30 gal for Christmas

[freshienow]

I have been pretty much told that I am to receive a 30 gallon tank for Christmas. I was looking for any plausible suggestions of what to put in it. I want to have it planted with a sandy substrate most likely if that helps. I am especially interested in odd ball fish. In general I do not want it to just facilitate the needs of one fish I was hoping to create a community tank or semi aggressive set up but all suggestions are welcome!!

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

for a tank that size I'd go with a simple African oddball setup with Ctenopoma and butterflyfish...maybe a school of congo tetras if it is a 30 long

 

[Trimackeeper]

Mbunas'? Maybee?

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

Mbunas'? Maybee?

personally i think a 30 is too small for most mbuna...I'd go with smaller New World or Tanhanyikans if you want to go the cichlid route

 

[chesterthehero]

30s also too small for congo tetras.. they wouldnt outgrow it or anything.. but they do enjoy zipping from side to side..

 

[seds]

Go for a barb tank, you can have any of the following;

checkered barbs (checkers)
cherry barbs
tiger barbs (lots of varieties)
golden dwarf barbs (clear and yellow)
gold barbs (red fins on a goldish fish with a pale green bar of blotches)
green/halfstripe barbs (yellowish with greenish spots in a row)
black ruby barbs (black with red noses)
Odessa barbs (red and green)

I personally would pick 1 -3 species and stock them in large groups. If you chose 1 kind you could have a kind of catfish (cory or upside down)or danio or gourami(gold/blue maybe).

My choice:

Checkered barbs, I dunno 8 of them
gold/golden dwarf barbs, 8- 10 of them

Then you have 16-18 2 inch fishes and a nice display in a planted tank. Forming 2 shoals! Rosy, filament, Clown, Aerulus and Spanner barbs are all a bit too big for 30 gallons though. (To have in any number + plenty of space)

 

[killarbb]

might also look into a spiny eel, one of the smaller ones, maybe a peacock.

 

[cheeseburger]

tetras

 

[andro23]

How about 3-4 Dojo Loaches, 8-10 hatchet fish, 1 chocolate gourami. Dojos give you that eel/bichir effect perfect for a smaller tank...hatches are just kinda weird in a cool way and the Chocolate gourami are often times a bit challenging to keep. Put these fish on a sandy bottom some nice driftood maybe some rock and moderatly plant it and youd have a very interesting natural display

 

[woofy]

i liek the barb idea gold barbs with plants look really good. or u can do a small cichlid tank like my hubby said. i personally like brichardis they have such a unique color.