30 Gallon ideas!

[HayleYoyo]

Hey guys!

I got a 30 gallon tank, and I'm not sure what I want to do with it.

I made a list of what I'm thinking of putting in it. Obviously, I'm not getting all these fish, and obviously I'm not going to put fish together that don't belong.

If like to get your thoughts or suggestions

Here it is:

Substrate: mixture of Green Gravel and Pool sand. Or just the gravel.

Scapping: Hard Scapped with Rocks. The tank came with the Heavy mother of a rock, and I'd like to use it

Background: black

Plants: Duck weed, and other floating pants

Finally,

fish: One Single shrimp.... just kidding.

Fish:

Either: one Betta, or fancy Guppy's

Rummy Nose Tetras, or Neon Tetras

Oto/panda/ or Cory catfish

Other: Nirite snail, blue shrimp, dwarf frog

Thoughts??

[newbiez2]

HAYLEYOYO, how about bright red corals?

They would look awesome on the black background.

[tanksalot360]

If you'd like rooted plants in the future, I'd recommend something like a bag of active substrate/soil- like fluval stratum - Maybe ramped up in the back half of the tank. Add the rinsed pool filter sand in the front. Your large rock a bit off centre - maybe glue some java moss or Christmas moss onto it before it goes on the tank. Active substrate will cycle the tank for you without fish, just wait to add fish until you get good readings. Maybe someone can help speed things up with some seeded filter media from a pest free tank - until the ammonia released from the substrate is neutralized. Floating plants will help too! Call me a nature lover, but I'd recommend against the green gravel but that's up to you.

As for fish, start with the tetras, then add guppies OR your betta, once there's a biofilm/ some algae add the nerites and frogs in a month or so. Frogs will like hornwort or guppy grass. Add shrimp last but a betta might chase shrimp depending on their personality and if they're fed regularly. If guppies instead of betta you might get away with having shrimp in there, but they may chase small cherry shrimp when older - but both can reproduce in relative harmony. Cories should get along with everyone. Ottos should go into the tank once most stable and established.

Add plants along the way - safe to work with low light plants given most tanks come with underpowered lighting.

My 2 cents