30g hex stocking suggestions

beetlebz

willow, nothing in there as of yet. Im picking the tank up tomorrow, and then its gotta cycle, though I should have plenty of media and water to speed that up a bunch. I like the idea of a pair of apistos and what not. the monos from what I read get huge!

I still need to pick out the perfect spot in the girlfriends house for the tank :)

Oldman47

Just get a couple of pairs of endlers and let them work on filling the tank up. It should only take about 3 or 4 months for them to get it full.

Lupin

Nice suggestion!

beetlebz

oak or beech leaves? wouldnt they just rot?

Lupin

They do after 3-4 weeks that is why best to replace them with new ones after 2 weeks. What you are looking for are dead leaves, not the fresh ones.

tophat665

D'accord, but they are the right thing for that biotope (which is a northern Venezuela blackwater stream) - they stain, sour, and soften the water, and they're easy and cheap to replace.

beetlebz

welp, its out of my hands now :\ I decided I didnt want to incur the expense of another tank (energy costs, mostly) and told my buddy that I didnt want it, sooo now I have it, I want to keep it, and I already told him he could have it lol oh well, at least I get his 20H to play with.

that northern Venezuela black water tank sounds fricken awesome, so who knows. I might track down another 30g hex, or just use the 20H or my 30g to do something similar.

tophat665

That Northern Venezuela biotope tank was in TFH about a year ago. They had it set up in a 40 breeder and it looked totally awesome. He had a couple of banjos, 4 or 6 apistos, and a cloud of pencilfish going on in there. If you don't have/don't want to go with lighting good enough for plants (though a 40 breeder needs less light than you would expect. I am getting great plant growth from a single tube in mine) that's fine, as there are very few plants in the area, but, if you do want plants, some anachris or vals along the back or moss or ferns on the driftwood could add a really nice accent, particularly if you set up a slight transverse current to bend them just a bit.

beetlebz

interesting indeed.

Im half considering putting my firebellied toads from my 20L into my 20g tank im getting for trade on the 30g hex, and doing something similar in that. perhaps a pair of apistos and some of those pencil fish you mention, though i wouldnt have enough room in a 20L for a banjo cat im afriad. OTOH a 20L has alot more floor space than the 30g hex.

if I have time this evening im going to do some more research on the biotope. right now Im going to relax, play some rainbow six, then figure out where the leak is in my new 5g hex :(