ewolff
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
This isn't exactly a newbie post. I am getting ready to put together my second aquarium which is 65 gallons, and I had a few questions.
Currently I have 2 clown loaches and 7 tiger barbs that will be eventually moved into the new tank after I cycle it.
1. Power filter. I am planning on getting an Emperor 400 filter as I have heard many good things about them. How noisy are they? Are there any good filters out there that have built in heaters. I heard the TetraTec ones are pretty noisy.
2. Substrate. I am really wanting to go with a sand substrate and I have been doing a lot of reading on this. I am thinking about Tahitian Moon Sand. I saw a post somewhere where a person mentioned having a heating cable under the sand helps prevent dead spots. Anybody have comments on this? Can I safely go up to 1.5 - 2 inches of sand with Tahitian Moon, or will that greatly increase the risk of dead spots?
3. Speaking of heating cable, would this be sufficient for heating the tank, or should I also get a heater?
4. Invertebrates. Any suggestions for invertebrates? I do not want anything that will get really big (10-12") and snails are out because of the loaches. I am thinking of a cobalt blue lobster. Do lobsters need to get air from the surface like crabs do? What about clams?
5. Any other suggestions for tankmates to go with my loaches and barbs? Are there any eel-like fish out there that will not grow over 18" and will not uproot all of the plants?
Sorry for the long post, and thanks.
Currently I have 2 clown loaches and 7 tiger barbs that will be eventually moved into the new tank after I cycle it.
1. Power filter. I am planning on getting an Emperor 400 filter as I have heard many good things about them. How noisy are they? Are there any good filters out there that have built in heaters. I heard the TetraTec ones are pretty noisy.
2. Substrate. I am really wanting to go with a sand substrate and I have been doing a lot of reading on this. I am thinking about Tahitian Moon Sand. I saw a post somewhere where a person mentioned having a heating cable under the sand helps prevent dead spots. Anybody have comments on this? Can I safely go up to 1.5 - 2 inches of sand with Tahitian Moon, or will that greatly increase the risk of dead spots?
3. Speaking of heating cable, would this be sufficient for heating the tank, or should I also get a heater?
4. Invertebrates. Any suggestions for invertebrates? I do not want anything that will get really big (10-12") and snails are out because of the loaches. I am thinking of a cobalt blue lobster. Do lobsters need to get air from the surface like crabs do? What about clams?
5. Any other suggestions for tankmates to go with my loaches and barbs? Are there any eel-like fish out there that will not grow over 18" and will not uproot all of the plants?
Sorry for the long post, and thanks.