30 gallon, newbie, cant wait to get started

[Lostlilkidd]

i cant wait to get to work on it this weekend.
haha im going to post a before and after....

im still undecided about the decor... i find myself browsing thru too many pictures to find inspiration/direction

 

[unwritten law]

Since your just starting out you really don't want to deal with any mean fish...I'd get a good size school of tetras, 7 or so... a school of 6 cories to patrol the bottom for uneaten food and that leave you with enough room for a larger centerpiece fish that is not too aggressive to the tetras or cories... maybe a single gourami, betta, With this set up you could also have shrimp I would think but you need to be careful about what you center piece fish is then.

 

[Lostlilkidd]

for a school of cories, is it okay to mix and match.
For instance:
3 peppered cories, and 3 of panda cories?

 

[TMony]

Yes, you can mix cories . . . I have heard stories from people that say they don't get along, but I have never had that problem. Mine play and hang out together with no problem.

 

[TMony]

Cycling: Cycling a Tank

Just remember not to overstock. One inch of fish per gallon of water is a good guideline.

Welcome to the tank!

Oh . . . be sure when you apply this guideline that you consider the full grown size of the fish.

 

[unwritten law]

Yes, you can mix cories . . . I have heard stories from people that say they don't get along, but I have never had that problem. Mine play and hang out together with no problem.

I think skunk cories are meaner than others so if you'd mix and match maybe don't use these... Again I've never had them but just an idea.

 

[jo3olous]

im thinking...
7 neon tetras/or platies
2 cherry barbs
1 or 2 red tail sharks
2 cories
1 center piece.
Shrimp for the bottom

Does this work?

you can only do 1 redtail shark or 1 rainbow shark. NO MORE THAN 1, and NOT 1 OF EACH either. Theyre too territorial and it will just create a lot of aggression in your tank. This isn't 100% true but for the most part it is very accurate. There's just no way you will have a peaceful tank with more than 1 of them. At the juvenile stage theyre okay but once they mature someones gonna die *SICK*

 

[jo3olous]

Since your just starting out you really don't want to deal with any mean fish...I'd get a good size school of tetras, 7 or so... a school of 6 cories to patrol the bottom for uneaten food and that leave you with enough room for a larger centerpiece fish that is not too aggressive to the tetras or cories... maybe a single gourami, betta, With this set up you could also have shrimp I would think but you need to be careful about what you center piece fish is then.

If he is going the tiger barb route, NO BETTA. The tiger barbs will shred it to death... Also I don't know if the gourami thing will fly either because they have those long feelers, and are pretty slow the barbs might nip away at those too. Be very careful what kind of fish you mix with tiger barbs. You don't want anything less than semi-aggressive, and you don't want to mix fish with fancytails/long fins

 

[unwritten law]

thats why I was suggesting the non aggressive route, if you read my whole post.

 

[jo3olous]

thats why I was suggesting the non aggressive route, if you read my whole post.

I know just considering every previous post too. At one point tiger barbs were up in the air

 

[missdixie256]

A fishless cycle takes longer than a week.

MISSFISHY (I think) Has a lovely page on her website that gives the instructions for a fishless cycle.


IF you want to jump-start/instantly cycle your tank pull a seasoned filter pad or media out of someone elses ESTABLISHED disease free tank and add it to your filter. I always run an extra (HOB HANG ON BACK) on my larger tanks just incase someone local needs a filter pad or I need to set up an emergency hospital/quarantine tank. Decorations and gravel also carry some ammount of beneficial bacteria. (BE CAREFUL THAT NONE OF THEM DRY OUT... YOU WILL KILL OFF ANY BACTERIA... OR LET IT COME IN CONTACT WITH CHLORINATED WATER.)

 

[Kissyboots]

MISSFISHY (I think) Has a lovely page on her website that gives the instructions for a fishless cycle.

Posted, 12th post from top.

 

[Lostlilkidd]

yup, looks like im going to do a fishless cycle
it'll give me some time to decide on what to stock the tank with

option 1:
7 neon tetras
2 cherry barbs
2cories
1 red tail shark
1 centerpiece
shirmp

option 2:
7 neon tetras
6 cories
1 centerpiece
shrimp

Im just a beginner, so im leaning towards a more peaceful tank. But option one does seem more eye pleasing.

Any thoughts?

 

[sweetpickles7]

Personally i like option 2 better. I would probably add more neons though.

 

[unwritten law]

option 2 is better... Again its better to have larger school than a bunch small ones, plus cories should be in groups around 6

 

[mistercoffee]

Yeah option 2 is better, Red Tails are boring... trust me. Do something like 12 Tetras with Cories and I don't know what else as a centerpiece.

 

[unwritten law]

if you did that many tetras and cories your bioload might be too high for a centerpiece

 

[sweetpickles7]

If he did something like 12 neons, 6 cories, and a smaller centerpiece fish like a gourami or betta or smaller cichlid possibly, i think he would be fine.

 

[jo3olous]

Yeah option 2 is better, Red Tails are boring... trust me. Do something like 12 Tetras with Cories and I don't know what else as a centerpiece.

I don't know what you're talking about mistercoffee, my red tail is QUITE ENTERTAINING! lol ... *GOLDFISH*

 

[mistercoffee]

I don't know what you're talking about mistercoffee, my red tail is QUITE ENTERTAINING! lol ... *GOLDFISH*

They eat, hide, poop, eat, lurk, eat, patrol, and eat some more.

WOOHOO fun fish! *laughingc