Redmare's 30 gallon build

I just made the matching thread for my new 80 gallon (here) and wanted to start sharing the plans for the 30 as well! Right now, I'm really thinking about a blackwater "naturalistic" (but not quite biotope) style tank. I'm pretty confident on what I'm doing with my 80, but this one is still up in the air so I'm really looking for ideas!

I think I want to do hardscape that looks like roots coming down into the water, a few bigger accent rocks, and some nice river pebbles on top of a mainly sand substrate, and then a bed of leaves on much of the bottom. A few bigger seed pods for more tannins and to act as hides would also be fun! As far as plants go, I'm thinking a bunch of floating plants like frogbit, salvinia, and red root floaters, and then some mosses and a few low-light epiphyte plants, maybe some buce or anubias, but overall not an intensely planted tank.

I don't have any of the equipment for this tank yet, but I'm thinking of going with an aquaclear 50 for filtration. The tank comes with some standard bulb lights in the hood, I may upgrade them if they aren't very good though.

As far as livestock goes, I have a few ideas. I'm very tempted to get a big group of pygmy cories- I had a little gang of 8 in my betta tank that I got in May, before plans were made to move, but I recently rehomed them to not put them through the 4 day road trip (and I found an awesome home where they got to join an even bigger school!). So I'm thinking of like 15-20 of those guys to just live it up in the sand and leaf litter. For the rest of the tank, my main ideas right now are lampeye killifish, neon or green neon tetras, green kubotai rasboras, honey gouramis, and I've just started thinking about pencilfish for that upper layer- something I've never really considered before.

Anyways, so that's where I'm at with this design! Please leave a comment, follow along, and drop some advice/ideas!

 

I'm running a 54 blackwater "inspired" tank with Sterbai and a pair of Apisto. I've got the leaf litter, about 15lbs of Seiryu, a few smaller tree stumps, and a few other wood pieces. I've run a blackwater biotope about 10 years ago. I love the look, but it's a pita to maintain it with the tapwater here (8.1 PH 0-1 KH makes it real hard to get it down to blackwater parameters without causing a ph crash). This is also far more planted than the biotope was, and I've got a mix of African (tiger lotus), Asian (crypt wenditti red and anubias'), north / south American (dwarf water lily's and banana plants). It's basically a community tank with blackwater extract, and scaped to look... nothing like other planted community tanks. One of these days I'll post pics of it here, but that day is not today. I'm holding off until I feel like it's done building a patina so it looks more... real, I guess is the right word. Still debating whether I'm done stocking or not. I'd like black neon tetras, but I'd rather have a dither that stuck more to the top like pencilfish. Unfortunately the only pencilfish I can find regularly are wild caught.

 

That sounds like a really cool tank. faydout
What species of Apistogramma do you have?
Have you looked at emerald eye Rasbora? They will school tightly in the top third of the tank and when the light catches their eyes they are a sparkly blue.

 

Cacatuoides super reds (I didn't realize the females fins are just as red as the males, and I've had fry so know it isn't a sneaker male). I've looked at the Harlequinn and Lambchops, but haven't really looked at the smaller rasboras. I know they're blackwater fish, but I'd been planning on adding angels for awhile, so was avoiding nano fish. Killifish seem really cool, I'm just not sure enough about them to know which are annuals and which are perennials (and would prefer to avoid the annuals). Thank you, I will absolutely research more of the rasboras. I really love the research part of this hobby, and you gave me an excuse.

Have you looked at emerald eye Rasbora?

I just watched Rachel O'Leary's species profile on them. They look exactly like what I've been looking for and even better, Aqua Huna has them in stock.

 

Haha! So funny you should say that! I was just posting this:

They are called brevibora dorsiocelata. Rachel O’Leary has a nice profile about them on YouTube. If you Google the species name it’s like the first video that pops up. I think Aqua Huna had them recently. They are super tiny though. Definitely nano and definitely not safe from angels. I think they have a similar species called brevibora cheya that is quite like them but larger. I have never actually seen those though.

 

Well, I've been shifting away from the blackwater idea as I've found some pieces that are starting to come together! I found these beautiful rocks on a beach along lake superior- round white rocks covered in black speckles, and in all different sizes. I picked up a whole bunch of those, and that started the vision. I've now got white sand for the bottom as well as a little fluorite in the back for some real planting, and found two super cool sticks that intertwine together beautifully. I also know I will be putting 5 male guppies in this tank... I may have impulse bought them, and they're stuck in my 5 gal until I get this up and running! Fortunately I have cycled media to transfer so I don't have to wait for a cycle! I really don't know what to put in after that, though.

 

I got my hardscape in here today! I'm really, really happy about how it's looking! I have a patch in the back corner of fluorite to grow some nice plants and the rest is moon sand. I'm not sure what plants to put in! I'm thinking a lot of moss wrapped around the logs and some buce around the rocks, and I know I want some nice stem plants for that back corner but I'm not sure what kind!

 

I got my hardscape in here today! I'm really, really happy about how it's looking! I have a patch in the back corner of fluorite to grow some nice plants and the rest is moon sand. I'm not sure what plants to put in! I'm thinking a lot of moss wrapped around the logs and some buce around the rocks, and I know I want some nice stem plants for that back corner but I'm not sure what kind!
View attachment 742727

Nice! Is there any way you could hide the flourite that is under the wood cuz it looks a bit out of place. Overall good tho.

 

Nice! Is there anyway you could hide the flourise that is under the wood cuz it looks a bit out of place. Overall good tho.

I was thinking that. I'm hoping once plants grow in, none of the fluorite will really be visible, but under that log I might see if I can just layer some sand over it.

 

I was thinking that. I'm hoping once plants grow in, none of the fluorite will really be visible, but under that log I might see if I can just layer some sand over it.

Play sand would work well cuz then it would look like the wood fell into/on a river bank. I would also move the rock on top of the wood on the right side to the gap between/slightly above the two right most rocks. This would help give the illusion that it is a fallen tree.

 

Play sand would work well cuz then it would look like the wood fell into/on a river bank. I would also move the rock on top of the wood on the right side to the gap between/slightly above the two right most rocks. This would help give the illusion that it is a fallen tree.

I like the rock idea a lot! I think I need to leave it on top at the beginning since the wood isn't quite waterlogged yet

 

I like the rock idea a lot! I think I need to leave it on top at the beginning since the wood isn't quite waterlogged yet

That would work. Leave it until it's waterlogged and then move it. I just thought it looked a bit out of place. I really like the hardscape tho.

 

That would work. Leave it until it's waterlogged and then move it. I just thought it looked a bit out of place. I really like the hardscape tho.

Thanks! It's all stuff I found on the drive across the country which I think makes it extra special

 

Yay! I’ll be watching this thread. I love blackwater scapes!

 

Thanks! It's all stuff I found on the drive across the country which I think makes it extra special

Cool! That sounds like a fun tank that will give you memories of your move.

 

I got my hardscape in here today! I'm really, really happy about how it's looking! I have a patch in the back corner of fluorite to grow some nice plants and the rest is moon sand. I'm not sure what plants to put in! I'm thinking a lot of moss wrapped around the logs and some buce around the rocks, and I know I want some nice stem plants for that back corner but I'm not sure what kind!
View attachment 742727

Great scape. Thought about botanicals, yet?
For plants, my alltime favourite for blackwater: Hydrocotyle and Nymphea or Nymphoides, as they just bypass the light problem by growing out of the water or floating leaves.

What's the most recent plan for stocking? Fishwise blackwater is easier to maintain with low stocking density. On the other hand usually more skittish species come out much more in blackwater.

 

Great scape. Thought about botanicals, yet?
For plants, my alltime favourite for blackwater: Hydrocotyle and Nymphea or Nymphoides, as they just bypass the light problem by growing out of the water or floating leaves.

What's the most recent plan for stocking? Fishwise blackwater is easier to maintain with low stocking density. On the other hand usually more skittish species come out much more in blackwater.

I've been kind of veering away from the blackwater idea (but I can't change the thread name!). I know I'll be putting in 5 male guppies that followed me home from the LFS. I'm pretty set on some kuhli loaches as well! Beyond that I'm not really sure!

 

Ah, ok. Then have fun.

 

Got some progress!! Filled with water and the first stock in! I’m waiting on a plant order that should be here Monday or Tuesday to fill it in, it’s looking pretty empty right now. But I’m in love with the gouramis and my little baby pleco!

 

Got some progress!! Filled with water and the first stock in! I’m waiting on a plant order that should be here Monday or Tuesday to fill it in, it’s looking pretty empty right now. But I’m in love with the gouramis and my little baby pleco!

The honeys are stunning and the baby pleco is sooooo very cute! You should try to get Fish/Invert of the month with those pics.

 

I would have invested in so many plants instead of fish first... It's so bright, barren and empty.

 

I would have invested in so many plants instead of fish first... It's so bright, barren and empty.

I've got a plant order coming on Monday or Tuesday! I definitely can't wait to get it nice and full of plants.

 

I've got a plant order coming on Monday or Tuesday! I definitely can't wait to get it nice and full of plants.

Good. What's on the list? You need to get that surface covered and the rest filled with plants soon for the gourami.

 

Good. What's on the list? You need to get that surface covered and the rest filled with plants soon for the gourami.

nymphoides hydrophyla taiwan, hygrophila polysperma, alternanthera reineckii, creeping jenny, pogostemon stellatus octopus, red root floaters.

 

nymphoides hydrophyla taiwan, hygrophila polysperma, alternanthera reineckii, creeping jenny, pogostemon stellatus octopus, red root floaters.

Nice! Where did you buy them from?

 

Nice! Where did you buy them from?

ABC plants- it's a montreal based company! I've never tried them before, I'm very eager to see how they come!

 

nymphoides hydrophyla taiwan, hygrophila polysperma, alternanthera reineckii, creeping jenny, pogostemon stellatus octopus, red root floaters.

Allright, you're prepared. Hope the amounts each are enough.

 

Allright, you're prepared. Hope the amounts each are enough.

They'll probably be small to start but that's the great thing about plants! They grow!
They were supposed to be here on wednesday, but Canada post is having troubles so they got delayed.

 

I think I'm going back to the idea of getting some botanicals in there, I think some leaf litter would suit the look very well. I've got a package of oak leaves I originally bought for the dart frogs, would they work? I'm also considering this bundle from a local store. MacZ ?

 

I think I'm going back to the idea of getting some botanicals in there, I think some leaf litter would suit the look very well. I've got a package of oak leaves I originally bought for the dart frogs, would they work? I'm also considering this bundle from a local store. MacZ ?View attachment 743660

The oak leaves and most stuff from that pack should work. I’m not sure about the mahogany pod, but someone else might be able to tell you about that. The alder cones, sterculia pod, magnolia leaves, and oak leaves are all commonly used in tanks.

 

I think I'm going back to the idea of getting some botanicals in there, I think some leaf litter would suit the look very well. I've got a package of oak leaves I originally bought for the dart frogs, would they work? I'm also considering this bundle from a local store. MacZ ?View attachment 743660

After looking at the exchange rate of canadian dollars and euros, I can say the package is fine pricewise. I just bought triple the amount of seedpods for 15 € (~25C$) a few month ago. All the stuff is safe. The oak leaves are a good addition.
The white gravel may counter the tannin's effect on the pH, otherwise this should work out.
Start with the stuff from the package. The oak leaves can then gradually be added later over weeks and months.
First just rinse the stuff. The leaves and aldercone just brew over with boiling water so they sink. The seedpods you have to boil or they float for a while. When rinsed beforehand you can add the brew with them after cooling.
Be aware that if there is influence on the pH you won't see much of that until a few weeks in. There may only be a small drop from the brew you add in the beginning but that's fine and should be gone after a couple of days. What's your KH?

 

After looking at the exchange rate of canadian dollars and euros, I can say the package is fine pricewise. I just bought triple the amount of seedpods for 15 € (~25C$) a few month ago. All the stuff is safe. The oak leaves are a good addition.
The white gravel may counter the tannin's effect on the pH, otherwise this should work out.
Start with the stuff from the package. The oak leaves can then gradually be added later over weeks and months.
First just rinse the stuff. The leaves and aldercone just brew over with boiling water so they sink. The seedpods you have to boil or they float for a while. When rinsed beforehand you can add the brew with them after cooling.
Be aware that if there is influence on the pH you won't see much of that until a few weeks in. There may only be a small drop from the brew you add in the beginning but that's fine and should be gone after a couple of days. What's your KH?

Thanks! KH is 6-7

 

Then don't expect much more than maybe . 4

 

Then don't expect much more than maybe . 4

That's fine with me. My pH is pretty much bang on neutral!

 

Allright, if it goes down to about 6.5 would be perfect for your fish.

 

I forgot to update when they got in, but almost a week late (grr, canada post) my plants finally got here on friday! Some of them didn't travel with all the extra time, the val is pretty much just roots, but the buce and apontogeton and water wisteria are all good, plus all the tissue cultures are happy! Since most of them are tissue cultures, it still looks kind of sparse in there, but they're already growing and it'll look awesome in no time. The gouramis love having their forest!

 

How beautiful is this fella???

 

How beautiful is this fella???
View attachment 745948

Very!

 

UGH! Had a scare with my water tonight. Did my testing and came up with LIKE 4PPM AMMONIA!! And 0.5 nitrite and 10ish nitrate. I've been testing every other day to make sure all stays well since this is a new tank and all, and I had a slight ammonia reading (not even .25) a few times but !!!! So I naturally start to panic and wonder why everyone isn't dead yet, and do a 50% WC (fighting the urge to dump in an entire bottle of prime). I tested again after the change... and had <0.25 ammonia and <0.25 nitrite, but just above zero on both.... I think I have an over dramatic test kit.
Aside from that everyone is doing really well! My val totally melted back but the roots are still good and a few new shoots are growing in, and some of the stem plants have already grown like 6 inches! A pair of honey gouramis have been doing the spawning dance like every day, but the guppies keep eating his bubble nests. I've got a good bit of new tank diatom algae, once I'm sure everything is stable I plan on getting a bristlenose to enjoy that feast I've got growing.

 

Just read through most of this thread lol. The tank is looking awesome! Also I have on question. What do people do with rocks like that to keep them clean?