Setting up 30g planted

[FrightyDog]

I'm setting up a tank to put my new fish in. I currently have a 10 and 5, but keep in my I stocked knowing I was getting these soon. My LFS went out of business so they were dirt cheap and alone.
5: 3x white Mountain minnows, 1 sunset platy
10: 4 zebra danio, 1 betta, 2 oto, 1 emerald cory, 3 adf, 1 clown loach
I'm going to combine them , but I'm afraid the tank is too big for the ADF. I'm getting LED lighting too. Anything else I should get? Eventually down the road I plan to get a carbon thingy, but for now any necessities?

 

[ImACoolguy]

I'm setting up a tank to put my new fish in. I currently have a 10 and 5, but keep in my I stocked knowing I was getting these soon. My LFS went out of business so they were dirt cheap and alone.
5: 3x white Mountain minnows, 1 sunset platy
10: 4 zebra danio, 1 betta, 2 oto, 1 emerald cory, 3 adf, 1 clown loach
I'm going to combine them , but I'm afraid the tank is too big for the ADF. I'm getting LED lighting too. Anything else I should get? Eventually down the road I plan to get a carbon thingy, but for now any necessities?

I would stock it like this:

5g: betta tank- they can be very aggressive.

10g: 3 ADF and bump up the numbers if you want.

30g: everything else. Bump up the cories to 5+ as they like schools and ditch the clown loach if you can as they like schools and get huge. Though if you can't find a home immediately no need to panic as they grow VERY slowly. Platy are also social with other platy.

Are these tanks cycled?


Caleb

 

[FrightyDog]

What I'm saying is I want one big tank but I think I should dump a school. The 5 and ten is what I currently have and they are doing fine but I'm gonna combine them. The ten I've had for two years and it's cycled my betta is very nice. I had him since he was a baby (local breeder) and the 5 is about half a year. The 30 is my new one

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[ImACoolguy]

Technically IMO you could do everything but the betta. Bettas are unpredictable and can turn a territorial killer at any given time.

As long as the tank is under 24 inches tall the ADF will be fine. After 24 inches they can struggle to get to the surface.

The clown loach still stands though, it's going to get too big for this size tank, and likes groups of 5+ like most other loaches.


Caleb

 

[FrightyDog]

I've had him a year with all those fish and not a single incident. My little guy is great. Thanks for the frog Stat though I wanted that. I know about the loach but I can't find a good home for it.
Any plant experts on what I should dose the tank with, should I put rocks and sand on top?

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[ImACoolguy]

I've had him a year with all those fish and not a single incident. My little guy is great. Thanks for the frog Stat though I wanted that. I know about the loach but I can't find a good home for it.
Any plant experts on what I should dose the tank with, should I put rocks and sand on top?

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Pick gravel or sand. Mixed substrates usually look awful after gravity takes over and jumbles it up. This is coming from experience

Sand is much cleaner and easier to work with though when it comes to plants.

With the betta, that's what I meant, they are unpredictable and just because he likes his mates today doesn't mean he will tommorow. There was a user on here that had a betta in a community tank for a long time, came home one day and the whole tank was dead except for the betta and some snails, ever since it won't allow any fish with it.


Caleb

 

[DocOck]

Pick gravel or sand. Mixed substrates usually look awful after gravity takes over and jumbles it up. This is coming from experience

Sand is much cleaner and easier to work with though when it comes to plants.

With the betta, that's what I meant, they are unpredictable and just because he likes his mates today doesn't mean he will tommorow. There was a user on here that had a betta in a community tank for a long time, came home one day and the whole tank was dead except for the betta and some snails, ever since it won't allow any fish with it.


Caleb

The tank could have had an oxygen shortage and the beta survived because of its modified lung sac.


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[DocOck]

Also what sand would you recommend? I've wanted to do sand for a planted, but I have not found any with installed nutrients?


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[ImACoolguy]

The tank could have had an oxygen shortage and the beta survived because of its modified lung sac.


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That's where the "it won't allow any other fish with it now" part comes in


Caleb