Fiddler Crab Build

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So I was reading up on the whisper filter, and it looks like the biggest it comes is for 40 gal... Also it says not to use with sand. :( So I'm not sure what to do.
 
If you add fish right away you will need to constantly monitor the water parameters. You will need to do water changes quite often to keep the fish/crabs from being killed by the cycle. Contrary to what you are being told about adding fish right away, your best bet is to read up on the nitrogen cycle before doing anything. Even moving over the filter cartridge isn't instant.

There are a few ways to cycle a tank:

fish in: can cause stress on the fish. You must be diligent with testing water and doing water changes.

fishless 1: using pure ammonia

fishless 2: using a frozen shrimp or dead feeder and a bottle of Stability (my preferred method)


Now on to brackish in general.

The best salt to use is reef salt. It has calcium which your fiddlers will need for their shells.

You will need either a refractometer or hydrometer to measure your SG (specific gravity-salt content)

You should research the SG levels that fiddlers and bumblebees need to be kept at.

I keep a BW tank with bbg, shrimp, mollies and a dragon. It's no different than a FW except for the obvious.
 
Dr. Tims fishless cycle product works the best. Cycling just for crabs really isn't needed.

You should read this article about setting up a crab tank. I wrote it for Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine

Fiddler Crab
 
Thanks for the advice Dragon. :)

Ok, going to do some more research on cycling. I think the whole seeding thing didn't sound very exact, but I would like a way to jump start it (as does everyone!). I know that might not be the best, so I'm going to read up. I know to use reef salt, and to get a hydrometer. I saw that bumblebees need 1.004 to 1.008, and it seems that more people suggest 1.008. Not sure yet about the fiddlers.
 
Robert H said:
Dr. Tims fishless cycle product works the best. Cycling just for crabs really isn't needed.

You should read this article about setting up a crab tank. I wrote it for Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine

Fiddler Crab
Click to expand...

Thank you, that article was very helpful! I've had a hard time finding any info on fiddlers. Thank you!!!
 
Wow, that looks awesome! Looks great! How big was the water area they had going? I can just imagine a little beach with dunes and some grass. Haha. I'll have to look into it some more.
 
At my LFS it was a 30 gal they had this in. It looked great! Only problem is... I'm not sure that this product would work with sand. The filter actually sucks water through the first section, through gravel, and then up the pump and out the waterfall. The gravel is actually part of the filtration. If you put sand on top of the gravel, it would just fall through the gravel and get sucked into the waterfall, probably clogging the system. Looks like I'm back to square one.

Looked at the fluval filters today too, which can lay horizontally on the bottom of the tank. I'm going to do more research... It seems like every good submersible filter says "do not use with sand". Grrr...
 
So an update on my build: I finally bought paint for the laminate base. Last night I sanded the laminate, and covered it in a primer. In about a week I will be painting the rest black, and hopefully a few days after that I will cover it again with satin polyurethane. Whew! The scariest part for me is spray painting the frame of the actual tank. I am scared that I will get paint on the glass... So I'm waiting to do that last. Wish me luck!
 
TheMurrays said:
So an update on my build: I finally bought paint for the laminate base. Last night I sanded the laminate, and covered it in a primer. In about a week I will be painting the rest black, and hopefully a few days after that I will cover it again with satin polyurethane. Whew! The scariest part for me is spray painting the frame of the actual tank. I am scared that I will get paint on the glass... So I'm waiting to do that last. Wish me luck!
Click to expand...

you can never have too much tape and plastic!
 
keep moving fishy momma! I can't wait to see pictures of how it is coming along.
 
So everything is painted... Waiting for the polyurethane to dry before I put it all together. I just couldn't wait, and so I went ahead and filled the tank to half to see if the HOB filter would work. It didn't. :( However... it doesn't reach down into the tank very far. I'm not sure what to do. I was really hoping an HOB would work so that I could build a waterfall. Going to talk to my husband tonight to see if he has any suggestions.
 
TheMurrays said:
So everything is painted... Waiting for the polyurethane to dry before I put it all together. I just couldn't wait, and so I went ahead and filled the tank to half to see if the HOB filter would work. It didn't. :( However... it doesn't reach down into the tank very far. I'm not sure what to do. I was really hoping an HOB would work so that I could build a waterfall. Going to talk to my husband tonight to see if he has any suggestions.
Click to expand...

Not that I'm an expert or anything.... :D But did you fill the HOB filter with water? I don't know what kind you have but I have an AquaClear and the intake is very short. Even if there is enough water in the tank to submerse the intake and the filter is turned on, it makes noise but that's it. I have to get a cup and fill tank water into the filter for a bit to get it to start flowing on its own.
 
librarygirl said:
Not that I'm an expert or anything.... :D But did you fill the HOB filter with water? I don't know what kind you have but I have an AquaClear and the intake is very short. Even if there is enough water in the tank to submerse the intake and the filter is turned on, it makes noise but that's it. I have to get a cup and fill tank water into the filter for a bit to get it to start flowing on its own.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I have a filter that is like that as well, so I did fill it with water. It still didn't work. :(
 
TheMurrays said:
Thanks for the advice. I have a filter that is like that as well, so I did fill it with water. It still didn't work. :(
Click to expand...

That stinks :((
 
Ok I am proud to say I have started on my tank again! We are not even close yet, but it's a good start. The bamboo is too high but we will change it. Also we need more sand. But we are on our way!

ForumRunner_20120125_211926.jpg
 
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