30 gallon community tank stocking?

[AverageAquarist22]

Hey everyone, I recently got a 30 gallon tank that I’m looking to turn into a community setup. The height is 1ft. 3in, the length is 3ft, and the width is 1ft. For stocking, I’m thinking x7 Pygmy corydoras, x7 pork chop rasboras, x12 lamp eye rasboras, and x1 honey gourami. Does this stock sound ok?

 

[Mudminnow]

That sounds good to me.

 

[AcornTheBetta]

Hey everyone, I recently got a 30 gallon tank that I’m looking to turn into a community setup. The height is 1ft. 3in, the length is 3ft, and the width is 1ft. For stocking, I’m thinking x7 Pygmy corydoras, x7 pork chop rasboras, x12 lamp eye rasboras, and x1 honey gourami. Does this stock sound ok?

Hi and welcome to Fishlore! Brace yourself since I have a lot of questions coming so I can get to know your tank. Is this a planted tank? What filter are you running? What substrate? Temperature? Sorry for all the questions lol. IMO, this stock would be a bit understocked. Are there any fish/types of fish in particular that you like or dislike?

 

[AggressiveAquatics]

You have a bit more room so maybe also do 10-12 pork chop rasboras

 

[AverageAquarist22]

Yes it will be a planted tank. I’m debating between either sponge filter or under gravel filter, haven’t decided yet. If I do under gravel filter, I might not do corydoras because I don’t think you can do sand with that type of filtration and I would be worried about their barbels. I haven't started it yet, just planning for the fish beforehand lol. I’m thinking of having the temperature around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not really sure what fish I like because I’m fairly new to the hobby and have only kept one betta fish before, but I do think that small, colorful schooling fish look nice.

 

[Cherryshrimp420]

If you want the fish keeping journey to be easy then I would always suggest stock LESS rather than more. It's very hard to fail a lightly stocked tank and then you can go on from there

 

[AggressiveAquatics]

Yes it will be a planted tank. I’m debating between either sponge filter or under gravel filter, haven’t decided yet. If I do under gravel filter, I might not do corydoras because I don’t think you can do sand with that type of filtration and I would be worried about their barbels. I haven't started it yet, just planning for the fish beforehand lol. I’m thinking of having the temperature around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not really sure what fish I like because I’m fairly new to the hobby and have only kept one betta fish before, but I do think that small, colorful schooling fish look nice.

I would say run a canister filter. It’s way better for community tanks.

 

[AverageAquarist22]

So if I were to add a few more pork chop rasboras, would it still be pretty lightly stocked?
I want a lightly stocked tank because it seems easier to maintain but if I have room for more I‘ll add more schooling fish, if it will make them happier!

 

[Mudminnow]

Yes it will be a planted tank. I’m debating between either sponge filter or under gravel filter, haven’t decided yet.

Both sponge filters and under gravel filters work great, but they have some drawbacks. I think sponge filters are ugly, and only for tanks you don't really intend to display. And, in my experience, under gravel filters grow some nice plant roots. So nice, the roots fill up the space below the gravel and restrict the flow. I would suggest a different type of filter, like a hang on back or canister, if you plan on this tank being a display tank.

 

[AverageAquarist22]

If I were to do canister filter, would I need to put something over the intake for sand?

 

[ProudPapa]

Make that a trio of honey gouramis instead of a single and I think you have a good plan.

 

[AverageAquarist22]

So x7 Pygmy corydoras (possibly), x10 lambchop rasboras, x12 lampeye rasboras, and x3 honey gouramis?

 

[Mudminnow]

If I were to do canister filter, would I need to put something over the intake for sand?

Yes, you would need to have the intake up off the sand enough so sand doesn't get in. If that is not possible, then put a sponge over the intake to protect the filter.

 

[AcornTheBetta]

If I were to do canister filter, would I need to put something over the intake for sand?

Nope no need.

So x7 Pygmy corydoras (possibly), x10 lambchop rasboras, x12 lampeye rasboras, and x3 honey gouramis?

Maybe add one more Pygmy and then I would say your good. Make sure that for the trio of honeys you get 1 male and 2 females.

 

[AverageAquarist22]

Ok sounds great! Thank you!
One more question- are there any other setbacks to sponge filters besides looking ugly? In my beta tank I’ve tried both canisters and hang on backs, and I would love to try something new

 

[ProudPapa]

Ok sounds great! Thank you!
One more question- are there any other setbacks to sponge filters besides looking ugly? In my beta tank I’ve tried both canisters and hang on backs, and I would love to try something new

As far as the ugly factor, I put plants in front of mine, so that's really not an issue. Other than that, due to their lower flow they won't do as good a job of removing debris from the tank as a HOB, but that makes them perfect for situations where you don't want a lot of flow. I have one in all my tanks, even the ones that also have a HOB.

They're also more economical to run if you have multiple tanks, since a single air pump can power multiple sponge filters.

 

[Mudminnow]

Ok sounds great! Thank you!
One more question- are there any other setbacks to sponge filters besides looking ugly? In my beta tank I’ve tried both canisters and hang on backs, and I would love to try something new

The only other thing I can think of is that they take up space in the tank. Personally, I like to use that space for more aquascaping.

 

[AverageAquarist22]

If I were to do two sponge filters would it do better removing debris? Taking up extra space in this particular tank doesn't bother me as much, since I already have a scape in mind that I think will hide the sponge filter(s) nicely

 

[ProudPapa]

If I were to do two sponge filters would it do better removing debris? Taking up extra space in this particular tank doesn't bother me as much, since I already have a scape in mind that I think will hide the sponge filter(s) nicely

Anything that increases flow will help, so yes, two sponge filters should work fine.

 

[Mudminnow]

If I were to do two sponge filters would it do better removing debris? Taking up extra space in this particular tank doesn't bother me as much, since I already have a scape in mind that I think will hide the sponge filter(s) nicely

Well, it wouldn't hurt. But, I think you would be better served to just take more time sucking out mulm and stuff during your water changes.

 

[AverageAquarist22]

Cool, thanks everyone! I’m planning on picking up the substrate tomorrow, and I have the hardscape already, so I’ll be able to scape it! So excited!! I’ll need to save up for plants though, which will probably take a bit... Oh well, gives me time to choose