newbie

[markbob]

Hi everyone, I have tank and am getting ready to setit up. I bought it used and think that its either a 20 or 35 tank but have to do a volume check. I am thinking about setting it up with some nice plants, a small school of neon tetras and a blue lobster. I'm concerned about the lobster because I have heard varing reports on the minimum size tank and that the substrate for the plants can kill them.
I have been reading through a few posts here and was wondering about a few things, what does cycling the water mean? Do you guys use a timer to control the lighting or dou you just turn the lights off before you go to bed and back on when you get up? :confused:

[gm72]

1. Read the sticky on fishless cycling and follow that. You and your fish will be so much better off.
2. Lobster, or crayfish, will eat any fish it can catch. The tetras would be meals. Not much you can keep with a crayfish.
3. Timers would be best for lights.
4. Let's check the volume of the tank, talk about the filtration you will be having, and let us guide you to some suggestions for stocking.

Thanks for asking!

[Nick89]

Welcome, and GM is the guy to ask questions too. He knows a lot about fish keeping. Good luck with your new tank.

Edit: Oh and as for lights, Most not all people like to have their tank on day time then turn it off before they go to sleep. Some other people like to keep it off during the day then turn it on at night its really personal preference. BUT whatever you decide to do make sure you have it turned off for a certain period of time fish can get stressed with a light always on and it can create a lot of alge depending how long you leave the light on.

[freshwaterfishlover]

I had 2 Blue Crayfish at diffrent times.

1. I hear people that have a empty 10g laying around and say would it be great to have a Crayfish no. Great size for one Crayfish is a 20g.

2. I had put once 2 Goldfish in with the Crayfish as a test. With in 2 minutes it was eating one of the Goldfish. Another time one guy at the Local Fish store told me I could put a Pleco with a Crayfish since Pleco are Smoth armored fish and it would be hard to eat it. They were wrong. I saw it catch and squeeze it in 45 seconds.

3. If you decide to get a Blue Crayfish put the Themameter low in the tank and take the filter tube out at night since it likes to climb up the two when the lights are off and once in the morining I saw it crawling in front of my tank.

4. Put a Aquarium Rock in the tank it loves to sit on it. Most do anyways. I have seen a few that love to dig then sit on a rock, but most like siting on the rock.

5. Don't add plants. Just as fast as it will eat the fish it will eat the plants.

6. Blue Crayfish are something diffrent that will eat anything from plets to live fish.


I don.t use a timmer, but have a set sceduale on my fish tanks lights. The 4 in my Living room are on from 6AM-6PM. The one in the Bathroom and the 2 in my room are on from 4PM-10:30PM. I have thought that since my 45g is going to be planted and will not get enough light that I may add a timmer so the light can go on when I am at work.

[jeffs99dime]

welcome to a.c.
i'm moving this thread to the proper forum---"introductions"

[~Erik3.8.07~]

wait why did you move it? he was asking questions about his tank not just saying hi

[Ark6ie]

welcome to the forum. :c1:

[country_boy454]

Welcome to the forum.

[squirt_12]

Welcome to the forum!!!!:19:

[digger]

hello and welcome