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30 Gallon Journal

52K views 1K replies 31 participants last post by  Elsewhere 
#1 ·
I got my aunt's 30 gallon on Sunday March 24th, 2013. It was filled with sand and covered in Hermit Crab crap. After three hours of meticulous cleaning, everything was cleared out and ready to go. On Monday March 25th, 2013, I set the tank up empty in my living room. Today, March 27th, 2013, I purchased all I would need for the tank, including:
One 22lb bag of gravel
Three 4.4lb bags of gravel
One Aqueon Quiet Flow 30 Aquarium Filter
One Fluval Submersible Heater, 100 WATTS
One Thermometer
One Greek Pavilion
One thoroughly cleaned used Greek vase type thing
One thoroughly cleaned used wood decoration
One Gravel Vacuum
One thing that makes bubbles

I set it up about an hour ago and got it filled with water and running and everything is working GREAT. I have a massive, long plan on how this will work, which I will put on in a minute. This is my stocking plan:
1 Pearl Gourami
9 Bloodfin Tetras
6 Otocinclus
4-5 Mystery Snails
4-6 Ghost Shrimp

Here is my overall plan:
1. Get the tank set up empty and plant-less, run it for two weeks empty to judge the quality of the products.
2. Buy four plants, buy two snails.
3. Two weeks later: buy four plants, buy two snails.
4. Two weeks later: buy four plants, buy two shrimp.
5. Two weeks later: buy four plants, buy two shrimp.
6. Two weeks later: buy 6 Otocinclus, QT for two weeks, add to tank if healthy.
7. Two weeks later: buy 5 Bloodfin Tetras, QT for two weeks, add to tank if healthy.
8. Two weeks later: buy 4 Bloodfin Tetras, QT for two weeks, add to tank if healthy.
9. Two weeks later: buy Gourami, QT for two weeks, add to tank if healthy.

The QT tanks I have are a 5g and a 2.5g, but I'm hoping to keep the 2.5g as a Betta Emergency QT if someone gets sick... Plus, I think these fish are too big for that kind of tank :p

Here are some pictures of the 30g:





What do you think? I've been planning this for months and it will take months more to complete.
 
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#3 ·
Okay... So in two Sundays I will get my plants, and I am thinking I might speed up my process a bit. I'll be getting two green cabomba plants and two medium sword plants as well, and every Sunday I'll be going until I think the tank looks nice enough :D I had previously thought my brother's baseball practice was every two weeks, so I scheduled around that, as his practices are in the closest place to me that sells live plants. I'm thinking of stocking with these:
Green Cabomba
Water Wisteria
Medium Sword
Anubias
Corkscrew Vallisneria
Money Wart
Java Fern

It's a lot, but I'll be spacing things out and possibly trying to find other kinds of plants that just grow along the bottom... I'm unsure how many of each I'm getting besides the swords and cabomba, for now, but hopefully I'll have it all mapped out by the end of the weekend.
 
#5 ·
Thank you so much for the warning! I heard that Gouramis were usually peaceful, but I guess shrimp just get the bad end of everything :/ But otherwise, is everything else okay to be with each other? I won't be getting them for about a month or so, so I have plenty of time to reorganize.
 
#7 · (Edited)
My aunt has been trying to convince me to drop the nippy Tetras and the Gourami and go with Guppies and something calmer... I've always loved Guppies, but I've been set on this stocking for a long while... In her opinion, I should get rid of everything but the snails, get a bunch of Guppies, some kind of shark and a calmer schooling fish. I'm considering it, but not too much. I was thinking to keep my Tetras at 9 (a number I like personally in schooling fish) I would get rid of one snail and one Oto in the whole scheme of things... Maybe that would help a bit :p

My dad says he'll take me to PetSmart for my first plants sometime this week before Sunday, so I'll update then! Doing the first WC tomorrow, which should be a learning experience :p

EDIT::: I forgot to mention that I had also been considering doing a sorority for the big tank... If I were to do so, I think I would aim for 9-12 girls and possibly some kind of bottom dweller like Cories or Otos, but I am unsure if that's even in the cards at this point.
 
#8 ·
About to go and do the first WC for the tank :D I added the first plant last night, water wisteria. It was in one of my Betta tanks, but it kept getting uprooted because the stones in there are too big :/ So now it resides in the corner behind the log, I'll add pictures when there are more plants ^.^ I've been trying to figure out how to baffle the filter, and I'm on my second shot with the water bottle one... Hopefully by the end of Easter it'll be all good to go!
 
#9 ·
Posting on this more than I thought I would... Writing thoughts down not to forget:

New stocking ideas, have heard some Tetra horror stories and that they are too nippy. Have also heard that it's hit and miss with any kind of Gourami -_- Possibly:

7-9 Rosy Barbs
4 or 5 Otocinclus
5 or 6 Guppies

7-9 Rosy Babrs
4 or 5 Otocinclus
Either Blue, Pearl or Dwarf Gourami

4 or 5 Otocinclus
6 Guppies
6 Micky Mouse Platies
Possibly a Gourami, probably not

Make it a sorority of 8-12 girls with a school of Rosy Barbs

Breed Bettas?

I really don't know. There are WAY too many possibilities and I don't know which to choose from. I don't have a clue what I'm doing here. ERG.
 
#10 ·
OKAY. I've decided on a sorority and my plans are speeding ahead. This will be my stock:

9 female Bettas
5 or 6 Albino Corydoras
3 Mystery Snails

All of my local pet store get their Bettas in this Friday, so Friday night and/or all day Saturday I'll be "oot and aboot" picking up females. This week I'm getting their tanks ready :D I actually have room for them all if I add in some favours from people and get some make-shift tanks!

I will also have to buy my plants in bulk, sadly, which could screw up some things... But I'll put them in slowly, daily, and have them temporarily in other tanks... Lots to do and lots of money to save :p
 
#11 ·
OKAY! Gotten another new plant for the tank, added two snails last night, getting most of the girls and 4-8 new plants tonight! Coming along well, added some Seachem Flourish yesterday for the first time... Hoping all goes well!
 
#12 ·
I got the seven girls! That makes nine in total. I'll put pics and names up tomorrow... All seven new girls are VT and my two current girls are HMPK. I'm getting a bunch of plants on Sunday, and then every opportunity for the next two weeks. I might have to QT for 3 weeks just to get plants... I'll be getting the Albino Cories after the girls are done with QT-ing.
 
#13 ·
The girls all seem to still be doing great, getting a crap load of plants today- sale at PetSmart!
 
#14 ·
Just got back from PetSmart with the plants! They accidentally gave me too extras without charging >:D I got:

Two Water Wisteria
Four Cabomba
Three (supposed to be two) Java Ferns
One Anubias
Three (supposed to be two) Jungle Valisneria
One Medium Sword

I also added yesterday two dying Corkscrew Valisneria from one of my other tanks, so all of this is added on to the Medium Sword and Water Wisteria that was originally there... PICTURES:







I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just talking to myself :p Probably... No big deal! XDXDXD
 
#17 ·
Yay, peoples! XD I thought I was going a LITTLE BIT crazy LOL I added a baffle to the filter today, as my plants kept getting uprooted by he snails and then the filter just made it worse... Everything has been replanted to the VERY BOTTOM of the gravel now :D

My dog is a little too interested in this. She just sits there, staring at the tank, waiting for something to move aha. Oh, and my cat is very interested in the fish on my desk... he won't leave them alone!

The plants are growing like CRAZY in the short two days I've had them; I added a tiny bit more Seachem Flourish (it says once a week for 60 gallons, the cap filled, so I fill half of the cap and do that once a week) but I'm trying to get the whole every water changing day (Sunday) think going in my brain.
 
#18 ·
So the girls are doing great, and the two that had ripped fins (Hestia and Gaia) seem all better! I have decided that after I put the girls in the tank I'll put my boys in a divided 10g. While I have the space for them both to have their own 10 gallons each, my mum is super mad about the expenses of running so many tanks :/ Right now I have six going, and after everyone is in their own tanks it will be reduced to two.

I still haven't told my aunt about my change of heart to a sorority. She gave me the tank and wanted input on what I did to it, but so far I don't have the courage to tell her about the girls. I can already feel her shameful look... I guess she'll find out when she comes down this weekend and casually sees the 11 Bettas hanging out around my room XD
 
#19 ·
Some of my swords from my other tanks have blossomed and I collected EIGHT NEW SWORDS for the 30g!!! They have all been planted :D It WAS nine, but looking away for two seconds lost one to my dog... Stupid Holly XD But hey, eight is still PRETTY AWESOME!
 
#20 ·
So I went into a pet store for kitten stuff today... And came out with a brilliantly white female Betta with the potential of red fins... Whoops! My bad! Guess I should keep her and call her number ten! XD
 
#21 ·
Little number ten is doing much better, cleaning all tanks but the 30g today :D
 
#22 ·
So there was a huge sale on Albino Cories at PetSmart, so I casually got the five earlier than expected... Little Hestia's fin is almost completely healed now, which is great! The Cories are doing awesome too! Tomorrow I'll be doing a WC and adding more Seachem Flourish :D
 
#23 ·
Everyone is doing great- but me :( I've got the flu, so I'm trying to get my mum to do container water changes. Errrg and my filter is broken (thank you warranty!) so I'm getting my dad to return it tomorrow and get a new one...
 
#24 ·
Okay, taking the filter back for a new one hopefully Sunday, as it is officially not working >.< The girls will be going in on Sunday after the filter is replaced and next Sunday the Cories will join them!
 
#25 ·
Got a new girl today, will update with pics of all 11 Bettas soon! Possibly some of the Cories, if they would hold still!
 
#26 ·
Here are all the girls and some of the Cories!

Themis:


Artemis:


Aphrodite:


Demeter:


Hera:


Athena:


Andromeda:


Hestia:


Pandora:


Gaia:


Kassiandra (new girl):


Hades/Poseidon/Zeus/Apollo/Ares (I am unsure who is who!) :



Sorry for sloppy pics and bad lighting on some- there's a huge storm rolling in and the sky is BLACK so I'm just using my desk lamp.
 
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