# Newbie 30litre are these fish ok?



## Lynds101

Hi, I’ve got a new 30l tank and am looking into which fish for my kids and I to get. 
I know we can’t have gold fish. I was thinking 4 x danios and 4 x platies.

Is that ok? Too many/not enough? 
Too boring? Which small fish are nice to look at and easy to keep?
Help and advice v much appreciated.
Thanks ☺
Oh, and I’ve just read the fishless cycle thread and am now panicking, it’s very lengthy!! It’s my daughters birthday in 2 weeks, will I have to start cycle now?


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## Lynds101

.. and is it good to get a snail or shrimp too? Thanks


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## magpie

Hi @Lynds101 & welcome to the forum 

In a 30 litre tank I wouldn't be keeping multiple fish to be honest. Though danios, platies & the like are small they are also quite active and really need more space, plus they thrive best in larger groups which a smaller tank just doesn't have room for.

My advice would be to look at getting a betta fish instead: https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/betta-splendens-caresheet.527632/
They are very personable fish with lots of character and they are really beautiful to look at. You don't need to add shrimp or snails (and in fact many bettas will eat shrimp!) but an alternative to a betta would be to stock only shrimp & snails. Sounds boring but actually shrimp are really fascinating to watch!

Unfortunately it's unlikely you have time to fully cycle the tank in two weeks, I have just done a fishless cycle but using sponges from an established filter to make it go faster, and mine still took 18 days. Do you know anyone who has an established tank that could donate some filter sponge to you?


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## LinznMilly

Lynds101 said:


> Hi, I've got a new 30l tank and am looking into which fish for my kids and I to get.
> I know we can't have gold fish. I was thinking 4 x danios and 4 x platies.
> 
> Is that ok? Too many/not enough?
> Too boring? Which small fish are nice to look at and easy to keep?
> Help and advice v much appreciated.
> Thanks ☺
> Oh, and I've just read the fishless cycle thread and am now panicking, it's very lengthy!! It's my daughters birthday in 2 weeks, will I have to start cycle now?


Hi Lynds. Welcome to the forum.

It's great to hear you're doing your research before getting the fish. You've unwittingly already given them the best possible start you could, and set yourself up for success.

Yes, start the cycle now. You'll be about half way through it by the time your daughter's birthday comes along. . As @magpie said, if you know someone with an established filter, ask them if they would mind giving you some to kick-start he cycle. That way, you might be cycled in time.

It's unfortunate that you've already got the tank, as ideally, bigger tanks are better for beginners - despite what the manufacturers tell you. 10gal/45ltrs would usually be the smallest I'd recommend for beginners to the hobby, because the smaller the tank, the more susceptible to water quality and chemistry changes it is, which can shock or stress the fish. They also, of course, reduce the number of fish and fish species you can keep in the tank. 

That's not to say 30lt is too small, just limits you in terms of the fish that are suitable for the tank. A single male Betta would be ideal for a tank that size, as magpie has pointed out. Whether you could keep shrimp or snails with him would depend on the personality of the Betta himself, and you'd probably want one of the larger species of shrimp/snail, because all fish will eat anything that will fit into their mouths.

Otherwise, you'll be looking at really tiny fish such as a single shoal of Micro Rasbora.

If you could get a slightly bigger tank - 38ltr (8gal UK or 10gal US), you could get a few more, such as,

Ember Tetra 
Dwarf Cories
Sparkling Gourami
A trio of steel blue killifish

But I'd still stick to just one species.


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## Lynds101

Thanks for the advice. ive been reading up and have now decided on a 60l tank with heater instead. I have also found someone with an established tank who is going to give me some of their gravel and some filter when I have my tank set up.

Can I ask what may be a silly question please...
What is media? Is it different to the filter? I’m a bit confused with the two terms.
Thanks


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## LinznMilly

Lynds101 said:


> Thanks for the advice. ive been reading up and have now decided on a 60l tank with heater instead. I have also found someone with an established tank who is going to give me some of their gravel and some filter when I have my tank set up.
> 
> Can I ask what may be a silly question please...
> What is media? Is it different to the filter? I'm a bit confused with the two terms.
> Thanks


A 60ltr's even better. . You could keep the 30 as a quarantine/hospital/nursery tank.

Not a silly question - we get asked those sorts of questions all the time.

A filter is the cleaning system that takes in all the waste from the tank - the equivalent of the flush in our toilet systems - it takes in the waste and detritus in the water, and removes toxins (ammonia etc) from the water, making it safe for fish.

Media is like the hand inside the glove - whatever is inside the filter (most often sponges, but there are countless other types). It's the media that essentially does all the work - provides the ideal conditions on which the bacteria live and "work", trapping bigger particles and cleaning the tankwater. You need the media, not just a filter. There are some bacteria that live in the gravel, but not much to really help kick-start a fishless cycle.

60ltrs opens a heck of a lot of doors for you, and there's simply too many options for me to name them all here. My suggestion would be to go round the LFS (Local Fish Shop) and make a note of all the fish you and your children like the look of. From there, we can help you narrow down the shortlist to the species best suited to your tank and skill level. 

You'll need a test kit too. Go for a liquid based one, such as API or NT Labs.


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## Lynds101

Great, that explains it thanks!

I’ve ordered the API test kit, where do I get the ammonia? I’ve tried to find Jeyes Kleen off online but can’t seem to get any in a hurry. Is that what I need? Does anyone have a link to somewhere I could buy it, presume I won’t need a huge volume of it.

And what’s the quick start liquid stuff I’ve seen, it seems to suggest that it does the job of the fishless cycle immediately without having to go through the time and effort of an actual cycle. Does that work instead?


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## magpie

Lynds101 said:


> Thanks for the advice. ive been reading up and have now decided on a 60l tank with heater instead. I have also found someone with an established tank who is going to give me some of their gravel and some filter when I have my tank set up.


That's great!

I believe you can use Knockout ammonia which you can get from amazon. I used Dr Tims when cycling my 60 litre, which is specifically targeted towards cycling aquariums, but it's more expensive and a much smaller bottle!

There are a whole bunch of different brands of 'quick start' type stuff, and it's one of those things where some people say they work and some people say they don't. None will work immediately, you will still need to do the cycle & add ammonia, but they may make the cycle go faster. But if you're getting some filter media & gravel from an established tank, that will work much better anyway.

Do you know if the water in your area is hard or soft? That can help narrow down the options fish-wise. While people do have some success in keeping soft water fish in hard water & vice versa, it's always better to match the fish to your water if you can.


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## Lynds101

We’re in central Scotland so I believe soft water.


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## LinznMilly

Lynds101 said:


> We're in central Scotland so I believe soft water.


In that case, you have a wide choice of possibilities. Many species of Tetras, Barbs, Rasboras, Gourami, Corydoras, and so on..


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## magpie

Oh, loads of choice with soft water! I have soft water too and I've had a hell of a time trying to pick what I want to keep in my new set up


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## Lynds101

Thanks for everyones help so far. I really like the idea of a Male Betta, but would like other fish in the 60l tank with it if poss? I still would love a little shrimp too! 

Is there anything that would be best to have with a Betta or should it be completely alone?


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## magpie

Lynds101 said:


> Thanks for everyones help so far. I really like the idea of a Male Betta, but would like other fish in the 60l tank with it if poss? I still would love a little shrimp too!
> 
> Is there anything that would be best to have with a Betta or should it be completely alone?


To a certain extent it depends on the personality of the individual betta. Some are more aggressive and some are more chilled out. Plenty of people do manage to keep them with other fish though, generally small, peaceful fish that aren't too flashy and won't nip at the bettas long fins tend to do best. Some tetras can be nippy, and you'd want to stay away from any barbs or gouramis. Small rasboras is what I'd be looking at, and/or corydoras.

If you have the 30 litre tank already and are keeping it, you could try a betta with other fish in the larger tank & then if it really doesn't work out you could perhaps move him to the 30L to be on his own?


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