Crayfish - Paint Your Aquarium Blue With them
Crayfish - Paint Your Aquarium Blue With them
Crayfish originate from Australia and they are freshwater invertebrates. Most people call them ‘blue lobster’ and ‘yabby’
There are many species within the Crayfish community. These beautiful creatures are hardy and can live to up to five years. Crayfish is much sought after as aquarium pets due to their fancy varieties and brilliant color.
How do you select healthy crayfish?
You have to avoid shops where they kept all the crayfish in overcrowded tanks with very little water. These crayfish tends to become stress and eventually die in such condition. Look for crayfish that is lively and full of energy. You have to also make sure that they have a complete set of limbs. You can test it by lowering your hands onto its back. When a healthy crayfish sense your hand, their natural reaction is to move back and raise both their pincers in a defensive stance. If the crayfish simply lie still and does not respond to your touch, you can be sure that it is not healthy.
Their pincers are used to catch prey and protect themselves. Sometimes you may notice that some of the crayfish have pincers that are smaller than most of the other crayfish in the tank, or they may have pincers that are not of equal size. This can be that the smaller pincer is a new appendage that grew while replacing the old one.
It is a little tricky to catch crayfish. You have to approach it from the back and hold the end of its carapace with both your thumb and index finger
Crayfish is unlike some of the fishes. They are territorial in nature, and so you must never over-stock your tank. So how big should a tank be? Well, 2ft by 1ft will be big enough to keep the crayfish happy.
Crayfish likes hiding space. You can place objects in the tanks. Objects such as PVC pipes or rocks will be able to provide them lot of good hiding places.
For aeration, a bubble filter will do just fine. And take note that crayfish do not need strong lightning and they do not do well in acidic water.
When it comes to feeding, it is the easiest! Crayfish eat anything they can find. It can be dirt, unwanted scraps, and feeder fish, sinking pellet or just some shrimps. Anything, everything goes for these creatures. Crayfish hunt at night, so turn off the aquarium light before you feed them.
Crayfish tend to grow by getting rid of its old shell. They will push itself out of the old shell through the space just behind the carapace which will split open. When they shed their shells, they will be covered only with soft tissue. These soft tissues will harden into new shells after a couple of days.. And usually, the crayfish will eat up its old shell.
Anthony is a an aquarium enthusiast and writer. More related articles can be read at www.anhwohe.com or <a href="http://www.anhwohe.info">Anhwohe Home</a>
#1 Way For Your Saltwater Aquarium Setup ? Choosing A Tank
Following on from our introduction to saltwater aquariums this segment is designed to give you some idea of a typical saltwater aquarium setup.
The type of saltwater aquarium setup you choose depends on a few factors. For example, the kinds of species you want to stock, the space you have available, and your budget. In general you will want to buy the biggest saltwater aquarium setup you can afford that will fit nicely into your living environment.
This is so that your fish and other animals can have the most comfort possible as they grow. The fish and other invertebrates that you choose to stock your tank with need enough space to swim and grow in and enough oxygen to survive. When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup remember that these two factors are determined mainly by the size of the tank.
So let?s talk about the oxygen component of a saltwater aquarium setup. The amount of oxygen in the water is related to the tanks surface area. This means the amount of area on the tank?s surface that is exposed to the air. The greater the surface area of your saltwater aquarium setup, the more room there is for exchange of oxygen to happen at the surface.
The more oxygen that is allowed to enter the tank and the more harmful gases like carbon dioxide are allowed to leave the healthier your saltwater aquarium setup will be. The oxygen content of the water is also influenced by its temperature. In general, the warmer the water, the lower the oxygen content will be.
Most marine species from the tropics like water that is 75 degrees or higher so this means that less oxygen is going to be available to them. This is when it becomes important to increase the surface of the tank by making sure your saltwater aquarium setup is as large as possible.
How do you do this? There is no typical saltwater aquarium setup. Marine tanks come in a variety of shapes and size, but it is the shape of the tank, not its volume that influences surface area. This means that even where two tanks have identical volumes they might not have the same surface area depending on their shape. A saltwater aquarium setup that is tall and slender won?t get a good rate of gas exchange. An ideal design would be one that is short and wide.
Once you?ve chosen your tank its time to start thinking about its residents. Of course the size of your tank is going to dictate how many fish and invertebrates it can house. The main thing to avoid in your saltwater aquarium setup is overcrowding. Too many inhabitants and your tank?s filtration system will be overloaded. Fish living in cramped conditions become stressed and this can lead to illness and death.
You can calculate how many fish your saltwater aquarium setup will hold by stocking one inch of fish per four gallons of water for a period of six months. After this period increase the number of fish slowly to one inch per two gallons. This means that a 40 gallon aquarium should not contain more than 10 inches of fish for the first six months.
So, for example, you might choose one 3-inch queen angel, two 1-inch clownfish, one 2-inch regal tang, one 1-inch bicolor blenny and two 1-inch Beau Gregory?s. Once the six month period is over you could increase the total number of inches in your saltwater aquarium setup to 20.
Of course, your fish are going to grow so you have to adjust for the changing sizes of your fish. The shape of your fish is also important. If your fish are likely to be on the heavy side you will need to stick to the low end of the capacity of your saltwater aquarium setup.
A saltwater aquarium setup will cost you time and money so accept this and don?t skimp. Even if you devote considerable time and effort to a small tank you can still encounter problems. If you choose the wrong one initially you will probably end up having to buy another one and this may be discouraging. In short, if you don?t have the money to buy a tank that?s at least 30 gallons, don?t invest any money at all.
When you choose a saltwater aquarium setup there are many options. You can choose from glass and acrylic and you can even get reef-ready styles complete with pre-drilled holes for equipment and plumbing. Glass tanks sealed with silicon rubber cement are a common choice. Rectangle designs are popular but they are also found in octagon and hexagon. They are non-toxic and don?t scratch easily.
The downside to a glass saltwater aquarium setup is that they are heavy. This means that large tanks will have very thick glass. Try to find one with a plastic frame that will make the tank more stable. Plated glass is shatterproof but not as strong as tempered.
An acrylic saltwater aquarium setup is molded with few seams so they are more transparent. However your view may still be distorted at the corners. Acrylic tanks are not as heavy as glass and so come in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. Acrylic is also stronger than glass. On the downside acrylic tanks can get scratched and are more expensive than glass. They are easily scratched by algae scrapers and decorations. It is possible to buff these marks out with a special kit.
Whichever saltwater aquarium setup you choose make sure it provides a healthy environment for your fish. You also need to make sure that you can afford to maintain it properly and that it suits your lifestyle and available time. Once you have everything set up correctly you will be able to enjoy the colorful antics and shapes of your fishy friends, corals and other invertebrates. Enjoy the wonderful world of your saltwater aquarium!
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Why should you Consider Buying Two Kittens Together? Posted By : Elmo Kandel
You arent likely to get two for the price of one, and when it comes to kittens its not cheaper to buy them in bulk when it comes to food and kitty litter either, but there are some compensations that make it worth thinking about. Aside from saving you the initial indecision of whether you want the smart talking black and white kitty, or the cute fluffy ginger tabby, buying two kittens together can actually make sense.