I have a long 40 gallon tank (48x16x13) that I got with a custom stand. I'm going to get an Emperor 400 and I already have a powerhead, which I'm not sure will do me much good in a FW tank. I want to create a FW tank very different from most that I see. BTW I fully understand "the cycle" and have lost some goldfish... lesson learned *sigh*
I would like to use both sand and river rock as substrate to create an interesting bottom. I was thinking of a small variety of fish and would like a catfish of some type as a bottom feeder in addition to a normal algae eater for the glass. Snails, crabs, crayfish, frogs, toads, etc would be good if there are any for FW and that can get along. I really want a wide variety of organisms in this tank besides the fish, as long as they can co-exist.
Soooo... could anyone point me to a good resource for getting info on the varieties of freshwater fish and other organisms to put in the tank? I'm full of questions and I would love it if you guys can answer, but I also understand I need to do some of my own reading. I see several posts about mixing fish, but I'm not sure if those fish would get along with other little guys I want, and I don't even know if any interesting crabs or snails exist for FW tank, and if crayfish are even a good idea. I just thought those would work the sand if I that was an acceptable substrate.
Any suggestions on the non-fish that I can get for my tank? Any feedback on the sand and rock mix? How can I clean the sand since I probably can't vacuum it, or can I get something that will clean it for me? What about the catfish, are there any of those that are interesting? Can I end up with too many bottom feeders? Would it be futile for live plants added to this type of tank?
I know it's a lot of questions, but again, I'm willing to read if someone points me there. TIV
I would like to use both sand and river rock as substrate to create an interesting bottom. I was thinking of a small variety of fish and would like a catfish of some type as a bottom feeder in addition to a normal algae eater for the glass. Snails, crabs, crayfish, frogs, toads, etc would be good if there are any for FW and that can get along. I really want a wide variety of organisms in this tank besides the fish, as long as they can co-exist.
Soooo... could anyone point me to a good resource for getting info on the varieties of freshwater fish and other organisms to put in the tank? I'm full of questions and I would love it if you guys can answer, but I also understand I need to do some of my own reading. I see several posts about mixing fish, but I'm not sure if those fish would get along with other little guys I want, and I don't even know if any interesting crabs or snails exist for FW tank, and if crayfish are even a good idea. I just thought those would work the sand if I that was an acceptable substrate.
Any suggestions on the non-fish that I can get for my tank? Any feedback on the sand and rock mix? How can I clean the sand since I probably can't vacuum it, or can I get something that will clean it for me? What about the catfish, are there any of those that are interesting? Can I end up with too many bottom feeders? Would it be futile for live plants added to this type of tank?
I know it's a lot of questions, but again, I'm willing to read if someone points me there. TIV