French51 said:
Hello iv just brought a juwel rio 125 tank I believe it's around 30 gallons I have 3 x silver dollars all small was thinking about putting a firemouth cichlid with them and a golden nugget plec also either a tiger Oscar or a blue acara not sure what to do I'd upgrade tank size once fish grew larger heeeeeelppppppp lol
30 gallons is way too small for any of the fish you have listed there, including the silver dollars. You really shouldn't stock a tank with fish that get too large for the tank eventually, but instead stock for the adult size of the fish. You risk the possibility of stunting their growth if you keep them in a tank that is too small, and even when you plan to upgrade soon enough sometimes life gets in the way and you can't do it in time. Stunting can shorten a fish's life substantially, as the body won't grow but the organs still do, resulting in various health issues. Also, as oceangirl said. The fish you are thinking of aren't compatible with each other even in a suitable tank. Cichlids should not be mixed in terms of various american cichlids in the same tank, South / Central American and African, or Africans from different lakes. As a general rule, oscars need around 75 gallons for one by itself, as they are large messy fish. I believe firemouths have similar needs in terms of tank size as well, although I think one could do ok in a 55. I'm not very experienced with the more aggressive cichlids, the only cichlids I've kept successfully have been angelfish. I've never had a tank large enough for africans or the more aggressive south american species like oscars or firemouths. The blue acara is another south American cichlid and needs more than 30 gallons as well. In general, the only cichlids suitable for a 30 gallon would be a pair of angelfish, a pair of rams, or other dwarf cichlids like african shell dwellers. Silver dollars and most species of Pleco, including the gold nugget, are only suitable for very large tanks. Many plecos can grow to be over a foot long and have a very large bioload. However, some species like the bristlenose, rubber lip, and pit bull Pleco can be kept in a 30 gallon because they only grow to 4-6 inches long. Those silver dollars may be small now, but they get pretty large.
I definitely don't want to rain on your parade or make you want to give up on the hobby. There are lots of cool fish that can live happily in a 30 gallon, just not the large fish you want for it. Do yourself a favor and either rehome the silver dollars and stock your tank with smaller fish, or go ahead and get yourself a large tank (preferably over 100 gallons) and keep the silver dollars and add maybe one of the fish you listed. Trying to keep three potentially large fish in a 30 gallon will cause you nothing but frustration in the long run, because the bioload will be too large for the tank to handle. Speaking of the bioload, have you cycled this tank yet?