we just bought a 6.5 gallon tank
2006-11-13 09:05:45 · 5 answers · asked by ljelic151 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
It depends on what type of filter you have...like the previous poster said, you don't want to use sand as a substrate with an UGF. It may be ok if you have a power filter or canister filter. It also depends on what sand you want to use. A big reason to avoid it is that it is hard to clean (vacuum, etc). It does look really nice though.
2006-11-13 09:38:29 · answer #1 · answered by Carson 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Crayfish are very cool. I keep a few different kinds of freshwater shrimp in some of my tanks. Cherry shrimp, ghost shrimp, wood shrimp, Amano shrimp, vampire shrimp and red clawed shrimp. None of these guys will bother the fish like a crayfish will.
Sand is probably the best substrate for them. It allows some digging and is easy to siphon the debris off the top of the sand.
Be sure to get a lid for your tank! Crayfish are very good climbers and will be out of the tank and dried up on the floor before you notice they are not in the tank anymore. I lost a really nice "all red crayfish" that I picked up when I saw him crossing the road one day. They are travellers. I think mine went down my basement drain, it has an opening just about crayfish size.
Don't forget, they are carnivores and need protein. Give them frozen fish chunks and sinking carnivore pellets and they will live long and healthy.
Good luck with your 'crawdad.'
2006-11-13 20:26:41 · answer #2 · answered by 8 In the corner 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No! If you are setting up a tank it should have come with a piece of plastic that looks like a grate. This is called an under the gravel filter. It will set up a bio filter in the tank. If you put sand in the tank it will plug up the holes in the under the gravel filte. NEVER CLEAN DOWN TO THE BIO FILTER! Cat fish are bottom feeders and they will move the gravel around they don't need sand in their diet. They will need something to hide under or in. You should speak with someone from the pet shop that knows fish and pick their brain for information. Also I would go to the library and check on books about fish and tank set up. Try and get the latest edition they have...Enjoy your fish...
2006-11-13 17:31:05 · answer #3 · answered by cape nut 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sand is fine as long as you're not using UGF.
Do have some logs and caves if you're keeping more then one, they tends to fight, so having some place to hide will make them feel more secure. I drop in some 2 inch dia PVC pipes (cut short) for them to hide in.
And as the above writer mention, they are super escape artist. Do keep a lid on the tank or make sure your water is away from the rim of the tank. They can even climb air hose, trust me.
2006-11-13 22:24:56 · answer #4 · answered by dragonfly_sg 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, you can use sand... just don't use the undergravel filter thing.. most of the waste from the crayfish will stay on top of the sand because sand isn't as porous as gravel so you can just vacuum that up.
don't put any fish in there. it's too small and it might get eaten by the crayfish unless you plan to feed it fish.
2006-11-13 18:19:44 · answer #5 · answered by professorminh 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋