30 Gallon Stock Ideas

[Mturner615]

So I'm inheriting a 30 gallon tank from a friend who no longer wants it.

It was originally stocked with cichlids and a pleco. I'll be keeping the pleco, but other than that, I will need to buy a whole new stock of fish.

Any cool ideas?

 

[TabMorte]

You may want to move the pleco depending on what kind he is (if he's a bristlenose he'll stay small, if he's anything else he's going to out grow that tank).

A 30's a nice size tank I find especially for a beginner planters if you want to try your hands at that. Some drift wood and some hardy plants, a good light and you can have a really pretty community tank.

Do you want to try something completely differant from what you currently have? You could go for a biotope specific tank. South American and get a couple of German Blue or Bolivian Rams or some Apistos. Some funky tetras for dither fish too. Or you could go Asian and get some small loaches, a small school of rasboras and either a fancy Betta or a gourami as a center peice fish.

 

[Mercury]

I have a 30G with bolivian rams. I put lots of plants in it and some guppies (make fry for ram food). A couple cories keep extra food off the bottom very well.

 

[Mturner615]

Are Discus too large for a 30? I'm going to assume yes, but I'm not sure. I've never really dealt with them before.

Or what about using the 30 with a pair of angels and then adding mates with them? What is compatible with angels?

 

[TabMorte]

Discus need much more then 30G

I'm not sure about angels. When they're little they're tiny but I've seen them grown HUGE. Maybe some of the cichlid keepers can help you there.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

A pair of discus would do fine in a 30gal, but then you are limited to almost nothing else in the tank. Same with angels really, a pair would be hard on anything else in there i think. A single angel with various other community fish might work.

 

[TabMorte]

A pair of discus would do fine in a 30gal, but then you are limited to almost nothing else in the tank. Same with angels really, a pair would be hard on anything else in there i think. A single angel with various other community fish might work.

Wow really? I'll note that down. I was told previously you needed 50Gs for discus.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

As a happy community discus sure, but i've seen breeders keep them in 20gals per breeding pair.

 

[Mturner615]

If I had a pair of discus, what else could go in the tank with them?

And are they hard to care for?

 

[emmanuelchavez]

I thought I read that you should have at least 10 gallons per discus... of course other factors come into play.

I hear they can be pretty difficult fish. Water must be in pristine condition... at the prices I've seen them here, I'm not sure I'm willing to spend $50 for a young discus to give it a try.

 

[FishGeek]

Im loving the set up that I have with the Firemouth and Albino Tiger Barbs. Its a very active and colorful tank

 

[chefrossco]

discus need a lot of attention to prevail, water must be perfect. and really you need to have more than 2 like a shoal of 5 + so id have to say no to discus , my stock for a 30g would be some blue rams, keyholes , dwarf goramais, plattys , or even some leaf fish - anything that wont get too big and that can have a larger amount of swimming space.

 

[FishGeek]

My Firemouth and Barbs are for sale if you want them Im getting rid of them because we are putting in a pond (soon) and I need the 90G for the Goldies so Im keeping my most expensive fish (The Hai Reefs), not because I dont like them. I wish I could keep them honestly.