# Need help/ ideas



## rlterry79 (May 30, 2013)

I'm new to the whole aquirium thing... well doing it the right way anyways.

I'm going to construct an acrylic aquarium that will fit perfectly into the bottom cubby on my entertainment center in my living room. Size will be 19"w x 18"d x 13"h. It will hold a little over 18 gallons of water. It's not very big, but it's what god gave me.

What I am wanting to do as far as filtration and water oxidation is have the ports on the back at the bottom of the tank, so that once all the gravel and plants are in place you wont be able to see the tubing running into it. I'm not enirely sure how to go about this. Is there any specific "pad" that all the gravel can lay acrossed that will allow waste to be sucked into and pulled through a external filter? And as far as water oxidation a simple air pump that leading into back of the tank and just lets the air loose under the gravel should be good enough i assume.

The only "fish" I have decided on thus far is a Blue Lobster (Crayfish). I'm not sure if the tank will be big enough for anything else though. Will that be ok? Wont I need a placo or something to keep the tank clean on the inside?

I also know nothing about Ph levels or what is important to check or how often to check it.

I'd like to go with live plants but I think the tank would be to small for that and have no idea about what kind of plants to use. Which brings me to the decor part. What sized gravel will a crayfish be happy with? I know they like to rearrange tanks to their own liking. What about plants? Will plastic ones freak them out since they are plant eaters? Would a little cave structure be good enough for him? And I'm cursed with the straight gene and have no clue about what color gravel and stuff to get so it doesn't look tacky.

*c/p*


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

An 18 gal won't be to small for live plants. Here is a pic of my 15 gal.


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## johnmark03 (Feb 21, 2013)

Hey susankat...
Your aquarium looks very beautiful...
Keep it up...


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## nate2005 (Apr 24, 2013)

I had a blue lobster awhile ago in a 10g. Despite what I had read about them being peaceful he was always trying to snip my curious fish that came near him. As a precaution I moved him to the 10g. I think he would be just fine in your size tank. Not sure on the plants with him as I only had plastic/silk plants. 

put some tap in a bucket, wait and day, then test PH and KH.


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## rlterry79 (May 30, 2013)

Susankat,
That's awesome looking. If I go that route with live plants, would I have to bother with oxidizing my tank water? Would one blue lobster provide enough CO2 and food(poo) for the plants to feed on? Is there a specific formula for all this?

And what about filtration? With live plants you don't want a bottom tank filtration system do you? The plants will need all the stuff that the filter would suck up. All I would have to do is change a certain % of tank water out every month right?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I don't use co2 on that tank but you want to pick your plants based on lighting. I use a sponge filter in that tank also.


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