What to put in new 30g?
- Thread starter jeep07
- Start date
jeep07;4849369; said:
If I am understanding correctly, you are asking if the "have to have" fish are ok in there, my opinion is no.
I would "maybe" put one of those cats in there. Two gouramis would live happily in there with a couple other similar sized, community fish.
And yes the question about research was important because you said you did. So why would you take other people, that you know, opinions on your setup being fine, and when 90% of people here say it wouldn't be wise?
I'm sorry, but you say you are open minded, but say that every time you post here you get flamed. Maybe there is a pattern.
Those fish will be fine for a short while. People severely underestimate a catfish's growth rate - I did once myself. It happens, but that's why there are forums like this.
If you don't want to hear what others will say, then don't ask. We are not here to cradle the ego of a person who whines when they get the "wrong" answer because their fishkeeper friends are right.
I mentioned the 1" per gallon "common practice" and it was completely ignored. Sure if you keep the water clean the fish will live, but plan on doing alot of water changes, as in once a day if the goldfish is in there too. It's basically like saying that 5 people can live in a cubicle so long as their crap is cleaned up. Is it comfortable, no. A fish's length shouldn't be as long (or longer) as the tank is wide. How does the fish turn around comfortably?
There are many other interesting fish that can be had in a 30gallon.
You can do some dwarf rainbowfish for example. Put a small powerhead in the corner and watch them run the current.
Explore some, don't get defensive. Lots of us are speaking from mistakes we have made in the past.
jeep07;4848067; said:
Laticauda;4849388; said:
jeep07;4849415; said:
Well, I'm done - I wish I hadn't put so much effort in to my last response, would have been better served on someone who didn't actually have the fish yet.
There is a difference between "will be getting" and "have".
At least all that defensiveness makes sense now.
Good luck
You could get away with the catfish mentioned for awhile. Then you could add to that when you get a larger tank.
Mixing crawfish with fish will usually mean you will lose some of your fish. If you value your fish more than the crawfish, I would not mix them. If you do not mind if your crawfish eats some of your fish, give it a try.
In a 30 gallon, a dubosi will more than likely fight with the other fish. It would be best to wait until you get a bigger tank and can keep all African cichlids in it.
If you really want to keep the goldfish, I would keep it in a tank by itself. They can live for 10 years or more, but it will prematurely die if kept in water that is at tropical temperatures. You can get away with that for awhile, but in the long run it will not be good.
The gourami would probably be ok with the cats, but I would not mix it with African cichlids myself.
Mixing crawfish with fish will usually mean you will lose some of your fish. If you value your fish more than the crawfish, I would not mix them. If you do not mind if your crawfish eats some of your fish, give it a try.
In a 30 gallon, a dubosi will more than likely fight with the other fish. It would be best to wait until you get a bigger tank and can keep all African cichlids in it.
If you really want to keep the goldfish, I would keep it in a tank by itself. They can live for 10 years or more, but it will prematurely die if kept in water that is at tropical temperatures. You can get away with that for awhile, but in the long run it will not be good.
The gourami would probably be ok with the cats, but I would not mix it with African cichlids myself.
I appreciate your response innsane. I dont like to whine nor do I do it a lot. I would much better respond to the previous statements if the people said in their post that hey dont do this cuz this has happened to me and it went south. Not, hey dont do this and dont give any personal feedback. If all these people said I was doing wrong because they have done so in the past and dont want me to make the same mistake then thats something I understand. Im sorry if I got defensive as well, I got the 30g cuz its the largest I can get right now.
Honestly, you already have fish that need a bigger tank. Maybe you can get a 40 breeder from Petco when they have their next $1 per gallon sale. This is only a 3 foot tank, and not a 4 foot tank. However, if you have room for a 40 breeder, you could get a 58 gallon which has the same foot print, it's just taller.
More water = water changes only once per week. With that goldfish in there, in order to keep him happy (i.e. feeding him enough, keeping water clean, nitrAtes below 20) you will need to do many many water changes on just a 30 gallon.
Also, you say you wanted our opinions...but when we gave them to you, you go off on us? That doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe you need to think to yourself "if I'm being flamed for irresponsible decisions I've made, then maybe I shouldn't make them anymore and do something to set everything right."
The only reason I am helping you is because I care about the fish, and they deserve better than what they are getting right now. I hope you, too, can care for these fish and do what's necessary to keep them happy and live their full lives. Just because a fish will eat, live and swim for 5 years, doesn't mean the fish was healthy that whole time. Goldfish for instance can live for 20+ years if properly cared for, and keeping him in a 30 gallon tank, with a large bioload other than just his, will ultimately lead to his untimely death. Not flaming, just telling it to you straight.
EDIT:: Look on craigslist, you can often find great deals on used tanks. Even if it comes with fish, turn them all into a local fish store for some store credit.
More water = water changes only once per week. With that goldfish in there, in order to keep him happy (i.e. feeding him enough, keeping water clean, nitrAtes below 20) you will need to do many many water changes on just a 30 gallon.
Also, you say you wanted our opinions...but when we gave them to you, you go off on us? That doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe you need to think to yourself "if I'm being flamed for irresponsible decisions I've made, then maybe I shouldn't make them anymore and do something to set everything right."
The only reason I am helping you is because I care about the fish, and they deserve better than what they are getting right now. I hope you, too, can care for these fish and do what's necessary to keep them happy and live their full lives. Just because a fish will eat, live and swim for 5 years, doesn't mean the fish was healthy that whole time. Goldfish for instance can live for 20+ years if properly cared for, and keeping him in a 30 gallon tank, with a large bioload other than just his, will ultimately lead to his untimely death. Not flaming, just telling it to you straight.
EDIT:: Look on craigslist, you can often find great deals on used tanks. Even if it comes with fish, turn them all into a local fish store for some store credit.
We are not flaming you, nobody got mad or even had a harsh tone. We are just trying to help. I don't see any post where someone got mad. We are just trying to help and the fact is you will have problems if you stock a tank with that many fish. Yes, it's nice to have a lot of fish but not if they can't swim because it's so overstocked.
Laticauda;4849451; said:
Exactly
Come on, considering the fact that you asked about a tank you were "getting", but you actually had it, who is wrong here and deceitful? Maybe decisions in the past were not too good, so rather than owning up to having these fish and wanting more, you said you were "getting" it...
And does it matter if people say it's from personal experience - now you are saying that was the deciding factor in getting upset.
If I told you a gun would kill someone, you probably wouldn't believe me unless I told you it happened to me...
