Getting started with a 30G

[Addison]

When I was younger I remember having a 15G tank but I never remember my mom doing water test or adding chemicals or even doing the starting cycle, none I that. So now I'm getting a 30G freshwater tank and was wondering if all of that is really necessary ( mainly the starting cycle that takes a month). My next question is if a heater is needed. My final question is what would be some great suggestions for fish for someone who is pretty much a newbie?

 

[jlk]

Check out the link below- it covers all the basics for setting up a fw tank and has links to both fish-in & fishless cycling. A heater will depend on the fish you plan on keeping. Tropicals will need a heater. Coldwater fish such as goldfish dont require a heater unless you have fluctuations in temps over the course of a day. Ask any questions you may have!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html

 

[Addison]

Thanks. Also what would be some fish I (a newbie) could put in a 30G. Also I find the bright and colorful killifish very attractive, would try be suitable for the tank?

 

[jlk]

I am not going to be of much help on stocking because I only have experience with coldwater fish. Hopefully, someon else will chime in with some suggestions!

 

[adam98150]

Generally killifish are quite small in size so you'd be perfectly fine having them in your aquarium. Just be aware they can be rather nippy at times, and they will limit stocking options. : )

 

[LyndaB]

Most killifish species are very short-lived, too. You'd have to check into individual species to see their expected life span.

My first tank was a 30 and I turned it into a community tank, which I loved.

I would recommend starting off with tetras. They are hardy and easy to keep, which gives confidence to a new fishkeeper.

My favorites for a new tank are red eye and serpae tetras. Black phantoms are also really pretty.

For your bottom level of the tank, I would recommend a school of corys, at least 5 of them. Pick one species of cory and build your school with that species.

For fun, you could have some amano shrimp, which are large enough to not get eaten by your tetras.

Let us know if there are any species you really like and we can help you build your stocking plan around that.

 

[Addison]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be going to the store today and I'll take a look and see what catches my eye.

 

[Addison]

Ok so I know that all these fish cant coexist with each other so I will tell all of you all of the ones that caught my eye and yal' can guide me in the right direction in choosing the best ones for me. The options are:
GloFish Electric Green Tetra
Tequila Sunrise Delta Guppy
Tiger Barb
Red-tailed Shark
Electric Yellow Labidochromis
Tiger Oscar Cichlid
Frontosa Cichlid
Dinosaur Bichir
Angelfish
Clown Loach
Leporinus Fasciatus
Pictus Catfish
Plecostomus
Auratus Cichlid
I know originally I said I would like to have killifish as my main/certain fish but they didnt have them and I cant afford to pay outrageous shipping coast at the moment so the list above is what I will have to work with.

 

[Addison]

Also the Black Ghost Knife Fish

 

[adam98150]

You could always research these guys your self but I'll try and help with a few. If it's a community tank you should avoid; the Black Ghost Knife, it has the potential to reach almost 2ft in length, and it'll eventually hoover up any small fish. The Oscar is also out of the question, they grow huge and are pretty mean. The tetras and guppies should be fine. Avoid most cichlids (although blue / gold / bolivian rams are a good choice) and the pictus cat / bichir (again grow large, predatory). On my phone so I can't view the list whilst I'm posting, those are all that I remembered.

Edit: The red-tail shark is very territorial, and needs ALOT of space. In the wild I'm pretty sure their territory is 6ft cubed.

Hope I helped, Adam.

 

[emerald76]

Ok so I know that all these fish cant coexist with each other so I will tell all of you all of the ones that caught my eye and yal' can guide me in the right direction in choosing the best ones for me. The options are:
GloFish Electric Green Tetra
Tequila Sunrise Delta Guppy
Plecostomus
I know originally I said I would like to have killifish as my main/certain fish but they didnt have them and I cant afford to pay outrageous shipping coast at the moment so the list above is what I will have to work with.

I deleted bad options
An angelfish MAY work but they are aggressive and eat small fish
The pleco would have to be a small one-
Pitbull
Clown
Bristlenose

 

[Addison]

Thanks for the help and to clarify something I meant to say "killifish as my main/center piece fish"

 

[Addison]

So I did some research on the aggressiveness and I've narrowed down my options to this:
One red tailed shark
One electric yellow labidochromis
Three angelfish
Three glofish electric green tetra
Two plecostomus
Does this sound like an ok match?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

So I did some research on the aggressiveness and I've narrowed down my options to this:
One red tailed shark
One electric yellow labidochromis
Three angelfish
Three glofish electric green tetra
Two plecostomus
Does this sound like an ok match?

Unfortunately not.
Red tail sharks require 55g minimum but 75 is better.
Yellow labs don't belong in community set ups. They are aggressive and should be kept with other lake Malawi mbuna.
Three angel fish will pose a bit of a problem if two pair off. I'd suggest one in a 30g.
Electric green tetras are genetically modified black skirt tetras. They require schools of 6+ but 8 or more is better to curb nipping behavior.
I'm assuming you mean common plecos? They get massive. Up to 2 foot long and require 125g for just the one. I would suggest bristlenose plecos. They max out around 5-6 inches. IMO you could have two of them in a 30g.