30 gallon tank. Need help, I'm new here.

[BigDadddy]

Started a 30 gallon tank for the family, especially my two boys. I haven't had a tank in 15 years, but I'm not sure a lot has changed. I wanted to seek some advice/consultation as well as some thoughts on how to stock my tank. Feel free to discuss all or just a few of my topics.

1) planted? If so, what can I plant that could thrive with minimal light requirements, just the bulb that came with the tank.....or do I invest in lights?? How planted do I go.
2) how do I build a cool environment, like hiding spots and such?
3) I'm doing a fish in cycle with 4 danios in there right now. Tank is about a week old. Was planning on adding a few fish per weekend over the next few months. Thoughts on how to safely add fish?
4) stocking ideas? I am open to any and all suggestions. In fact this is the point I would like the most opinions on. I am completely aware that everything is preference but I want to make sure I'm not making BIG mistakes.

6-8 zebra danios
7-8 cherry barbs
3-4 Cory cats.... Not sure which ones
2 African dwarf frogs (my boys request)
1 crab/crayfish/shrimp. Not sure which would work
1 dwarf gourami

Is this a good combo?
What kind of plants or other decor?
How do I add them?
Any major concerns here?

Thanks,
Big Dadddy

 

[Ljk09]

Started a 30 gallon tank for the family, especially my two boys. I haven't had a tank in 15 years, but I'm not sure a lot has changed. I wanted to seek some advice/consultation as well as some thoughts on how to stock my tank. Feel free to discuss all or just a few of my topics.

1) planted? If so, what can I plant that could thrive with minimal light requirements, just the bulb that came with the tank.....or do I invest in lights?? How planted do I go.
2) how do I build a cool environment, like hiding spots and such?
3) I'm doing a fish in cycle with 4 danios in there right now. Tank is about a week old. Was planning on adding a few fish per weekend over the next few months. Thoughts on how to safely add fish?
4) stocking ideas? I am open to any and all suggestions. In fact this is the point I would like the most opinions on. I am completely aware that everything is preference but I want to make sure I'm not making BIG mistakes.

6-8 zebra danios
7-8 cherry barbs
3-4 Cory cats.... Not sure which ones
2 African dwarf frogs (my boys request)
1 crab/crayfish/shrimp. Not sure which would work
1 dwarf gourami

Is this a good combo?
What kind of plants or other decor?
How do I add them?
Any major concerns here?

Thanks,
Big Dadddy

Your crayfish may try to kill your frogs. I'm not sure on it but i would think so.

 

[blert]

Keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrite levels. Don't add any more fish until your biofilter can handle the current load. When you see that the nitrate has risen and ammonia/nitrite are at zero then it is time for a couple/few more fish, then repeat.

The crayfish may eat anything it can get its claws on.

Plant as light or as heavy as you like. Low light plants to consider include (but are not limited to) Wisteria, Crypts, Java (fern and moss), Lemon Bacopa, Bleheri Sword, Anubias, H. Corymbosa, etc.

Many plant groups, caves made of rock and/or driftwood, and misc decor make for good cover.

 

[Rivercats]

You could do a planted tank but what is your substrate? For stock lighting you are very limited to plants that will work. Anubia, Java Fern, and possibly Crypts are about the only ones you could do. If down the road you want to up grade you lights to a T5HO 2 bulb fixture you could grow alot of different plants. As for right now see if you can find a nice piece of DW that you could tie some anubias and java ferns on. As for stocking, I'd say skip the crayfish/crab/shrimp idea with dwarf frogs in the tank. Also you need to be sure the frogs are getting enough to eat as fish will usually out compete them for food. Target feeding them is a good idea. For fish in a 30g I'd do 6 of the danios (so you need to up your school by 2), then I'd do a different type body shaped fish like White skirt tetra's (6) and possibly Harlequin Rasboras (6) for variety. Then a school of 6 cory cats or 3 yo-yo loaches, or 6 Kuhli loaches. But not sure if the frogs would try to eat the Kuhli's. If you didn't do frogs you could get some ghost shrimp and see how they would do in your tank.

 

[Rivercats]

Forgot to post this link so you could look at tons of different types/styles of tank to give you some idea's.... Your Tanks - Browsing

 

[Kellie]

Before getting the African Dwarf Frogs, read up on chytrid fungus. I lost 2 frogs to it, and its nasty stuff, wont effect your fish but a ton of the frogs you buy are already infected with it. If you want to lower your chances buy them somewhere that has them in water seperate from African clawed frogs (they are carriers of the fungus but don't die from it so they usually spread it to any other frogs they are homed with). And if the worst happens don't replace the frogs for at least two months thats how long it takes for the fungus to work itself out of your tank when it doesn't have a frog host to kill. I read up on a preventative treatment on it that I'm going to try, I got two more and put them in a seperate tank from where the first two died, I read if you catch it before its symptomatic treatment usually works. Not trying to scare you, but my BF cried his eyes out over these two frogs and then come to find out very few of them live past two months of purchase.

And for cories I <3 pandas!

 

[BigDadddy]

Thanks for all the heads up so far. It's nice to have a forum where advice is well intended and not to support the sale of certain products.

I appreciate the help, and will continue to seek advice here.

Anybody else have good stocking ideas for me??

Big Dadddy