30 gal, planted, energetic tank set-up?

[taylorodw]

My goal is to have a 30 gal tank, heavily planted (I love how tanks with a lot of cover look) with driftwood and rocks.

I plan to have a school of at least 6 Tiger Barbs and haven't really decided much else as far as specific species - of fish or plants. I know I want energetic species.

I'm brand new to planting - I literally have no clue where to start. I'm going to check out books on the subject tomorrow. I know I'll need a soft substrate, and I'd prefer it be black.

What kind of gear will I need? I'm on a severe budget - I want to keep the price down while keeping my fish happy.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Da Squid]

The two cheap black substrates I'm thinking about are Turface and Aqua terra. From all I've heard they work just fine with plants without breaking the bank. A fine black gravel wouldn't be out of the question either.

 

[taylorodw]

A Craigslist dude is selling the following:

30 gallon long glass fish tank with glass top $25
Tetra whisper 60 power filter with extra refills $20
Hydor 200W heater $10

Would all of this be a good set-up? Is the filter worth $20 or should I just grab the tank and heater?

Please lemme know if you've got any advice as I should be calling the guy in about two hours.

I am quite excited to get a 30 gal tank up and running ASAP!

 

[meegosh]

If it were me I wouldn't buy that filter. I would spend an extra $9 and for $29.99 get a AquaClear 50. That's just my personal preference. I run one on my 30g long and absolutely love it. For $10 I would just get that heater. Sounds like a good deal.

 

[taylorodw]

Thanks for the advice but after comparing features they seem to be pretty similar and this one is cheap. Plus the dude wanted to sell them together so he cut me a little better deal and threw in a light.

So, I've got the tank, filter, heater, and light. I'm off to the library!

Edit: The library closes 10 minutes from now, so no go. Anybody have good online resources for learning how to create planted tanks?

 

[meegosh]

There is a really good thread on here about planted tanks and getting one started, it was started by pitt420dude.

Pittdude's thread:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/ive-jumped-over-the-planted-tank-fence-101208.html

Joy (purrbox) also wrote a fantastic article about getting started with planted tanks:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/36/1/So-You-Want-a-Planted-Aquarium-/Page1.html

Also check the sticky in the planted tanks section, it is filled with several links, probably more information than you know what to do with.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/read-this-first-resources-and-references-83826.html

 

[taylorodw]

Thanks so much! Joy (purrbox)'s article was just what I needed, in addition to the 5 books I checked out at the library this morning and have been reading voraciously. I am still wondering if my 20-watt light will be enough even for a low-light, no CO2 set-up.

After careful consideration I've decided to wait to start the tank, because I am low on funds. Funds are a problem because:

I don't have a test kit
I don't trust the substrate the tank came with (it could have had any kinds of diseases)
I don't have any plants
I am still learning without the tank running, and the more I know the better the tank can be.

So now, I have started thinking about possible occupants. I have 5 tiger barbs and I think I want 7. I was also thinking:

Yoyo Loaches - 3. Wikipedia said a 30 gal tank could support 3 Yoyo Loaches. I know they like to be in shoals. Would 3 make them happy? Is it true that they would fit in my tank? I know they grow up to 5 inches, and I know that a heavily-planted tank with lots of hiding places would suit them. They have fairly large fins but since they're not flowing, would the Tiger Barbs bother them?

Some sort of dwarf cichlid. Are any small enough to fit in a 30 gal? Would Tiger Barbs or Yoyo Loaches be a problematic mix? I know many cichlids are temperamental.

Another active schooling fish (similar size and temperament to Tiger Barbs) with colors contrasting those of a Tiger Barb.

What do you guys think? With 7 Tiger Barbs, that's about 9-10 inches of fish. 3 Yoyo Loaches would be 15. The Dwarf Cichlid is TBD. And I don't know about the other species. But I don't know. Thoughts?

And thanks for the help.

 

[taylorodw]

Hey, just bumping the thread, and also wondering what would make it easier to clean the tank? I've just been scrubbing away with a sponge never used before, and tap water, but some of this gunk refuses to budge!

Is it easier to fill it with water, then clean it?

 

[joy13]

I use vinegar to clean used tanks it usually takes off most of the gunk. I take a cloth soaked in vinegar and lay it on the tank where I am going to clean.

Keep your eyes out for deals on plant packages on here it is cheaper to get one package than 3 or 4 separate plants since you will have to pay postage each time.

 

[taylorodw]

Thanks I will be trying with vinegar ASAP

I just got $250 "bonus" unexpected money (long story)... SWEET. This tank will be ready to roll as soon as I get the stand.

 

[stevenjoseph82]

If you're still looking for fish ideas, and you want energetic, I'd suggest some Flying Foxes. Some don't recommend more than one, but I've had no trouble with 3 at a time (now 2). They're super fast and don't get too big (4-5 inches). They could get away from the Tiger Barbs, and they can dish it out as good as they get it!

I wouldn't recommend dwarf cichlids with the tiger barbs...that's just me though. I had 3 tiger barbs and saw what they can do to slow moving fish (I only had 3, and now I know that wasn't enough). Plus, if you had say, ram cichlids, they are too shy and would probably get stressed by the barbs buzzing around...

The flying foxes are just one suggestion though. There are tons of species that would mix well with tigers...