New 40 Gallon Tank

Hey guys,

I am new to the forum. I just started getting into the hobby about 5 months ago. I currently have a 30 gallon tank with 10 Tiger Barbs of various colors and an Albino Red Tail Shark. I have a 75 gallon filter in my tank now to handle the bio-load. I have a new tank I am starting up that is 40 gallons and long that I have had doing a fishless cycle for about a month now. I am looking on getting live plants this weekend then a couple weeks after that getting some fish for it. I have sand substrate in it now and put in another 75 gallon filter. I am wondering what fish I could put in there. I really like the GBR and clown loaches. I am looking for an active and vibrant tank.

 

Welcome to fishlore!

I would move your current barbs and shark over to the 40 gallon as the shark needs a bigger tank, then you could restock the 30 gallon with rams. Unfortunately clown loaches need a massive aquarium (over 200 gallons) since they get to a foot long and are schooling so should be kept in groups of 6+.

You could do this in the 30 gallon
2 German blue rams
12 kuhlI loaches or bronze cories or sterbaI cories
15 cardinal tetras or rummy nose tetras
1 clown pleco

 

Such a shame with tank size needed for clown loaches. Would love to have a tank with them in. One day! Good luck.

 

Thank you for the input! Also with the 40 gallon I got it off Craigslist and it didn't come with a lid. Do you guys know a way to do a good DIY custom lid to slow down the evaporation?

 

You can measure and have glass cut at a glass shop. The pieces needed to make the lid (the hinge and back strip) you can buy on amazon (takes some digging but they are there) or you can use some F-shaped trim from the hardware store and make a sliding lid. You can find s/videos for that on you tube.
It sounds like you have a 40 gallon breeder (maybe? Mine is 36x18x16 I think). The only place I found the versatop lid without the center brace was petco. No one ships them because they break in shipping.