Beginning "The Aquarium"

[Nudi]

Summer begins, school is out and I have to find a job. Since I'm not going to be working anytime soon (So it seems. Damn economy.) I decided to pick up a series of hobbies, one happened to be building an aquarium and housing some fish.

From day one everything was a mess, though I didn't know it. I set up a 1.5 gallon aquarium with about a five inch-long common pleco, a green spotted puffer, two mollies and a blue crayfish. As they are all fairly small creatures I didn't think when buying them that they needed much room. Obviously I was ignorant of how much care each fish actually needs, let alone how much SPACE each needed. After coming to the Aquatic Community forum I learned I was doomed from the beginning. Thanks to the knowledgeable experts on the forum I learned about everything I was doing wrong so that I could soon fix it.

The most important things necessary were a larger tank and separating the puffer from the crayfish as unknown to me, the puffer loves to eat crayfish, regardless of how small it is compared to the creature. Luckily coming home from grocery shopping I caught that the crayfish had molted its former shell and had its claws in the air in a stand off with the puffer who was adamantly edging closer and closer to the cray. In a quick effort I netted the puffer and transfered him to a bowl I had been keeping four ghost shrimp in, one pregnant. I quickly transferred the four shrimp to the filtered aquarium and crudely added aeration to the bowl the puffer was in by sliding a tube and stone over the edge into the water, taping the tubing outside the bowl to it would stay put.

It was a tough decision, as it is a beautiful creature, but I have decided to sell the puffer as I will have no feasible place to store him, at least no place big enough for him. I have decided to sell the pleco also, as once again thanks to the forum members, I was told it could grow up to a foot, a size I can't store well. This leaves me with a cray, two mollies and four ghost shrimp.

Still in need of a larger tank, I will be hitting the stores tomorrow looking for one... Hopefully a larger one will be easy on my wallet. The puffer and pleco will be sold, and depending on how I do tank shopping the money from them might go towards another interesting under-water creature.

I will update more soon, presumably tomorrow and hopefully I will have a new larger tank cycling and preparing for the cray, mollies and shrimp (and maybe a possible new addition.)

[PostalPenguin]

I went through the same thing, I had 3 tiger barbs in a 5 gallon tank. But I quickly learned that with fish bigger is always better.thumbs2:

Make sure to check out Craigslist for your area. Many people have large aquariums for cheap because they just want to clear out the space. I have seen several complete 55 gallon setups for ~$100 in my area. Another option is to purchase the bare tank in the store but get the rest of the equipment from online stores like Dr. Fosters and Smith, they frequently have lower prices. Good luck and make sure to post lots of pictures!

[robflanker]

I concur on CL. That's the best place to get stuff and where ive got almost all of mine.

I am checking out a 38g complete setup tonight for $100. Don't have room for a 55g but ive seen those deals out there too.

It might be worth getting a setup through CL and then analyzing whether you want to replace any of the parts. I got an ancient heater that I was skeptical of but so far no problems - its saved $25 for the short-term.

And in terms of searching for deals, feel free to ask on here and typically you can find stuff for between $1.50-$2 per gallon on CL with accessories. So a 30g is around $60-70 but it depends on your area, some have a much lower market than others.

Good luck!

[Flowcus]

I 100% agree with the Craigslist suggestion! Even here in the boonies of North Dakota there are frequent aquarium sales for decent prices. Hell I picked up my 55g with stand, glass tops, lights, filter ( didnt need ), and 2 power-heads for $100!

Good luck with the tank hunting, and somewhere down the road you can get yourself a 30-40gallon tank make it brackish and get yourself another Green Spotted Puffer... You can even keep a figure 8 puffer or two with the GSP as long as there is enough hiding places and caves for them to get away from each other. thumbs2:

[mommy1]

just adding my voice to the CL crowd. i just bought a 50 gal. and a 20 gal. with hoods and lights for $50. its definately worth looking to see if there are any deals is your area.

[Nudi]

Back from trip number one to the fish store. Cap'm Puffy and Jaws the pleco are now no longer members of the aquarium. It's just down to the blue cray, the mollies and the ghost shrimp. I have also set up a sort of cave for the cray, after picking up some natural rock from the store as well. Hopefully soon he'll find comfort and safety under it. I also have returned with water results. Surprisingly they seem to be where they need to be for the crayfish:

Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Hardness - 150 (Hard) - 300 (Very hard) [Somewhere in between there]
Chlorine - 0
Alkalinity - 300 (High)
pH - 8.4

Am I wrong? From what I've been told the cray loves hard water and I remember reading the alkalinity will be high with hard water. Was it a matter of dumb luck his water turned out this way?

In a few I'll be off searching for a new tank. Wish me luck as it NEEDS to be affordable.

[Gayle]

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gemini]

Woo Hoo sounds like it's all going well!!! Your water is good for crays as the hardness will help him build a hard shell after each moult.
Good luck :19:

[Nudi]

Got the new ten gallon set up today, allowing it much time to cycle. I will be researching plants and other fish to introduce to the tank soon to help it cycle, not right away though.

Back to the 1.5 gallon, the current hotel room for the cray, mollies and shrimp, everything seems to be going nicely. The mollies keep to the themselves the shrimp pester everyone looking for things to clean I assume and the cray just kind of wanders around the tank like a paranoid-schizophrenic thinking all the other fish are out to take his stuff and land and that he has to constantly protect everything. So the cray is constantly in defense position. I built it a little cave out of a shell and a rock, though it has yet to discover it... or it's frightened of it. Essentially the thing is a goofball... I like it. Their stay in the small quarters is only temporary as soon in the mail another one gallon is coming in to transfer the shrimp (and maybe mollies) into, and after two weeks all of them will be in 10 gallon (unless the ghost shrimp fray survive after the pregnant one pops 'em out).

So things are going a little smoother, as seen in the earlier water test the water was literally perfect for the crayfish and the mollies are adaptable to it and prefer it (I don't know about the ghost shrimp though.)

I went to my LFS earlier today and say they had [regular?] crayfish at a low price and was contemplating at a later time getting one and introducing it in the 10 gallon. Does anyone think two crays wont get along? Also are these crays I see at the store feeder fish? I heard feeder fish often carry diseases, would I even want to keep one in my tank? I simply like the contrast of colors between the blue and red crays in the same area.

That's it for tonight though, I'll see how things go tomorrow with the aquariums and update.

[Nudi]

Ah, so I decided to pick up some zebra danios today to help the cycling process. Four of them are in the new ten gallon now, it's a little more entertaining now. Couldn't help but pick up one of those common crayfish as well, for $1.50, you can't go wrong really. He's isolated in his own gallon tank right now until I decide what to do with him. The blue cray in the other tank is in love with his new cave and pretty much stays in there all the time now. All the other fish are doing fine and things seems to be going smoothly.

On the topic of the new cray I bought, the store owner told me he was not sure of the actual type of crayfish it is, but it is more brown than red and has fairly large claws (Compared to the blue cray I have, at least.) One thing I noticed about him is that there seems to be a "beard" of white dots all around his head, I'm assuming it's nothing to worry about or the store would've caught it, just curious as to what it might be. I'll try to provide a picture of him later tonight or tomorrow at some point, he keeps hiding at the moment.

P.S. Would it be a good idea to introduce the mollies into the ten gallon with the ZDs at this point? Or should I wait it out for them?

[Red]

why are you buying fish for a already stocked ten gal? Two crays will fight in a 10gal and mollies IMO get to big for a ten gal anyways. Sorry to be a sore butt but you need the truth.

[Nudi]

The two crays are not going in the 10 gallon together, I know they won't get along.

I'm not familiar with how large mollies get but I didn't think it was too big.

I had thought mollies were used as cycling fish as well.

[robflanker]

You have 4 danios and 2 mollies in the 10g?

I think mollies get to like 2-3inches.

[Nudi]

You have 4 danios and 2 mollies in the 10g?

I think mollies get to like 2-3inches.

Oh wow, I don't know why I thought they stayed small.

I'll figure something out, I have another tank on the way and I'm on the lookout for a bigger tank on CL and other places.

[Northernguy]

A 10 is better than the 1.5!
How are you cycling this tank?
Did you add anything to it?Dechlorinator?

[Nudi]

A 10 is better than the 1.5!
How are you cycling this tank?
Did you add anything to it?Dechlorinator?

Well after I set it up and filled it with water I did add the dechlorinator for the tap water and balanced it. It was just right. I added a few scoops of water from the 1.5 gallon a few hours later and replaced the water in the 1.5 After running it with the filter for 24 hours I added the zebra danios and currently they're at work doing what they do.

I asked about plants for cycling at my LFS but he said I would need a special lamp or something as the one I have now is basic, I assume fluorescent. So right now it's just the fish cycling.

[tetra_danio_girl]

Danios like to be in a school of 7 and up. Some people say 5 minimum, but I say 7... they're just happier that way.

From what it sounds like, you might want to look into getting a 30+ gallon setup. You obviously love the fish and critters, and the best way of taking care of them is to give them the space they need, plants to feed on and hide in (the crayfish will like this, too), and companions to make them happy.

Cycling with the danios is a great move, though! I love danios (obviously), and when you have a good school of them and they start zipping around the tank, you'll understand why. :D

So far, you're moving in the right direction for sure! Keep up the good work, and definitely check craigslist for a 30 or 40 gal setup. I think you'll be surprised at how much of a difference it makes.

[Nudi]

So I guess an update is over due. Everything was going perfect until about two days ago when I saw the pregnant ghost shrimp had given birth. I didn't see any offspring so I assume they were all gobbled up. No big deal though, they would have been too hard to breed. In any case that was a bit odd. Yesterday I take a peek in the tank and notice the filter was clogged so I remove the filter I had in there and put a new one in, but while the old filter was out I noticed some translucent pieces of something floating out, it was in the shape of shrimp. I look in the tank to see two of the ghost shrimp missing, so I scoop the remaining two out and put them in the 10 gallon with the danios, I also put the mollies in the tank in case the crayfish decided he wanted to eat them as well. So the filter is now working fine and the cray decided to finish his former meal and gobbled up the floating carcasses.

All the fish seem to be doing fine now though the blue cray has been very active lately, constantly wandering around the tank trying to escape. Days prior he has dug up the gravel completely and covered the stones in the tank and made it all the way down to the tank bottom on two corners of the tank. I reset and evened out all the gravel and lifted his cave from underneath the pebbles and he has not been digging since.

The other cray I noticed had a cut on his claw and seems to be a bit shaken, he always approaches any viewers with his claws raised then quickly launches himself back into his hiding spot. Lately he has been trying to escape as well, he's still in a tank on his own, that's probably how he will stay. He still has those white bumps all over his face, I have no idea what they could be. If I were to provide a picture would anyone be able to ID what it might be?

[Gemini]

Google shrimp moults - any chance it was a moult and not a dead shrimp?
When you replaced the clogged filter what did you do? Did you replace the media or put a whole new filter in?
Post a pic of the white bumps - someone may be able to ID the problem for you.

[Nudi]

I mean the shrimp are no where to be found...

[Gemini]

I mean the shrimp are no where to be found...
Oh - well they do hide well. But in that case yeah they are probably lunch. Sorry I thought I read that you had transluscent shrimp floating I meant it may have been a moult not a dead shrimp.