subtle. They're awfully cute for something that does so little lol