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Ok, so I have a 30 gallon tank that I've had for a while and my hubby is wanting some fish. Right now it's a terrarium for some tropical plants I'm trying to grow. They are small and look kinda funny in that huge tank. So I'm planning to move my little turtle into it and put my plants in the smaller tank. We plan to get a 100 gallon tank for my turtle eventually, have some time though since he is so small. Then we will use the 30 gallon for fish. Planning way in advance of this as you can tell.

I want to do a community with maybe one larger centerpiece fish. Could I get away with 2 shoals of small fish like one of tetras and one of corys with a gouramis as the centerpiece? Or could I do a cichlid as the centerpiece?

One more maybe strange question. Could an oscar or jack dempsey co-exist together in a large tank?

On the community, how many of each would be recomended?

What is a good price for a used 100 gallon tank? I found two in my area with stands and hoods for $200 and $300. Don't know if those are good prices or not. Haven't kept fish in forever so I am researching like crazy before I really do anything.

Thanks.

Welcome to Fishprofiles!!!

First of all, you used to keep fish, so I assume you are aware of the nitrogen cycle? If not there is a thread at the top of this section that you should read first, it's called "Starting an Aquarium" and is very helpful. Another question, are you interested in planting the tank? If so, let me know what kind of lights you have on the tank (watts and K rating of the bulb).

Okay, on to the questions. I like the idea of a community with a centerpiece fish. A Gourami would make a good centerpiece fish, but it would have to be one of the smaller varieties as most get too big for a 30 gallon. I think a Dwarf Gourami would work, but there are also a lot of Dwarf Cichlids that could fit in with this stock. Some examples would be Rams, Apistos, or you could maybe fit one Angel. You could fit a pair of the Rams, but only one Angel in a tank this size. As for the schooling fish, 6-8 of some smaller variety of Cories for the bottom. I would however advise against Panda Cories as they are more sensitive than most. For a mid-water schooler there are numerous species of Tetras that would work, or maybe some Harlequin Rasboras. I would suggest 8-10 of these depending on the species you want. Go ahead and look through the profiles on this site and let me know which you're interested in.

As for the Oscar or JD, no, not long term, and not even long if it was to be used to grow them out. The JD would need about a 75 gallon tank long term I think, and the Oscar 100+.

I think $200 is a great price for a 100 gallon as long as it doesn't leak or anything. I paid $100 for my 55 gallon w/ iron stand and no hood.

Hope this helps, and be sure to ask any more questions that you have, I'm sure others will be by to help with them soon.

Edit: I completely forgot to mention filtration. The filter you choose will definitely alter the stocking. If you over-filter the tank you could get away with keeping more fish than usual, but if you don't filter enough then you will have to cut down the stocking. A good filter for that size tank would be a Penguin 350 if you want to use a HOB (hang on back) filter. I really do prefer canister filters though, they are better filters overall and are much quieter, and reduce evaporation. I like the Eheim brand myself. So go ahead and look around and let me know which filters you are interested in.

I think we like the idea of a pair of rams, false julii cory cats, and not completely sure on either tetras or rasboras. I like the colors of the harlequin rasboras, but I also like the glowlight tetras.

As far as the rest of the plan, I haven't even gotten that far. I figure I need to plan the fish then the rest should be decided on what they would need in the tank. As far as I can tell from this selection I will need some planted areas, rocky areas, and open areas probably around the rocks.

I don't really know much about filters other than the regular HOB ones. I wouldn't have a clue as to what kind or size of canister filter to look for. The plants will also be new to me. I always used the fake ones, but the benefits of using live ones appeals to me.

I'm calling about the tank for $200 first thing in the morning.

Now it's time to do more research and planning!!

Those fish sound like they'd do good in this tank. They're all smaller peaceful fish.

Yeah, I'm not that good with plants myself. I can keep them alive, but mine don't really do much growing. I couldn't even get Java Fern or Java Moss to grow! Since this is the first time you're gonna be keeping plants I'd stick with low-light ones like the two I mentioned. They're supposed to be the easiest things to grow, and they don't even need gravel, you'll just have to tie them to something or let them float around. One that even I can keep is Hornwort, which can float or be put in the ground, and is good for filling in the background. Another plus to the Hornwort and Java Moss is that they really suck up the excess nutrients which will help prevent algae in your tank. So I wouldn't really worry about plants, if you keep the ones I mentioned you won't need even medium lighting or special gravels and fertilizers.

I run an Eheim Eco(sp?) 2230 I believe, and it keeps my 30 gallon filtered fine. But there are a lot of filters that will work for you. One of the most important things to look at when shopping for a filter is the GPH, or gallons per hour, rate. You want a filter that will circulate 10x the amount of water in your tank in one hour. So for a 30 gallon tank the filter you get should have a rating of 300GPH or a little more. Like you said, you can worry about that later.

Hope this is helping. By the way, I'm so jealous you found a 100 gallon tank with stand and hoods for only $200! I always hear people on sites say they get them for free from friends and ask myself why I don't know people just getting rid of their old tanks. Oh well.

Oscars do need very large tanks, they get large, are active, and pretty messy eaters.

As for the 30, a HOB will work on that sized tank really well, especially if you stick to smaller sized fish (your current choices sound great). I ran an eheim ecco on my 30 long I used to have and that worked really well as well.

When you call about the larger tank, ask if it's currently full of water. If a tank has been sitting empty the silicone can sometimes shrink pulling away from the glass meaning that when you fill it the water doesn't stay put.

Also keep in mind you'll need a stand to hold the tank 1 gallon of water is 10lbs (approx) so the 100gallon tank is going to need a really sturdy stand .


Here's the link on cycling


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Can't a tank be resealed? Just so long as it's not cracked or anything.

Thanks for the suggestions on plants. I'm going to look into the filters more today.

I'm crossing my fingers on a larger tank. So many more options open up.

Yeah, you can re-seal a tank. It may be cheaper and less time consuming to just get a newer tank. (only if that is your preference) {All of my tanks are used} First check, if it is even necessary to worry about. Do a test run when you get it. Place it in a dry bathtub and fill the tank at least half way with water, maybe more. Put newspaper or paper towel near the bath drain and leave it over night. You can check the water level on the tank and the paper the next day. If the water is lower or the paper is wet, you have a leak. If you decide to reseal, be sure not to buy plumbing sealant, as it usually has stuff in it that will kill the fish. You can usually find aquarium repair or sealant at any local fish store or pet chain. Make sure after you apply the sealant, you let it cure 24-48 hours before putting anything (water, gravel, [definitely fish] or ornaments) into the tank. Even better wait 60-72 hours. It might be overkill, but better safe that sorry.

We can not stress how important it is to CYCLE the tank BEFORE adding fish. You can loose a lot of fish and money that way!

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

I'm just researching and planning ahead. I'm hoping to have it all together and running by Christmas. Budget doesn't really allow to go out and buy everything at once, so I figure a little here and there and I will get it together. My two biggest expenses so far are going to be the tank and filter system.

I do want to get my 30 gallon up and running soon though. A new filter for it is in order first though. So don't worry, I'm not rushing it and am definetly planning the fishless cycle.

Research and planning !

If you're in the US you can try big als for hardware and such.

If the larger tank is for the turtle, and it doesn't have to be full of water, possibly just half full the resealing (IF needed) might not be as big of an issue. I had only mentioned it as it can sometimes happen, especially with tanks that have been left empty...and sometimes you don't notice right away :, sometimes it's only when you notice you're refilling a tank you'd filled up only the day before that the tank has leaked right into the walls of your house


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