Help with plant Angel fish tank and cycling

[Spinksy]

So I am upgrading from my 15 gallon tank to a 30 gallon tank mainly to move my angel fish to support their future size in a few weeks and I have a ton of questions. This will be a fresh water heated tank.

My PH is 7.5 soft water

1. first and most important question is how I'd go about doing a fishless cycle. I've never actually done one before because I've always got my tanks from friends when they didn't want them anymore
2. what substrate would work best with angel fish and plants
3. what plants are easy to maintain. I'm looking at having a jungle kind of look with some colour, driftwood and branches
4. Would I be able to move my betta into the tank with the angel fish or would the angel fish become too nippy and aggressive as they got older and bigger.
5. I was also thinking of getting a clown pleco as they're timid and don't have a huge growth like other plecos and wondering on opinions if this is a good idea.
6. is there any other fish that would be suited for the tank I am thinking of or anything that I have forgotten

Thanks for any answers and really appreciate it.

 

[fluttermoth]

As you already have a cycled tank, you don't need to cycle the new one; you can just move all the filter media when you're ready to move the fish.

I use playsand in all my tanks.

Amazon swords, cryptocorynes and vallisneria are easy to grow in the substrate; the swords would like some root tabs, or you can attach Java ferns and anubias to your wood.

Bettas and angels don't mix.

Clown plecs are nice fish; but be warned, they are so shy you'll rarely see it. I had one for nearly 20 years and barely ever saw him!

Post the dimensions of your tank and the pH and hardness of your water and I'm sure we can come up with some stocking suggestions; how many angels do you have?

 

[Spinksy]

Thank you for the reply.
The dimensions of the tank I'm looking at are 86x46x36.
I'm planning on keeping my other tank because I have some platy and a betta so the filter will be staying with the 15 gallon.
I heard there's no need to cycle if you have enough plants, not sure how true this is.
I have two Angels maybe bottle cap size but I heard they grow really quick.
The ph of my water is 7.5 and I'll edit in my hardness later, going to the fish shop to get a kit.

 

[Byron]

First off, welcome to TFF.

Strictly speaking, the new tank is not sufficient space for two angelfish, unless they are a bonded mated pair. As they are small, it is next to impossible to tell their gender, though their interactive behaviours might give a clue. If you have two males, they will exercise their natural territorial nature and in this small a space one is likely to be dead before long. Two females might manage. A male/female might bond, or might not, and one will emerge victorious. Angelfish are by nature shoaling fish that should be in a small group, five or six minimum, except for breeding pairs, but this means at least a 4-foot tank. Angelfish attain 6 inches body length, with a vertical fin span of 8 inches. They need sufficient space to develop properly;no problems yet, but subject to their gender this may become a problem.

To the cycling question, yes, sufficient live plants including some fast-growing species (floating are ideal for this) will "cycle" a tank safely. I have never followed any other method in my 25 years of fish keeping. Just make sure the plants are growing, and go slow. I can detail if asked.

Byron.

 

[Spinksy]

Thank you for the insight, I will keep a close eye on them as they grow and if I run into any problems in the future I guess I'll be forced to take them to my LFS. Luckily I have a good shop that has fish from guppies to Asian arowanas and have helped me a lot with test kits etc.

Is there any other ideas possible for a tank this size, I won't be able to get any other size for quite some time as they're very expensive here in Sweden (triples in price from 30 to 55 gallon lol). I don't really have a preference for fish as every fish I see I want to take home lol.

Oh and to add to my PH of 7.5 I done a kh test and it came back at 5dh

 

[Byron]

Thank you for the insight, I will keep a close eye on them as they grow and if I run into any problems in the future I guess I'll be forced to take them to my LFS. Luckily I have a good shop that has fish from guppies to Asian arowanas and have helped me a lot with test kits etc.

Is there any other ideas possible for a tank this size, I won't be able to get any other size for quite some time as they're very expensive here in Sweden (triples in price from 30 to 55 gallon lol). I don't really have a preference for fish as every fish I see I want to take home lol.

Oh and to add to my PH of 7.5 I done a kh test and it came back at 5dh

That is soft water, so stay with soft water fish (most from South America, SE Asia are soft water), avoid any livebearers.

I'm hesitant to suggest fish because of the inevitable problem with the angelfish. And regardless, remember that as they grow, and assuming they remain friendly, there will not be room for other fish.

 

[Spinksy]

That is soft water, so stay with soft water fish (most from South America, SE Asia are soft water), avoid any livebearers.

I'm hesitant to suggest fish because of the inevitable problem with the angelfish. And regardless, remember that as they grow, and assuming they remain friendly, there will not be room for other fish.

Thank you again, you have been most helpful. I'm so glad I came to the forum for advice before making some irreversible mistakes. In the future I'll be sure to research any fish I like before making an on the spot decision.
Just came in luck and found a 125 gallon tank for £100 so gonna see if I can buy that