Suggestions For Restarting My Tank!

[azzaknight]

hello all, well i have quite an old 60L jewel tank with dimensions of 60(L)x30(W)x30(H). it did have a built in filter but i ripped it out as it took up quite a large section of the tank. i need suggestions on the following things:

a filter(nothing to expensive due to only being 16 and money is a rarety)
easy care, low light plants(want something for the back, mid and foreground, planning on sort of a hardscape look, also dont want to use CO2 so nothing that needs that)
and also final stocking, i would like either:
A) a pair of either balloon rams or german blue rams, with corys and cherry shrimp, or B) corys, cherry shrimp, and a shoal of 10-15 lamp eye killifish.

all ideas for these three things i need help with would be great and all adivce and criticism will be taken. i have very fine white gravel for my substrate, but happy to replace with black sand, also i have a nice branchy piece of bogwood, and another peice, also have some nice rounded rocks, so just need help with plants, filtration and final stocking! no external filtration as i dont have space for it.

thank you all who read and reply

 

[minnnt]

You can go with the usual low light demanding plants such as Vallis for the back, Java Ferns and Anubias Barteri for the middle and then Crypts such as Wendtii Green and or Brown, Anubias Nana for the foreground. Also various mosses will also create a great impression. There are loads of undemanding plants, take a look on the Tropica website.

As for fish, GBR's require a higher temperature that the Cory's won't do particularly well in so bare this in mind. Also in a 60 litre tank you would be pushing it for GBR's and other bottom dwellers. I would have to say if you do want plants then consider a 'softer' setting and go with the Lampeyes if these are what you want. Unsure if 10-15 would be possible though. Maybe consider some of the smaller Tetra's such as Cardinals, Neons, Glowlights and Ember Tetra's for example. These always look great in a planted tank.

Filtration, i would be tempted to go with a U2 from Fluval, nice spray bar action which is great for plants as you can add a nice even flow for the plants and the fish can actually swim without being pushed about.

Try and source some Sumatran Wood or Red Moor wood which always looks great with a planted tank. Make sure you use a dark back ground and i would personally recommend a darker substrate.

 

[Mowbz]

I have a U2, brilliant little filter in my 72ltr, so i to would recommend it. I know my U2 is overkill for my 72ltr, so you might even get away with a U1, depending on your stocking, as i find the U2 a bit "bulky" for the actual ammount of media it holds, it its one of the better looking filters you could find!

And i agree with everything minnt has already said. A 60ltr is a fairly small tank, and Corys spend he majority of their time with their heads in the sand on the bottom, and there wont be a massive tank floor space in a 60ltr! Its a shame your not closer, or i would have donated you a spare decent size 2footer! (Im not driving to Dorset with it! lol)

 

[azzaknight]

I have a U2, brilliant little filter in my 72ltr, so i to would recommend it. I know my U2 is overkill for my 72ltr, so you might even get away with a U1, depending on your stocking, as i find the U2 a bit "bulky" for the actual ammount of media it holds, it its one of the better looking filters you could find!

And i agree with everything minnt has already said. A 60ltr is a fairly small tank, and Corys spend he majority of their time with their heads in the sand on the bottom, and there wont be a massive tank floor space in a 60ltr! Its a shame your not closer, or i would have donated you a spare decent size 2footer! (Im not driving to Dorset with it! lol)

thank you for the help! please keep that 2footer, as my dad lives in andover which is half hour from basingstoke! so i could always persuade mum to let me get a bigger tank!

You can go with the usual low light demanding plants such as Vallis for the back, Java Ferns and Anubias Barteri for the middle and then Crypts such as Wendtii Green and or Brown, Anubias Nana for the foreground. Also various mosses will also create a great impression. There are loads of undemanding plants, take a look on the Tropica website.

As for fish, GBR's require a higher temperature that the Cory's won't do particularly well in so bare this in mind. Also in a 60 litre tank you would be pushing it for GBR's and other bottom dwellers. I would have to say if you do want plants then consider a 'softer' setting and go with the Lampeyes if these are what you want. Unsure if 10-15 would be possible though. Maybe consider some of the smaller Tetra's such as Cardinals, Neons, Glowlights and Ember Tetra's for example. These always look great in a planted tank.

Filtration, i would be tempted to go with a U2 from Fluval, nice spray bar action which is great for plants as you can add a nice even flow for the plants and the fish can actually swim without being pushed about.

Try and source some Sumatran Wood or Red Moor wood which always looks great with a planted tank. Make sure you use a dark back ground and i would personally recommend a darker substrate.

thanks so much for help on all of that! well if not GBR, would balloon rams be a possibility? i mean there equally as amazing just smaller! also i have a nice piece of redmoor and a nice piece of bogwood which im planning on using! and thanks for the substrate, i might go for black fine gravel or even sand! and i have looked into the U2 filter, wasnt sure wether it was to big for my tank, and wether it would be too much overkill, but i might also consider the U1. thanks for the help!

 

[minnnt]

No experience of balloon rams mate so can't help you with them.

Sand is a great choice for substrate, just wash it well before use.

If considering the u1 then consider looking at a aqua one small filter. Less bulky imo. Also providing the current is not too strong then bigger will be better. A u2 on the spray bar setting will be fine. There was 1 in the classifieds for £12