Stocking 30 galon freshwater

[Greg5530]

OK guys I'm new to this whole aquarium process And am just about complete doing a fish less cycle omg takes forever but Need some ideas for stocking my 30 gallon tank. How many fish should I have all together and what are some good types. I have maintained a 7.5 ph with no major fluctuations. Temp is maintained between 76-78 with a heater. Because I did a fish less cycle I am supposed to have awesome bacteria lol whatever that means. Open to suggestions! Thanks guys and gals great site I don't know what I would do without it.

 

[tottenham12712]

This tool helped me out greatly: AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

Check out congo tetras they look pretty cool, Id also recommend some cory cats. You basically looking for peacecful fish that can grow up to 3" or so. A great place to research fish is LiveAquaria < google it . You can also buy from them but I have not done so, so I wouldnt want to recommend something I have not tried.

EDIT: How many fish? Its up to how active of a fish you buy, how good your filter is, and how dedicated to water changes do you want to be.

 

[emerald76]

This tool helped me out greatly: AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

Check out congo tetras they look pretty cool, Id also recommend some cory cats. You basically looking for peacecful fish that can grow up to 3" or so. A great place to research fish is LiveAquaria < google it . You can also buy from them but I have not done so, so I wouldnt want to recommend something I have not tried.

EDIT: How many fish? Its up to how active of a fish you buy, how good your filter is, and how dedicated to water changes do you want to be.

Remember Aq Advisor is just a guide not a hard rule
I would do-
5- Male Guppies or 3- Male Mollies
10- Cories
1- Bolivian Ram or Kribensis
2- Albino Longfin Bristlenose plecos

 

[Abelldm]

I have a 30G right now and love waking up to new fry (baby fish) so I got livebearers I got entire generations out of my first two fish (mollies) later I switched to guppies because of their uncountable color and designs combinations and thats what I have now and I'm really happy with them and since they breed like rabbits if you ever get over populated you might find a fish store that might buy a few out of you either with real money or store credit which is still good

The thing about all livebearers is that they are tropical fish so you can have all types in a single tank - guppy, Molly, platy, and swordtail

As for any other type of fish most if not all types of tetra are good but they are schooling fish so you have to buy at least 3-5 of each kind

Angel fish are a nice addition but can grow quite large and do tend to fight so supervision is required when ever adding some it's mostly recommended to be kept in angels only tanks or with tetras

A corydoras catfish their fun little guys to watch and help you keep your tank clean but their also schooling fish so 3 or more

Dwarf frogs do good in a tropical tank setting nice addition too

A loach fish ( scavenger ) he is nocturnal so have a hissing place for him during the day

I have a firebelly newt and he is the star of my tank but he does tend to hunt the fry every now and then

Ghost shrimp are cheap and don't take much space either

Fresh water craps in my experience don't bother the fish but you have to have a good completely sealed lid they are escape masters and if they out you need to find them quickly or they'll die just make sure you also have something so they can swim up and rest above the water level

In Oder to have a nice tank you want to see fish all over it some fish tend to swim mostly in the bottom other middle and top so just get a few of each

And as with any type of fish that you get the best thing to do is research it see what it likes ( habitat wise) how big do they grow are they going to out grow your tank if they do what are going to do with it basic things like that so you can keep them happy a happy fish is a healthy one

And as for how many to get the usual rule of thumb is a gallon of water per every inch of fully grown fish meaning if all your fish grow to a max size of an inch and you have a 35g tank then you can get 35 if they grow to two inch then 17 and so on

Hope this helped if any questions please feel free to ask

 

[emerald76]

I have a 30G right now and love waking up to new fry (baby fish) so I got livebearers I got entire generations out of my first two fish (mollies) later I switched to guppies because of their uncountable color and designs combinations and thats what I have now and I'm really happy with them and since they breed like rabbits if you ever get over populated you might find a fish store that might buy a few out of you either with real money or store credit which is still good

The thing about all livebearers is that they are tropical fish so you can have all types in a single tank - guppy, Molly, platy, and swordtail

As for any other type of fish most if not all types of tetra are good but they are schooling fish so you have to buy at least 3-5 of each kind

Angel fish are a nice addition but can grow quite large and do tend to fight so supervision is required when ever adding some it's mostly recommended to be kept in angels only tanks or with tetras

A corydoras catfish their fun little guys to watch and help you keep your tank clean but their also schooling fish so 3 or more

Dwarf frogs do good in a tropical tank setting nice addition too

A loach fish ( scavenger ) he is nocturnal so have a hissing place for him during the day

I have a firebelly newt and he is the star of my tank but he does tend to hunt the fry every now and then

Ghost shrimp are cheap and don't take much space either

Fresh water craps in my experience don't bother the fish but you have to have a good completely sealed lid they are escape masters and if they out you need to find them quickly or they'll die just make sure you also have something so they can swim up and rest above the water level

In Oder to have a nice tank you want to see fish all over it some fish tend to swim mostly in the bottom other middle and top so just get a few of each

And as with any type of fish that you get the best thing to do is research it see what it likes ( habitat wise) how big do they grow are they going to out grow your tank if they do what are going to do with it basic things like that so you can keep them happy a happy fish is a healthy one

And as for how many to get the usual rule of thumb is a gallon of water per every inch of fully grown fish meaning if all your fish grow to a max size of an inch and you have a 35g tank then you can get 35 if they grow to two inch then 17 and so on

Hope this helped if any questions please feel free to ask

The inch per gal rule doesn't work. It lets you put oscars in ten gallon tanks.

 

[librarygirl]

A 30 gal is a good size. There are many options -- too many to name really. Are there any fish you're interested in? I suggest going to a few local fish stores and see what they have available (don't let them sell you anything lol) and write down the names of fish you like and then research them and ask here. Having some suggestions to start with will let us help you pin down the stocking better.

 

[Abelldm]

The inch per gal rule doesn't work. It lets you put oscars in ten gallon tanks.

I wouldn't say it doesn't work as with all rules they are exceptions and technically is more of a guideline trying to keep you away from over populating which gives you a whole world with problems if your not careful by keeping a close eye on sickness and water quality but yeah I get what your trying to say

 

[Greg5530]

Well Librarygirl I started out with Zebra Dianos and Fancy Guppies I liked them until they died. Tetras are nice I was thinking maybe the Neon ones that glow in the dark or with a black light on them. Cory Cats are nice I like how they just kinda sit on the bottom of the tank. Correction I have a TWENTY GALLON TANK.

 

[emerald76]

Well Librarygirl I started out with Zebra Dianos and Fancy Guppies I liked them until they died. Tetras are nice I was thinking maybe the Neon ones that glow in the dark or with a black light on them. Cory Cats are nice I like how they just kinda sit on the bottom of the tank. Correction I have a TWENTY GALLON TANK.

The glow in the dark tetras you want aren't tetras. They are genetically modified zebra danios known as glofish. The blacklight is bad for them and I would not use it if you want a school of them

 

[librarygirl]

You could do something like:

6 Panda, Dwarf or Pygmy cory
8 Neon tetra (or Glofish if you like those better; I'd use your normal aquarium light and not a black light though)
3-4 guppies if you like them (all males would prevent babies, but it's up to you)
1 sparkling or dwarf gourami as a centerpiece (optional) -- don't get any of the larger type of gourami

 

[Yaggey]

This is what I did in my 30 gallon and loved it.

8 tiger barbs
A pair of kribensis

The kribensis are cool to watch and usually only aggressive when breeding.

Tiger barbs are crazy, which makes them entertaining.

I would read up on them first, but If you want an exciting tank, that's what i would do.