# New aquarium ideas - 30 gallon cube



## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

Hi,

I was thinking about the following community tank setup, any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

my small tank : 30 gallon oceanic cube 20x20x19 inches

filter: fluval 306 canister filter (haven't bought yet -- is this a good choice for this setup?)

my plan:
1. select fish that look nice but are not giant waste producers...as that means more maintenance 
2. balance species between top, middle, bottom -- optimize for cube shape if possible 
3. figure out plant/aquascaping situation. I have no clue how to manage/ maintain aquarium plants.
4. do fishless cycle with ammonia, then gradually introduce species of interest that I decide on.

Fish (none purchased yet, but this is what I'm thinking)

middle of tank (centerpiece fish)
2-3 Pearl gouramis ( hopefully LFS can sex them so I avoid 2 males). I'm thinking 3 pearls might be too much for this 30gal cube tank if they grow to full size...but is 1 going to be too lonely? I'm thinking MF or FF or MFF. thoughts?

middle to top of tank:
school of 8-10 Harlequin Rasbora. also considered neons or other tetras instead...thoughts? 

bottom of tank : 
cherry shrimp. how many makes sense, if any? 

Alternative bottomfeeders I considered were Otto's (too fragile?), small non-common plecos that won't outgrow the tank (e.g. clown plecos -- do they produce a lot of waste and is 1 plenty for 30gal?

Does this mix of fish look good, is it appropriate for a cube- shaped aquarium? How heavily stocked would you consider this tank?

After I figure out what fish I will want to get later, then I'm hoping to get some help with plant selection if possible so I can start planting the tank etc.

thanks!
Z


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

update: I think I will probably want to stick to 1 Pearl gourami as a 29gallon cube isn't very big....thoughts?

Can 1 pearl gourami coexist with any other centerpiece fish? Any recommendations, given my setup?

*c/p*


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## Aeten (Aug 4, 2012)

Sounds like a good setup. Maybe add a catfish or pleco for the bottom, and if you're looking for a different tetra I personally got 2 of those glofish tetras and they are very cool; if you add a blue moonlight at night the tank will be mostly dark but they will fluoresce and it's really cool people just stare at my tank whenever they're over at night


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

zwanged said:


> 1. fluval 306 canister filter is this a good choice for this setup?
> 2. my plan
> 3. middle of tank (centerpiece fish) 2-3 Pearl gouramis
> 4. middle to top of tank: school of 8-10 Harlequin Rasbora
> ...


Z,

Welcome to the hobby!
1. I know canisters are great but I have no experience with Fluvals, I have a Magnum 350.
2. Sounds good. Plant before you cycle and it'll be faster.
3. You'll want to stick with one, probably. He shouldn't be a bother to other non-gouramis, but don't quote me on that.
4. Harlequins would be in the same water level as the gourami. For top swimmers consider glass cats, guppies, or hatchet fish. Watch out for jumpers with top swimmers.
5. & 6. I would do cherry shrimp, otos and snails. They're all low bio-load, so you could very easily have large groups of each. I've got ~30 RCS in my ten gallon, along with a veritable colony of pond snails. Different creatures enjoy different kinds of algae, waste, etc., so it's good to vary your cleanup crew.
7. I would say you're at capacity, maybe just a little under.
8. Depends on your substrate choice, lighting, injection of CO2, and fertilization. In general though, low-maintenance plants to consider are anubias, crypts, hygros, wisteria, java moss, java fern, anachris, and I'm probably missing a few others. With high light, injected CO2, fertilization and good substrate your plant options vary, but for now I would stick to a low-tech setup. It'll be easier on you and your creatures, until you've got your feet firmly under you and know what you're doing.

Hope this helps!


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