Begginer intermediated looking for help on 30 gallon set up

[code]

I'm tempted to scrap the moss keep the anubius. Maybe even put some aqua soil in the back and plant some vals. I do love rams and earth eaters though. And Cory's I would hate for my two substrate to get mixed up

 

[Deadeye]

Any good sized cichlid will mess up substrate.
Kribs can get mean when breeding, mine routinely claim half of a 4 ft tank.
You can try a pair of hrp + dithers, they are pretty passive for cichlids.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Bolivian rams, rainbow cichlids, or thomasi will be your best bet

 

[Trouser Cough]

If you want something super low maintenance that would compliment what you already have going I would suggest the following:

- A small colony of Neocaradinas or Mexican Dwarf Crayfish (one or the other and not both and I'd tend toward the Neo's)

And...

A small pile of Corries

And...

A few Endlers

The Endlers and the shrimp both would make xlnt use of the moss and both would be happy w/ a few days of neglect every once in a while. The bio load would be light enough that WC's wouldn't become a nuisance and if you didn't mind the fact that all are on the small side you could have a tank that was not just interesting to look at and low maintenance but also one that would seem unusual and interestingly so to anyone that happened to come over for a visit. Maybe toss in a few Rummy Nose just to keep fish movement and I'd incorporate a canister filter so you could get some movement out of the moss.

 

[TwoHedWlf]

What do you mean it wiped out your tank? Killed all your fish?

Yeah, a clump of it decided to break loose, clogged the filters and all but the redspot plec died while I was on vacation.

 

[Joshuakahan]

Bolivian rams, rainbow cichlids, or thomasi will be your best bet

+1 on the rainbows- herotilapia multispinosa I believe

 

[code]

Thank you for all your fees back evert one. This has given me a lot to think about. Really appreciated!

 

[code]

Trouser Bark, I had never considered keeping shrimp before. I ended up putting in a group of blue and orange fin tuxedo guppies rather than the endlers and 10 cherry shrimp. The guppies already have fry and I have a female shrimp carrying eggs. The bioload is super low and iv just let my moss run wild and untouched as is in my first picture. Super cool tank, thank you. Thanks to every one for your feed back. Iv always been a cichlid guy. Thus is a really cool change.

 

[Trouser Cough]

Trouser Bark, I had never considered keeping shrimp before. I ended up putting in a group of blue and orange fin tuxedo guppies rather than the endlers and 10 cherry shrimp. The guppies already have fry and I have a female shrimp carrying eggs. The bioload is super low and iv just let my moss run wild and untouched as is in my first picture. Super cool tank, thank you. Thanks to every one for your feed back. Iv always been a cichlid guy. Thus is a really cool change.

Glad you like the change, code. If you'd like to significantly increase the survival rate of your shrimp fry note that your moss will be super important and the next will be a source of biofilm. Search out something called BacterAE made by a couple of brothers in Germany. Cut the feeding recommendation shown on the container by half or so and see what happens. I'd bet a nickel your colony will blossom faster than you'd ever have suspected. Enjoy!

 

[code]

Thanks. I will look into that product. Iv already noticed one, maybe two female shrimp carrying and faning eggs. Iv got 8 guppy fry that are all doing super well.