First Timer 30 Gallon Tank

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A

Aether

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2010
10
0
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Utah
Greetings, forum!

This is my first post... I couldn't find the newbie section, so I guess I'm posting here.

I haven't touched the world of fish keeping yet, but I'm thinking of getting a 30 gallon freshwater tank. I've actually spent a lot of times browsing the immense amount of information stored here, but I need some help.

A lot of people have tanks much bigger than 30 gallons (50,000 gallons?!), so I was hoping someone could tell me what I would need for my newbie tank, and what should be reserved for the more hardcore tanks.

I assume things like protein skimmers and even sumps are intended for the bigger guys, so what will I really need? What type of filter should I get? Cost is an issue, so I'll likely be buying what I can off the classifieds.

I also worry about temperature. I live in Utah and have no air conditioner. So it's possible that in the summer the temperature can reach 100 degrees outside, and in the winter I usually keep my house at a chilling 60 degrees. Will it be viable to keep a tank in this house?

Also, does anyone know about how much a month I'll spend on food, electricity, etc?

I look forward to your feedback.
 
Welcome to MFK.

My first project on here was a 20 gallon build. (still in my Sig line)

No tank is too small if it encourages you to enjoy this great hobby. However it is addicting. My first was 2 10s when I was a teenager. I got out of the hobby for 20+ years, then got back in when I was working for Petsmart. Now I have 5 (20,55,75,84,240)

Enough about me,

For your tank I would look for an aquaclear filter. Too much is better. My personal rule is 2x tank size. So look for a filter that is for up to 55 gallons or about 200-250ish GPH.

No sumps, protein skimmers, etc are needed.

As far as temp just get a good heater.

Monthly cost not much, Maybe $15 total for that tank.

Good Luck and share pics
 
Depending on what kind of fish you want to keep will determine what size of tank you should get,and also will help know what kind of filtration as well.

A 30 is a nice size for a small community.A HOB(Hang On Back) filter would work.Aquaclear and Marineland make descent HOB filters. Or you could get a small canister for it. Canisters cost more,but need less maintenance,and work better IMO.Eheim and Fluval are a couple of canister names.

I'm not sure how much the electricity will cost to run a small tank for a month,but it can't be much. I wouldn't think more than $2 or $3. On a small tank,food will cost $7 or $8 for flakes,and those should last 5 or 6 months.
 
I'm not sure what kind of fish I want. All the things I know I want are saltwater reef things... but I wanted to start out small and easy to see if aquariums are even 'for me'.

I picked 30 gallons because it's cheap and won't take up too much room. I haven't bought anything yet, so I suppose I could get something else if I saw a good deal.

What are some cool 30 gallon sized fish? Anything but goldfish, haha.
 
You could have a single Angel fish. Then you could have a some schooling fish.There are a lot of tetra that would go with Angels. Then a school of corydora for the bottom. This is a pretty basic,and easy stock list. You should be able to easily find these fish locally,and they should all be fine in a 30 gallon tank.

Of if you wanted to keep a single,larger fish, a male Convict would work too.

30 gallons is a descent size tank to start with. Go to your LFS and see what is available to you.Then research what they have. Don't go by the tank size given on the tags on the tanks.They are never right. Reseach yourself before you buy.
 
Thanks for the recommendation, fishbum.

Looking at the fish you recommended, I see a lot of them like plants in the tank. Does that mean I have to have real plants?

If so, how do I go about supporting real plants? Being a 'newbie', I did not want anything too hard. I have a friend with a 20 gallon fish tank and all her plants are dead or dying.

Also, what type of dirt would I get for real plants?
 
Aether;4190631; said:
Thanks for the recommendation, fishbum.

Looking at the fish you recommended, I see a lot of them like plants in the tank. Does that mean I have to have real plants?

If so, how do I go about supporting real plants? Being a 'newbie', I did not want anything too hard. I have a friend with a 20 gallon fish tank and all her plants are dead or dying.

Also, what type of dirt would I get for real plants?
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hey, welcome to MFK,

you do not need live plants if your dont want them. i personaly am not a fan of live plants. but if you are going with a planted 30 freshwater with some tetras and an angel it would look nice.

you can start with a few plants that just go right in the gravel and you can just have the tank in some NONE DIRECT sunlight, make sure it wont mess with the water temp. but doing so you might want 1 or 2 small plecostomus in there like rubber lip plecos to control the algea.

post some pics when you get your tank, and keep us updated!
 
I would skip the plants, I'll be blunt. Plants take work if you want them to look nice, now if you want them to look meager... They aren't that hard. However I say just stay away from them.

You'll find 9/10 people here are turned off by plastic plants, but you can give them a go if you really want the planted look.

There's quite a few nice little fish you could keep in a tank like that, if you feel a bit more daring you can move into the african cichlid area, they are more aggressive, but worth it IMO. They'll show a lot more personality than schooling fish usually do.
 
There are a lot of lowlight,easy to keep plants. Java ferns,wisteria,wendtii,anubias,swords,crypts. Just like the fish,research before you buy. The fish do not need them.If money is an issue,focus on keeping the fish healthy,and alive.Then progress into live plants if you want. This can be a life long,and addictive hobby. Start with the fish,then the plants can come later.

BTW,most plants to fine in gravel.No special substrate is needed. The right lighting is the most important thing to keeping plants,IMO. Your friend may need to upgrade her lighting.Or buy plants that do not need higher light to survive.
 
So less say I keep cichlids. If they're kind of aggressive, how do I add new fish to the tank later? Wouldn't the big ones eat the little ones? You said they're "worth it"? Is there any other troubles I should know about them?
 
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