A girls new tank

[Penumbra]

So about three weeks ago (counting cycling) of one week) I saved two freshwater northern crayfish from Palmer lake in Colorado. The lake has hardly any water and there was dead crayfish all along he edge of the 18 acre lake. I pulled them from certain death along with another small crayfish and brought them home. I pulled out my 10 gallon tank, filled it up and just treated it with start rights I rinsed off my crayfish an gave them a salt bath to kill the parasites I saw crawling on them (worked like a charm!) rinsed them in treated water and stuck them in! The filter needed to be replaced after 4 days with all the mud and crap I missed while "bathing" them. So I got a new filter and was satisfied. I fed them ham and lettuce and they three were happy bugs! So after a few days, these little white flat worms (harmless) popped back up. I went to pet smart and got general cure. Also when I went to pet smart after researching for hours I bought two gouramis to eat the worms and three neon tetras to giggle and watch. Only 5 as to not shock my tank. I brought them home, cleaned out the tank a bit with a net added the general cure and let them set in their bags for 15 mins then put them in! They were so happy and the gouramis started picking off the worms right off the bat. Then the water got cloudy... So I got some water clarifier and stuck it in. It got better! At this point I decided I had to get a bigger tank because the first day I got my crays they were going at it!! So I bought a 30 gallon tank and did a bit more research. (the guy I got my tank from gave me 3 pounds of rocks 3 filters two air pumps with 3 attachments 2 kings of food. A siphon filet a pack of bowl buddies and bubble rocks pH right AND like 5 buckets!!! Not to mention the decorations AND THE REAL WOOD STAND!! All for FIFTY BUCKS) I was so pleased. I took it all home, cleaned it all after checking for leaks, put the stand in my room, put the tank on top and put the clean rocks in. I put the bubblers under the rocks and added the "caves" and "tree root" and all the fake plants and began to fill. I replaced the filters in the big filter and sold the other two to my neighbor. After starting my tank I read about cycling! YAY IMPORTANT. I put the "stability" in my tank that very night. My mom was upset about me knocking out my screen to fill my tank with the hose but oh well. I started the cycle. I waited two days and added my neon tetras. No change to the nitro cycle. I waited a few more days then added my crays hoping my gouramis would breed. Two more days and I realized... The first tank was MUDDY! So I put my gouramis in one at a time and they are right at home. This morning I dumped out the 10 gal, washed ALL the rocks and decorations, rinsed out the filter and put it back together with water clarifier, start right, and stability along with some gravel from my now almost established tank... As of now (4:20) my tank is still muddy... But clearer than before. My fish are happily flirting and relaxing and are MUCH brighter after just a few days, and the gouramis after just a few hours! This post is really to track my own story and see where I go. I've only had Betas and gold fish before now and after catching these crayfish... IM A FISH PERSON! I've sat in here all day drawing my fish and studying for school. But I do have a question. Will a mini Pleco help get rid of the mud in my 10 tank? It's really unsightly and I know patience but I just worry that all that mud is going to settle and never come out. I rinsed that gravel for 30 minutes and it's still muddy. So... This is my first REAL serious fish tank and I am so proud of it. Pictures below!

 

[smomus]

It looks good! Id say just give it time to settle. if you wanted you could take a clean soft cloth and wipe the insides down. When I changed my tank to sand it took over 24 hrs to settle.

 

[Alyxx]

Plecos will not help clean the mud, they eat algae. It looks good, but be careful as the crayfish will likely try to eat the fish. Good luck and welcome to the hobby! Great deal on that tank, too.

 

[Penumbra]

Day two. So much betterm

 

[Nimo]

Have you studied cycling your tank, It would be a good idea! The stability does not instantly cycle your tank, you have started a fish in cycle and there is going to be a lot of work to it when it starts to cycle. Look up fish in cycle and read read read. and it would be a good idea to get you a good water testing kit so you can keep up with the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates while you are cycling and for weekly water changes.
By the way you have a beautiful set up.

 

[Wi7dBill]

Your local crays are not most likely not the same as the ones we have here where I live but....

Ours are "Signal" crays, I`ve kept them for up to 6 months or so...they will eat fish, and they can catch them at night..Neons got ate one at a time, any fish that "sleeps" near bottom is prey, they actively hunt fish they can see as well.
They can tolerate a lot of diff in temperature, tropical is NP. Not sure about ph or nitrates....nitrates would be the one to watch with inverts.
Ours eat almost anything in the wild from alder/big leaf maple leaves to dead salmon, other inverts and small fish. I fed mine raw beef liver and blanched veggies, (was told fat is bad, liver has no fat) fish or shrimp would probably be better. They molt as they grow,leave the old "shell" in the tank they will eat it after it softens up and they need the minerals for the next molt. (why I never kept large ones long...they get soft shells after a few molts. I think our water has a lot of minerals in it that the tank lacks)

Also, worms on wild ones are common, they can even carry tape worms. They also carry a fungus/parasite that kills none native inverts, and has caused problems in Europe, not a problem to fish as far as I know though.

 

[Penumbra]

EUUUGGGHHHH I wish you hadnt mentioned tape worms!!!! I have a HUGE fear of parasitic worms... Lots of hand washinggg!!! And man I read SO MANY ARTICLES on cycling already. I'm getting biospira and a moss ball or two. I tested everything for days before I set it up. The nit's stuff and ammonia spiked then dropped and now it's stable! I'm going to use stability and biospira 50/50 with treated DI water when I do water changes. Everything is normal as of today! I got a dojo and another female gourami today also (freshly in at pet smart) the two healthiest ones and also some stress coat. Changed the 10 gallon tank 50% after a while of getting ready. I put my female there (ammonia spike prompted water change) and the water gets clearer every day. I also put in many many plants (all fake) to break up line of sight. I am also before tonight going to make an under terrain tunnel that is too small for the crays to get into so the fish can have a safe sleeping place. I might instead find a separator, cut it to size, them just use that in a large corner to keep the crays out. Also: I just now (10 seconds ago) got a baby net. I'm trying to breed my gouramis that's why I got the second female. A few days ago I went back to the lake and got 3 more tiny tiny crayfish and have them in a well fake planted 2 gallon tank. Also, I read feeding my gourami female meaty stuff to get her gravid. Well.. I hade freeze dried blood worms but.. How do I get them to sink and be soft!? She bites them but... No takes :/ introducing Atlas (gourami) and loki (dojo fish). Pictures of everything below!

 

[Penumbra]

My female gourami is gravid!!! I guess I got a second male so I put him in with her in the breeding tank. Babies maybes.

 

[Samzter]

My female gourami is gravid!!! I guess I got a second male so I put him in with her in the breeding tank. Babies maybes.

I take it you know how to breed Gouramis? just remember that they need the tank only to be 10 cm full.

 

[Penumbra]

? I've seen them breed in full tanks

 

[Penumbra]

Why only 10cm?

 

[paytertot]

The stability and biospira are both supposedly "instant cycling" products. You don't need them or want them. When you do a water change, all you need is a dechlorinator. Most everyone on this site uses prime but the stress coat you bought will do the same thing. So just use it on temperature matched water for water changes.

 

[Penumbra]

Well I waited a week with stability before putting them in. Also, the water depth is now 6in in the breeding tank. I added the styrofoam and 2 like surface plants. I'm going to get a moss ball and possibly some tall real plants. I need a heater I suppose.... I wish my male would make his bubble nest so I could have a better idea of when to be excited. The female is bigger today. Not by much but still bigger. So I need now: a gravel vacuum that cycles the water and puts it back in, a heater for my 10 gallon tank, more live plants, and filter replacements...... Yup. Question, is there any common house plant that can be put in aquariums (besides vines) ?

 

[paytertot]

Cycles the water and puts it back in? I'm assuming you mean you can drain the tank with it and then use it to fill it again..? Also the stability does not bypass the need to cycle as I'm sure u know, and imo they don't do much of anything besides cause problems later on.

 

[Penumbra]

Like... A vacuum that has a filter inside it and then a tube out the back that puts the clean water that it filters back in

 

[Alyxx]

You can get vacuums like that, but the better option is a regular siphon, because you have to change the water out anyway. You can get one that hooks to your sink for putting the water back in.

 

[paytertot]

I agree because what you're talking about sounds like the same thing as a filter to me almost lol. You'll want to take the water out and put new water in. Temperature matched and treated with prime (or the like) of course.

 

[Penumbra]

Right.... Well I mean for a maybe every other day gravel cleaning besides water changes. After a few months (5-6) a family friend tells me you can just top off and change the water once a month. (he has 10 years of fish owning experience) so I'm hoping that my tank with proper maintenance will be there some day and that kind of... Hand held filter?... Would be quite useful. So I put some vines in there temporarily until I go to pet smart again... Their roots are exposed and the rather pathetic plant I first got I put on the surface with a foam block to float it. It's roots are hanging down and it's leaves hang over the edge of the block well into the water and a few hours later I'm seeing my male blow a few bubbles! I'm hoping with my next plants he will really make a nest. Also, my last fish in 2 weeks is going to be a second golden loach. They're so ferret like its crazy and I read that two makes for a happy loach. I read a TON so... I hope it is paying off!

 

[Mogurako]

Based off the pictures I have seen of your gouramis they are all males. It looks like you have a powered blue, honey/sunset and a neon blue dwarf gourami. Female gouramis are not commonly seen in stores because of their drab colors. Females are normally only available at specialty fish stores an have to be special ordered, I doubt Petsmart gets them in.

 

[Penumbra]

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