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Please help a new guy with his new 30g!

12K views 125 replies 10 participants last post by  bigehugedome 
#1 ·
Hello everyone. New to the forum and kida new to fish keeping. Had tanks growing up so I know how to setup and maintain, but not so familiar with a lot of species. Also I never had real plants or inverts so I need some advice!

I got a 30gal off craigslist. I cleaned it with a vinegar/water solution and it looks brand new. Should I do anything else to make sure my tank is disease free? It came with a top fin 30 filter but I was going to get a whisper 40 or 60. Also I threw out the old filter media since I was unsure how long ago it was used and what was on it.

I want to make this a really nice tank with plenty of rocks, driftwood and plants. I was also going to paint the back of the tank black so I don’t have to deal with backgrounds and tape.

So here is where I need your help! What plants do you suggest for a beginner (I don’t want to have to go crazy with lighting, but I plan on doing a DIY co2 setup)? And what should I stock? I am in love with the clown loaches at the LFS but fear I cannot have them in my tank since they get so big (won’t be able to upgrade the tank for at least a year). So I was thinking 4-6 yoyo’s? But what would work with them.

If loaches are a no go then what about cichlids? What could I keep in a 30g? Any other suggestions? What kind of shrimp?
Sorry about the long post with ‘noobish’ questions. I just want to get the tank started in September and I greatly appreciate the knowledge and opinions of other people so Im asking a lot so I can try and learn a lot.

P.S- I remember cycling tanks and I have read about it and understand. I would want to cycle with my live plants and some gravel/filter media from my friend’s tank.
 
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#90 ·
That's just one of the 4 cats that felt the need to sit inside the box on top of the substrate. I'm thinking " if any of these cats rip a hole in that bag then.......!".

Another question. Food. Is there a brand that you prefer, or at least anything i should look for? Do I need sinking pellets for the loaches or will they eat the scraps.

Oh and we never gave our fish anything other then pellets and i wanna make sure they get everything they need. So is veggies for the loaches good just like once a week? And what should I be getting from the frozen section? How much should they get that? How long does it last in your freezer?
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#91 ·
AWESOME! Very excited for you. Pertaining to food, variety is the spice of life! At any given time I have two different brands of flake food, veggie crisps, sinking granules, algae wafers, sinking shrimp pellets, freeze dried bloodworms (which is rare because they give me allergy attacks) and probably a couple others. I use Omega One and Tetra for flake, Hikari algae wafers, Tetra sinking granules, and I'm not sure of the brand of shrimp pellets off the top of my head. I also feed a variety of frozen food every third day. My frozen variety consists of mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and Daphia. It sounds like a lot but they last a long time because I rotate what I feed and only every 3rd day. I've had them about 6 months and haven't replaced one yet. I'd say there's 20-30 cubes per pack. They will last in your feezer for a very long time. I got them at Hidden Reef but when I was in there yesterday they didn't have much. Fish Factory also sells them for around the same price (Hidden Reef is $3.99 a pack). I prefer the individual cubes as opposed to the brick that you have to break off. If you choose to do frozen as well, dedicate a small glass to the fish tank and allow the cubes to defrost in a small amount of tank water before feeding it to your fish. As for how much frozen they should get, it will depend on your stock level.

The loaches or any other bottom feeder should be fed sinking foods just like your regular fish. I feed them the algae wafers, shrimp pellets, sinking granules (which my mid-dwelling fish get most of) and fresh veggies. I usually do fresh veggies every few days and i'll usually still drop in a couple sinking foods along with the fresh veggies. Last night I fed cucumber and it was gone in a matter of hours. The only thing I removed was the skin, but I have 24 bottom feeders ;-) They also like spinach and zuccinni. Many people say to blanch the spinach, but I just rinse it well and attach it to a veggie clip. They go nuts over all of it.
 
#92 ·
I agree with Lisa fish love varity just like we do. I just want to add if you get the betta try Omega One Betta Buffet Flakes. My guys love them. Mine do not like the betta pellets I had at one time about 20 bettas and none of them liked the betta pellets but they love the flakes and the frozen. Do not give them regular fish flakes because they have a lot of vegi matter and bettas need meat. Can't wait to see pictures of your tanks when you get done.
 
#94 ·
Update!!! Got the 5 gallon! Back is already painted! Excite!!!And I got this!


Its submersible! It appears that you can shove it wherever, even if the cord is in the water. Am I correct? I know they are not the best but if it can keep the tank warm then thats all I need.

Any one have any ideas for the hood of my 5gallon. Number one, the space above the filter is big and I KNOW that my one cat will try to go fishing. So far this is my only solution:


Tape to cover over the hole (i will get black tape). Maybe put some cardboard under it. Its too hard to make something with plastic or carboard because the hood is curved.

Also the hood is very very light weight, And im kinda scared it could fall off somehow (if the cats are determined.) any one have suggestions to weigh it down? I was thinking aquarium safe silicone and some sort of weights. Just glue it on the underside of the hood.
 
#95 ·
LOL Yeah, I had a hard time wrapping my head around submersing the whole heater, cord and all as well. As far as the solution to the cats. I have heard that people use mousetraps with a regular card from a playing card in it. IF the cat jumps up and touches the card, it snaps and scares the cat. My biggest fear with the 5 gallon would be the repeat of it coming off the table or shelf. Hopefully you can figure out some way to secure it.
 
#97 ·
No, the card thing is not supposed to hurt the cat at all. You don't use the traps with the metal snapper, you use the plastic ones. That is why the playing card is supposed to sit in it, the cat will bump the card first and the trap will snap. People use them for training dogs and cats to stay off the kitchen counters too. I definitely wouldn't advocate hurting an animal of any kind. Especially not a cute fuzzy cat. :( I myself never ran into that issue. My cat got along with everyone and everything, like my dogs. Heck my cat used to walk around on the floor next to my little bird and my bunny without issue. lol
 
#98 ·
I would not glue the hood on the tank; there are times you want to remove it for cleaning, whatever. I always remove my tank covers and clean the glass at every water change, otherwise minerals from the evaporating water will get burned into the glass and never come out.
 
#99 ·
You could try velco strips put it along the sides or corners. They have them at most craft stores you know the kind that are sticky on the one side. As for those heaters I love them I use them in my betta tanks and now my african dwarf frogs have not had any problem with them.
 
#100 ·
If the back of the tank is against the wall, I wouldn't be too concerned. The lid is specially designed to fit on the lip within the tank. I can't see how a cat would ever get this off. My two cats have never even jumped on the bookcase I have my 5g on.

As for the hole, what I did on my 5g (because of snails in the tank, not cats) is went to the craft store and bought plastic canvas. The kind with the tiny squares on it. I think it was smething like $.99. I cut it to size then taped it onto the back of the tank where the hole is, using a little packaging tape. Worked like a charm.
 
#101 ·
Ok, i will look into that Lisa. But my one cat is horrible. You cannot stop him, he does whatever he wants to do. If he wants that fish he will try and get it. The problem is he likes getting sprayed with the water bottle so I cant use that.:) I love him to death he has such a weird personality but he can be bad.

My intent was to never seal the tank, I know i need to take it off for cleanings. I was thinking about velcro but i donno if there is enough space to attatch it on the hood.
 
#102 ·
If the hood sits on a lip inside the tank, I'm not sure how the cat would be able to get it off. He can't fit his paw between it as long as you cover the hole that's inthe back of the tank. Depending on where you're placing the tank (mine is on top of a little storage cabinet), you can put stuff on each side of the tank so the cat can't even fit on the shelf to begin with. Is that an option?
 
#103 ·
Yea putting stuff next to the tank may work, Ill have to see once we actually get there. Just trying to prepare ahead of time. Thanks for teh help.

BTW, I doubt Ill be getting the plants this weekend. They actually never emailed me back to discuss when they would ship or if they even had anything for my order. I emailed them again this moring. Its pretty upsetting because they have been so helpful so far but now nothing. I have not heard from them since saturday and I made the selections sunday. I did origionally tell them I didnt need it untill next week, so if they cant ship them then I understand but they could at least let me know.

Oh and I went back to the hidden reef yesterday to get the last odds and ends that I needed and their tanks were horrible. They had 5 people working in the back just talking and I counted 4 dead fish. Their clown loaches looked horrible. Not exactly sure what ICH looks like but they looked bad. The one was gasping for air uptop. Felt so bad, but of course when I was going to say something a customer came back and it took two employees to help him. I just said screw it and left.
 
#104 ·
Sadly, I saw the same thing the other day. Their livebearers especially, look very bad. What disgusted me most was seeing the Parrot Cichlids in bright green, purple, and red. That disgusts me. And, good luck ever finding someone to help you, too! I did see Congo Tetras that looked good, but knowing a lot of their tanks are run on the same filtration system, I will not by any livestock from there again. Ever. I do buy their dry goods and frozen food ad they have the best prices around.

As for Ich, there is a ton of information on the internet about it. As for the look, it looks likethe fish has been sprinkled with grains of salt. That's the best way to describe Ich.
 
#105 ·
So i have one thing in the back of my mind that is just bothering the hell out of me. And I know you guys said it would be fine, but....... the bags of substrate look so small that I cant picture it being enough for my tank. Maybe because My tank is at my parents and the substrate is at my place. I donno. Its just bothering me, and If you couldnt already tell, I worry alot lol. I just want this all to go as smoothly as possible.

So what you all were sayiong is like around 2 inches in the front and maybe 3 in the back? I know the calculators online dont work cause they dont take into account thinngs like wood and rock and plants but I donno. Someone reassure me please :)

If you dont already know I have 2 bags of eco compleate (20lb each) and I need to fill a 29 gallon (i know i always call it a 30gallon) and a 5 gallon.
 
#106 · (Edited)
Also is this gonna be too much stock?



The filter capacity is at 133% (thanks everyone for suggesting a canister, may not have got the best one but its going to make a big difference then a HOB)

The stock level went from 108% - 121% just because of the pleco. (using the albino, tetra and rasbora just as "place holders", I would like these types of fish but not necessarily those exact species). It says my filter is satisfactory and I should change 40% a week.

And while we are on stock, what are my choices in sizes for the corys for the 5 gal? Someone said either 3 or 5 depending on their size. i will look up species but if I wanted 5 then what should their max size be, and if I wanted 3 what would their max size be?

Thanks in advance!

Here is the link to stock calculator if you wanna mess with stuff.

http://aqadvisor.com/AqAdvisor.php?...AqSpeciesWindowSize=short&AqSearchMode=simple
 
#108 ·
Also is this gonna be too much stock?



The filter capacity is at 133% (thanks everyone for suggesting a canister, may not have got the best one but its going to make a big difference then a HOB)

The stock level went from 108% - 121% just because of the pleco. (using the albino, tetra and rasbora just as "place holders", I would like these types of fish but not necessarily those exact species). It says my filter is satisfactory and I should change 40% a week.

And while we are on stock, what are my choices in sizes for the corys for the 5 gal? Someone said either 3 or 5 depending on their size. i will look up species but if I wanted 5 then what should their max size be, and if I wanted 3 what would their max size be?

Thanks in advance!

Here is the link to stock calculator if you wanna mess with stuff.

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor
I do not and will not use these calculator things. Common sense and knowledge should guide you. But having said that, it takes experience to gain this knowledge and sense, but that's what this forum is all about.:)

You do not have too many fish for a 28g aquarium that is well planted and with a canister filter. I have some suggestions though [below].

I would hold off on the pleco for the moment. You may find the loaches sufficient as substrate residents. Anyway, I always add pleco-type fish last, and there are so many beautiful species that are small (under 4 inches for this tank, they do produce a lot of waste the larger they are, this is probably what is meant by that calculator thing) you may see one later that you really like.

Now to the other shoaling fish. You need more rummynose. As it mentions in the profile, 6 is minimum but this species is much better [=healthier] with 12+. In a 28g, I would get 9.

The rasbora are a good match, 6-7 is fine. The cherry barbs...do you really want them? If you increase the rummys to be a better group... you might want to consider something more contrasting that another (third) same-size shoaling fish. I would look into something like Ember Tetra (a dwarf characins, 9 would be nice), or one of the Carnegiella species of hatchetfish (all of these are in our profiles, use the scientific name option and Carnegiella species will appear consecutively). The latter will add some interest at the top level, a group of 7-8 of one species, or a mix (marble and black-winged) with 5 each? Just some thoughts.

Byron.
 
#107 ·
40 lbs should be enough for the 29g. You might have enough for the 5g too, but it depends on how deep you want the gravel in the 29g. Like I said, I bought 120g of Eco-Complete for my 120g (6 foot tank...large footprint) and I had enough for my 5g too. One day I may add another bag to the 120g, but for now it is fine. IF you feel you need more, Hidden Reef sells the bags of Eco-Complete for $19.99 each. When I was there the other day, they had 1 left. If it makes you feel better, go pick up the extra bag and return it if you don't end up using it :)
 
#109 ·
Thanks. The only thing I'm set on is the loaches. I know the pleco will go in last, just trying to plan ahead. Don't really dig the hatchet fish. They are cool looking but i donno, they kinda weird me out lol. I'm not set on cherry barbs but really do like them. The embers are nice. I'll give everything another look. I kinda want something green or blue. But thanks for giving me ideas on stock size
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#110 ·
Thanks. The only thing I'm set on is the loaches. I know the pleco will go in last, just trying to plan ahead. Don't really dig the hatchet fish. They are cool looking but i donno, they kinda weird me out lol. I'm not set on cherry barbs but really do like them. The embers are nice. I'll give everything another look. I kinda want something green or blue. But thanks for giving me ideas on stock size
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Cardinal tetra are super with rummynose so there is blue/green and red that cannot be missed; as mentioned in the profile, they share much of the same habitat, so are a true natural mix. And both need soft, acidic water. That's something I forgot earlier with the rummys, they will not last long (nor will cardinals) in basic harder water; they get calcium blockage of the kidneys from the hard water. Can't remember if your parameters were mentioned, but keep the pH below 7 and the hardness below 12 dGH at the very highest.
 
#112 ·
Not sure how to convert gph to dGH (if you even can) but you said my dGH is around 8. My tap pH is 7.2. Hopefully should be around the same once I move. Pretty sure its the same supplier.
GPH is gallons per hour...not sure where this enters the discussion. But anyway, a dGH of 8 is fine. I remember that now (takes some jogging sometimes to get me on track:)). The pH will lower as the tank matures. Lots of wood (these fish all need that anyway) will help a bit.
 
#114 ·
**Shakes angry fist**

Well everybody. I am very excited, I got the keys to the new place today and will be moving this weekend! That means I can actually set up my tanks! Wooot!

Since I told Sweet Aquatics one date, then tried switching, they did not have everything ready to ship out for today. So hopefully it ships tomorrow for a Monday delivery. I sart school/have work so Im gonna have my parents take the box of plants inside and just open the box and I will rush to get there asap. May actually take off work :)

Im going to start a new thread with tons of pictures of the new setups; and Ill stil ask questions here. That way I will have a thread dedicated to common freshwater questions (before starting the tank)and a new thread contiaing the final product and specific questions to my actual setup.

Thanks everyone for your help! look for the new thread tomorrow night!
 
#115 ·
So the stand is built and the tank is on it. Looks good(pics later). Few questions. It was pretty unlevel. I used cardboard and Got it pretty good. should I add bucket buy bucket untll it is filled, checking if it is still level every time?

Do i need cardoboard or foam in between the tank and the stand? I have the black trim around the bottom.
 
#117 ·
So the stand is built and the tank is on it. Looks good(pics later). Few questions. It was pretty unlevel. I used cardboard and Got it pretty good. should I add bucket buy bucket untll it is filled, checking if it is still level every time?

Do i need cardoboard or foam in between the tank and the stand? I have the black trim around the bottom.
If the stand is wood, it will be fine to set the tank on the stand itself. If metal stand, you should have foam between the tank and stand.

What was unlevel, the top of the stand on which the tank sits, or the stand on the floor? There should be no movement of stand with floor, or tank with stand. IF the stand is solid on the floor but not absolutely level, that is OK. My floor has a very slight slope on one side of the room but the tank is level of the stand and the stand is solid on the floor.
 
#116 ·
I would not shim the tank from the stand, rather add your shims under the stand itself to level it. Putting shims under one corner or one side of the tank might cause problems once you add the weight of the gravel, water and decor to that glass.
 
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