# 30 gallon community



## otgarza (Oct 15, 2009)

I'm planning to get a community tank started again and I will be setting it up tomorrow for cycling. I wanted to know what you guys thought about my options for stocking. 

I was thinking about putting 5 sunburst platies, 5 painted platies, 5 bloodfin tetras, 5 silver tip tetras, and if there is room I want to add a trio of gouramis either blue or gold. I would also like to know if it would be safe to add a pleco? And if so which ones? Suggestions are welcomed. Thanks!
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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Tetra should be kept in groups of no less than 6. This tank sounds like it should be a planted tank, as tetras and gourami love planted tanks, and a low-tech system isn't that hard to setup. The setup might be abit overstocked. I wouldn't put so many platies in there. Platies+Platies=over 30 new fry per female, per month. That tank would fill up fast! With gouramis, trios are best with 1m/2f.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Forgot to add...NO COMMON PLECO!!! Research plecos and find a small species that you like. Don't get the common pleco as they will outgrow a 65g.


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## otgarza (Oct 15, 2009)

Thanks....how does a rubber lip pleco sound. Or a clown pleco? Those are the two I was looking at. And ill add 6 of each type of tetra....should I lower the number of platies to a trio or a group of four? And would it be safe to have a trio of blue and gold gouramis, or just one trio?
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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Play with this tool until you figure something out. It won't tell you everything, but we can help you once AqAdvisor like the setup; AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor .

Hope this helps!


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## tanker (Mar 13, 2010)

I don't know about the plecos or gourami, but I'd certainly reduce the number of platies to 3. I had 5 in my 75-litre (about 20 gallons) and the scale of them after they'd grown (mainly the females, they get very big) made me upgrade to a 165-litre (about 45 gallons, I think). I've got 6 in there (+ 2 tiny babies, just arrived!) and I can't imagine having that many in a tank smaller than mine. I think 3 would be a good number, judging on how mine look and taking into account that your tank is a bit smaller. You'd still need to consider whether the other fish will have enough room before you make your final decision, but just on platies, I'd go with 3.


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## otgarza (Oct 15, 2009)

At the moment I have added 5 bloodfins to the tank and I have an albino bristlenose pleco along with them. I will update you guys in the upcoming weeks as I add more fish. I've decided to add the silvertips and a trio of two types of platies and a trio of swordtails at the end if space permits.
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