Hello everyone!
I am a new member, and my first question is on stocking my new 30 gallon breeder tank! I have had a little 5 gallon for a while now, and I decided I wanted something a little bigger. I got this 30 gallon tank with a 36" footprint from a friend, and it has been set up for 3 years, fully cycled, and tested fine for everything. It has a pleco in it right now, but I might take it back to the store because he's getting pretty big, about 7". In the tank, I have made an rock archway, a cave, have a couple pieces of driftwood, 5 fake plants, and a small, live bushy plant. The bottom is smooth gravel, and the filter is just a standard AquaTek 30-40 gallon that I am thinking about upgrading to something a little more powerful, it is the one that came with the tank. So, I've done quite a bit of research, and here is what I have come up with for fish that I like and that I think will get along okay together:
3 dwarf gouramis
1 male blue ram as my centerpiece
4 or 5 female platies
4 or 5 female balloon mollies
4 or 5 corydoras catfish (best type? dwarf or panda is what I was thinking)
I'm reasonably new to the hobby, I've only had my 5 gallon for a few months, but this is what I want eventually when I'm all done phasing in new fish. My questions (I know, there are a ton of them!) are:
1. Will these fish actually all get along, or do any of them not fit in/need different conditions? I have read that mollies like a bit of salt and the corys don't, and right now I do have some freshwater aquarium salt in there, about 1 tablespoon for every 8 gallons.
2. Am I overstocking the tank? I have read that becuase of the breeder tank's larger surface area, they can handle more fish, and I am also trying to make sure the bottom, middle, and top areas of the tank each have something going on.
3. Should I make sure to get at least five of the platies, mollies, and catfish, or will four be alright in the interest of not overstocking? I want them to feel safe, and if I need to cut those three categories to two so there can be at least six of each I can handle that.
4.I am also interested in, but don't know if I can fit, these fish:
Dwarf rainbow fish
Some kind of botia or loach group (are there any that would be comfortable in my size tank? I love the angelicus botias and the golden weather loaches, but I don't know if I have the room or the space for them)
A badis/chameleon fish
I'm not sure if I can even fit these fish, and I haven't done as much research on them as I have my main choices.
5. Are there any fish you guys would recommend adding to the list/replacing one of the categories? I want a colorful tank that has fish with good personalities!
Thank you so much! I'm really excited about this tank and don't want to make a rookie mistake
Shani
I am a new member, and my first question is on stocking my new 30 gallon breeder tank! I have had a little 5 gallon for a while now, and I decided I wanted something a little bigger. I got this 30 gallon tank with a 36" footprint from a friend, and it has been set up for 3 years, fully cycled, and tested fine for everything. It has a pleco in it right now, but I might take it back to the store because he's getting pretty big, about 7". In the tank, I have made an rock archway, a cave, have a couple pieces of driftwood, 5 fake plants, and a small, live bushy plant. The bottom is smooth gravel, and the filter is just a standard AquaTek 30-40 gallon that I am thinking about upgrading to something a little more powerful, it is the one that came with the tank. So, I've done quite a bit of research, and here is what I have come up with for fish that I like and that I think will get along okay together:
3 dwarf gouramis
1 male blue ram as my centerpiece
4 or 5 female platies
4 or 5 female balloon mollies
4 or 5 corydoras catfish (best type? dwarf or panda is what I was thinking)
I'm reasonably new to the hobby, I've only had my 5 gallon for a few months, but this is what I want eventually when I'm all done phasing in new fish. My questions (I know, there are a ton of them!) are:
1. Will these fish actually all get along, or do any of them not fit in/need different conditions? I have read that mollies like a bit of salt and the corys don't, and right now I do have some freshwater aquarium salt in there, about 1 tablespoon for every 8 gallons.
2. Am I overstocking the tank? I have read that becuase of the breeder tank's larger surface area, they can handle more fish, and I am also trying to make sure the bottom, middle, and top areas of the tank each have something going on.
3. Should I make sure to get at least five of the platies, mollies, and catfish, or will four be alright in the interest of not overstocking? I want them to feel safe, and if I need to cut those three categories to two so there can be at least six of each I can handle that.
4.I am also interested in, but don't know if I can fit, these fish:
Dwarf rainbow fish
Some kind of botia or loach group (are there any that would be comfortable in my size tank? I love the angelicus botias and the golden weather loaches, but I don't know if I have the room or the space for them)
A badis/chameleon fish
I'm not sure if I can even fit these fish, and I haven't done as much research on them as I have my main choices.
5. Are there any fish you guys would recommend adding to the list/replacing one of the categories? I want a colorful tank that has fish with good personalities!
Thank you so much! I'm really excited about this tank and don't want to make a rookie mistake
Shani
