30G possibilities?

[Ogertron3000]

After 6 months in the new house I am still no closer to getting my 120G 4x2x2 up and running again. Between renovations, work, kid and social obligations I haven't had time to set it up and couldn't even imagine finding the time to maintain it. To top it off my wife says teh stand colour doesn't match the new decor and it's too big and bulky to set up until all the renovations are complete in case we need to move it for some reason.
I saw some 90cm x 42cm x 36cm 30G starter tanks cheap as hell at a shop yesterday. My wife actually wanted me to buy one there and then. I am considering getting one as I am missing having a tank, I was planning a firemouth semi biotope for the 120G. Realistically it will be the only tank for at least a year, do you guys think it's too small for a crew of firemouths for 12months minimum? Another idea I had was a solo Salvini with maybe 4 or 5 swordtails, if I did this I could either transfer it to the 120G eventually or leave it their and set up the big tank for something else. Do you think these would work or is it too small. Obviously waterchanges etc. will be a lot quicker , easier and more frequent in a smaller tank so that's why I'm leaning that way for now rather than have no tank. I also have all the filters from the 120 I could use on the small tank so that won't be an issue.
Also any other small C.A cichlids you think could work in the smaller tank?

 

[duanes]

After I moved to Panama, it took me 3 years to get a tank set up.
I also had a similar problem in that the stand and canopy it came with, made in look like a dark
imposing monolith on the patio where the 6 ft foot tank was going.
I ended up ditching both (stand and canopy), and using some steel reinforced pallets painted black for a much less bulky look.

A 30 gal is a very small footprint for most cichlids, could work as a grow out for cichlid fry, or...
if your water is soft, South America dwarfs like Rams or Apistogramma, if you water is hard, a few rift lake shell dwellers, or maybe a pair of A nanoluteus.
Etroplus maculatus is also a thought (the orange chromide) these are ready available (maybe in Australia) and will often work as cleaner fish for large non-predatory species later in a large tank. They are cleaners in nature for their much larger cousins Etroplus suratensus, I've seen suratensus stand on the tails, inviting cleaning.
nanoluteus
.
and if you use a tangle of wood and other decor, and extra filtration, it all can be used to jump jumpstart the cycle on your larger tank later.

 

[tlindsey]

After 6 months in the new house I am still no closer to getting my 120G 4x2x2 up and running again. Between renovations, work, kid and social obligations I haven't had time to set it up and couldn't even imagine finding the time to maintain it. To top it off my wife says teh stand colour doesn't match the new decor and it's too big and bulky to set up until all the renovations are complete in case we need to move it for some reason.
I saw some 90cm x 42cm x 36cm 30G starter tanks cheap as hell at a shop yesterday. My wife actually wanted me to buy one there and then. I am considering getting one as I am missing having a tank, I was planning a firemouth semi biotope for the 120G. Realistically it will be the only tank for at least a year, do you guys think it's too small for a crew of firemouths for 12months minimum? Another idea I had was a solo Salvini with maybe 4 or 5 swordtails, if I did this I could either transfer it to the 120G eventually or leave it their and set up the big tank for something else. Do you think these would work or is it too small. Obviously waterchanges etc. will be a lot quicker , easier and more frequent in a smaller tank so that's why I'm leaning that way for now rather than have no tank. I also have all the filters from the 120 I could use on the small tank so that won't be an issue.
Also any other small C.A cichlids you think could work in the smaller tank?

A pair of Convict Cichlid.

 

[SwampFins]

My vote goes for the the convicts as well.

I saw that imperial tropicals is carrying some really cool looking yellow convicts. You could then transfer them to the bigger tank and form a little colony.

 

[Jexnell]

Or can go blue with Honduran red points another member of the Con family.

 

[Ogertron3000]

After I moved to Panama, it took me 3 years to get a tank set up.
I also had a similar problem in that the stand and canopy it came with, made in look like a dark View attachment 1375184
imposing monolith on the patio where the 6 ft foot tank was going.
I ended up ditching both (stand and canopy), and using some steel reinforced pallets painted black for a much less bulky look.
View attachment 1375185
A 30 gal is a very small footprint for most cichlids, could work as a grow out for cichlid fry, or...
if your water is soft, South America dwarfs like Rams or Apistogramma, if you water is hard, a few rift lake shell dwellers, or maybe a pair of A nanoluteus.
Etroplus maculatus is also a thought (the orange chromide) these are ready available (maybe in Australia) and will often work as cleaner fish for large non-predatory species later in a large tank. They are cleaners in nature for their much larger cousins Etroplus suratensus, I've seen suratensus stand on the tails, inviting cleaning.
nanoluteus
.
and if you use a tangle of wood and other decor, and extra filtration, it all can be used to jump jumpstart the cycle on your larger tank later.

I do like the nanos, I would bet some but they are pretty much impossible to get here unfortunately.
Like you uggested, have all the decor and filters so was going to ise it all to get the bigger tank cycled once I finally set it up, most likely transfer the fish too so this tank would be more like a long term grow out TFK.
I do have suspicions my wife will use the 30G as an attempt to convince me not to set up the big tanks at all!

 

[Ogertron3000]

A pair of Convict Cichlid.

My vote goes for the the convicts as well.

I saw that imperial tropicals is carrying some really cool looking yellow convicts. You could then transfer them to the bigger tank and form a little colony.

View attachment 1375220

Or can go blue with Honduran red points another member of the Con family.View attachment 1375222

I was thinking convicts would be a nice fit, I think they are an underrated fish and it would be nice to do them justice in a tank set up specifically for them. Here in oz we can really only get the standard one, I would really like some HRPs if possible.
My only concern is a pair would turn into 100 pairs in 12 months time and I would have to get rid of all the juveniles and there isn rally a market for them.

 

[Jexnell]

Get some Swordtails and a bushy nose pleco, they will eat up all your fry for you. I had thus set up in a 55 for about a year till I wanted HRP fry and took everything else out..... the female was found dead a few days later...

 

[Ogertron3000]

Get some Swordtails and a bushy nose pleco, they will eat up all your fry for you. I had thus set up in a 55 for about a year till I wanted HRP fry and took everything else out..... the female was found dead a few days later...

That's actually an amazingly good idea. It would be a cool little low maintenance tank that I could set up nice and natural looking.
All the fish are readily available and cheap which is handy for me at the moment but would look good together, a LFS even has some montezuma swordtails at the moment which would add to the natural look.
I think you have inspired me to do this, might have to wait until next months payday but that's the way it is.
I did some googling for the HRPs, I dont think they have ever been for sale here, as they are so closely related to common convicts I would imagine they aren't allowed to be imported.