Stocking a 30 gallon cube and a 20 gallon tall.

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Zbbal

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Jul 9, 2009
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I won't be setting either of these tanks up for a while, but I'm planning ahead.

((Which is probably a good thing considering how many mishaps and deaths I've had since I got in this hobby a year ago. Roughly 15 out of 34 fish have passed by various means: filter intake sucking them in, being frozen to death at 19 degrees, ich from the LFS, cotton mouth from the LFS, ammonia poisoning as a newbie, internal parasites in wild caught dwarf puffers, overfeeding, etc.))


So this time I'm planning months ahead of time so as to prevent all of the above from happening again. I want to go ahead an get an idea on stock so I can buy extra filtration if needed, decor, lighting, plants, etc.

30 Gallon Oceanic Cube

We were told that this was a 40 gallon, but obviously it isn't.
For filtration I have a Eheim Ecco, and I believe it to be a 2234 model. Also, I have an AquaClear 30 that I plan to possibly put on the tank. The tank has a 100 watt heater. The lighting is standard, and I might upgrade them if the stocking permits plants.

I've always keep small community fish, so I'd like to keep something a tad bigger. I don't want a community tank. My eye is drawn to the many different cichlids, but I know most need larger spaces. Maybe their are some dwarfs that could work? I happen to like apistos.

20 Gallon Tall

This also might be a 25 gallon tank, as I measured with a stick. Since it's tall and thin, I'm not sure what to do with it. The filtration is a 30 gallon internal filter and an AquaClear 20. Has a 100 watt heater. The lighting is...horrid. I'd like to make this planted, but with such height I don't think I could. I don't know what to stock this tank with, though like I said, I'd prefer not to have a community tank.


 

Zbbal

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Anything?
 

WeedCali

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A 30g cube would look cool with a nice rock pile in the middle for some shellies along with apistos. try to find some lace rock if possible. if you do get apistos, i would suggest taking a look at what Msjinkzd has. she has some nice Triple Reds (my absolute fav apisto) and others.

And if the 20g is too tall, upgrade to some CFLs maybe?
 

Zbbal

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Well, both tanks are about the same height...but the 20 gallon tall is really thin. I don't know, it just doesn't seem big enough. Supposedly the previous owners had angelfish in it, but I think even one angelfish would be crowded in there.

As for the lighting, I only want to upgrade lighting on one tank. So it's a matter of, if I upgrade lighting on one tank, then the other tank will have to be plantless. And then the stock will have to adapt accordingly. I'm leaning strongly towards planting the 30 gallon and keeping apistos in it. Could I turn the 20 gallon high into a Shell Dweller tank? I know they prefer longer tanks though....
 

aussie pride

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for plants in the 20 high, you could use java fern and/or java moss if the stock permits. they dont need much light.
 

Zbbal

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Yeah, good point. I also started thinking about all my 10 gallon lights. I have five lights, all 15 watts. If I put three on the 30, and two on the 20 that might work.
 

Zbbal

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So as I keep looking, I have it down two different options for the 20 gallon high: shell dwellers or some type of ram. I know both prefer longer, shallower tanks but I think it should be okay as long as I stock them properly...
 
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