# 30 gallon centerpiece fish ideas



## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of planning a 30 gallon (3 ft), Fluval 206 canister filter, planted tank for my girlfriend. She wants lots of movement and plants. All my tanks so far have been cichlid tanks and I'm not well versed in community tank ratios.

So here are the options i've given her:

Option 1:
2 angel fish
~13 neon tetras
~ 5 julii corys 

Option 2:
Dwarf Blue Gourami
~ 11 neon tetras or harlequin rasboras
~ 11 rummy nose tetras
~ 5 julii corys

- I essentially want to put a centerpiece fish or two and surround it with 1 or 2 schools.
- Are there any other centerpiece fish that you guys would recommend aside from angels and gouramis?
- how many schooling fish can I have (1 or 2 schools) with and without a centerpiece fish?

Any recommendations will be helpful! thanks


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## jmf3460 (Aug 21, 2013)

30 gallons is not entirely that big, not big enough for angels I would say, even if you just did 2 angels. if you are wanting a bigger fish but in the tetra family I would look at congo tetras, they would make a nice centerpiece for this sized tank, or rainbow fish.


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

jmf3460 said:


> 30 gallons is not entirely that big, not big enough for angels I would say, even if you just did 2 angels. if you are wanting a bigger fish but in the tetra family I would look at congo tetras, they would make a nice centerpiece for this sized tank, or rainbow fish.


I dont think I want congo tetras as my centerpiece. I'd prefer something a little bit bigger and in less numbers as the centerpiece so it can contrast with the neon tetras and rummy nose tetras.

I'd love to add rainbow fish in there, but I'm under the impression that rainbows need a much bigger tank and like to be in schools. Is it possible to put 4-5 of them in a 30 with lets say 7-8 rasboras and a few bottom feeders?


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## mnemenoi (May 28, 2012)

Maybe a school of threadfin rainbow or dwarf neons? A nice school of Gertrudae or Furcatas psuedomugils would be nice. Some of the nicer looking stiphodens, kuhli loaches, or sidmunthunki would help liven up the bottom area. Curviceps or Kribs might be a tamer choice for a centerpiece cichlid and do not mind water parameters as much. If she likes gouramis, honey's are a bit better behaved and less sickly.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Paradise fish are excellent as long as you have at least 2 (a male with a female or females, or 2+ females...keeping two males in a tank this size, or only one in any tank, would likely result in either a dead paradise fish in the former or a destroyed community tank in the latter) and none of the fish are much smaller than about 1.5 inches.


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## Fiftymeatballs (Mar 30, 2011)

What type of cichlids have you kept? 

In my 30 I am keeping an apisto pair, 6 pygmy cories( going to buy 4 more), 6 rummy nose, 3 otto's and a random group of cherry shrimp culls. It's my first time keeping apisto's and I'm happy with the choice I made.

I really like pygmy cories, you can keep a large group without taking up much space. They are 1/4 the size of the other species of cory and really fun to watch. 

I think a breeding pair of angels in a 30 could work, it depends on how you scape it. You will probably want to cut down on how many other tank mates you mix with them though.


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## Fiftymeatballs (Mar 30, 2011)

bzada said:


> I dont think I want congo tetras as my centerpiece. I'd prefer something a little bit bigger and in less numbers as the centerpiece so it can contrast with the neon tetras and rummy nose tetras.
> 
> I'd love to add rainbow fish in there, but I'm under the impression that rainbows need a much bigger tank and like to be in schools. Is it possible to put 4-5 of them in a 30 with lets say 7-8 rasboras and a few bottom feeders?



It depends the species of rainbow. Some get big, and swim very fast and need lots of space.


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## Virto (Dec 6, 2012)

Rather than the Dwarf Gourami, look at pearl, opal, chocolate or other near-identical gourami species. They're a good bit bigger, more active and generally very social with people, ie, inquisitive, not skittish. 

I've kept several and never once had an issue with them bothering fish of other species. They're colorful and stand out and make a decent centerpiece for a smallish tank.


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## Virto (Dec 6, 2012)

Fiftymeatballs said:


> It depends the species of rainbow. Some get big, and swim very fast and need lots of space.


Agreed on this - dwarf neon rainbows would be OK, bosemani or other similar rainbows really need a longer tank. I do keep some "Australian" (generic name for exact species unknown) in a 46 and they do fine at roughly 3-inches each. Other varieties hit 5-6 inches and then it's a real stretch unless you have a longer tank, 55 gallons or so.

Edit: oh, rainbows are also very good jumpers. You'll need a cover with any type, dwarf or otherwise.


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## devilduck (May 9, 2012)

I'd second the gourami or blue paradise fish, also consider a German blue ram


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Grah the great said:


> Paradise fish are excellent as long as you have at least 2 (a male with a female or females, or 2+ females...keeping two males in a tank this size, or only one in any tank, would likely result in either a dead paradise fish in the former or a destroyed community tank in the latter) and none of the fish are much smaller than about 1.5 inches.


I like the idea of paradise fish a lot. I might make choice between 2 paradise fish or a krib pair and surround them with a school and some bottom feeders. If i go with 3 kribs or paradise fish, how big of a school of harlequin rasboras or neons can I put in there?


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Fiftymeatballs said:


> What type of cichlids have you kept?
> 
> In my 30 I am keeping an apisto pair, 6 pygmy cories( going to buy 4 more), 6 rummy nose, 3 otto's and a random group of cherry shrimp culls. It's my first time keeping apisto's and I'm happy with the choice I made.
> 
> ...


I have a 55g mainly Mbuna tank and a 29 gallon Firemouth breeding tank.


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Virto said:


> Agreed on this - dwarf neon rainbows would be OK, bosemani or other similar rainbows really need a longer tank. I do keep some "Australian" (generic name for exact species unknown) in a 46 and they do fine at roughly 3-inches each. Other varieties hit 5-6 inches and then it's a real stretch unless you have a longer tank, 55 gallons or so.
> 
> Edit: oh, rainbows are also very good jumpers. You'll need a cover with any type, dwarf or otherwise.


Yeah I had Boesemani rainbows in mind, and thats why i thought they wouldnt work in a 30. I am intrigued by the dwarf neon rainbows, but how is their coloration? pronounced?


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## Virto (Dec 6, 2012)

bzada said:


> Yeah I had Boesemani rainbows in mind, and thats why i thought they wouldnt work in a 30. I am intrigued by the dwarf neon rainbows, but how is their coloration? pronounced?


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## mnemenoi (May 28, 2012)

They look even better in person


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## Virto (Dec 6, 2012)

mnemenoi said:


> They look even better in person


They really do. I'd suggest visiting a larger LFS - many stock them now, as they've proven popular for smaller tanks.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Paradise fish grow just large enough to eat any neons present (hence the warning about minimum fish size), but adult or almost adult harlequin rasboras should be fine. If you insist on the neons, you might be able to get cardinal tetras, which grow larger but are known for being somewhat more fragile and need to be acclimated carefully. Sadly, I'm no expert on school size, but since this is a reasonably substantial tank I'd imagine you could pull off at least 10-12 harlequins, and possibly a much larger school, alongside a pair of paradise fish. Make sure the current in the tank is enough to prevent the male from building a bubble nest, as if they breed he will likely evict his tank mates from his half of the tank, as per usual for anabantoids (you'd encounter this same problem with any of the above gouramis except for chocolates, which are mouthbrooders and tend to take tank mates poorly anyway...they're really shy, from what I have read)

Kribs are slightly smaller than PF's, so neons could work as well as harlequins. Unfortunately, stopping kribs from breeding is not nearly as easy as stopping PF's from breeding and a breeding pair of kribensis can be surprisingly effective at mauling tank mates depending on the pair (I've heard horror stories of kribs destroying community tanks when they breed, and others where the community was largely unscathed...it depends entirely on the individual fish, like most cichlids). Moral of both of these stories: keep an eye on them!

By the way, catfish tend to have problems with dwarf cichlids in general due to their sharing the same part of the tank, so keep an eye on the kribs/catfish if you go the krib route. They should generally be fine with PF's since paradise fish are not substrate spawners.


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Ok I'm definitely sold on the dwarf neon rainbows, they seem really cool. what size school should I get and what do you guys think I should I put around them? 

Thanks for all the suggestions


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## staypuft (Aug 31, 2013)

Virto said:


> They really do. I'd suggest visiting a larger LFS - many stock them now, as they've proven popular for smaller tanks.


and they are way better when fed good foods, they are sometimes a little faded in store tanks.


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

So would something like this:
- 2 paradise fish or 1 gouranmi
- 7 dwarf neon rainbowfish
- 7 harlequin rasboras
- 6 dwarf corys (most probably julii)

And would this be okay for a 30g or a 36 bowfront?


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## devilduck (May 9, 2012)

Stick with one paradise fish, May not be enough territory for two in a 30. You can probably go with a lot more dwarf corys, they are small. I have 7 in a 7g.


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

devilduck said:


> Stick with one paradise fish, May not be enough territory for two in a 30. You can probably go with a lot more dwarf corys, they are small. I have 7 in a 7g.


Hate to say it, but I have to disagree with you...all my research has suggested that lone paradise fish are almost always the ones that wreck communities, since they do not have any other paradise fish to bicker with (they're a lot like tiger barbs...lone ones like to peck at tank mates, but they much prefer to peck at their own kind if kept in pairs or groups and will not usually bother anyone else). Keeping a lone one could set up a community tank for disaster. A thirty is plenty large for a male/female pair of Paradise fish...I have a pair in my 29 gallon, which is six inches shorter, and they get along fine aside from some chasing. Keeping two males could end badly in a tank that size, though. Dwarf cories might be eaten by the Pfs, which could also kill the paradise fish due to the Cory's venomous spines.


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Grah the great said:


> Hate to say it, but I have to disagree with you...all my research has suggested that lone paradise fish are almost always the ones that wreck communities, since they do not have any other paradise fish to bicker with (they're a lot like tiger barbs...lone ones like to peck at tank mates, but they much prefer to peck at their own kind if kept in pairs or groups and will not usually bother anyone else). Keeping a lone one could set up a community tank for disaster. A thirty is plenty large for a male/female pair of Paradise fish...I have a pair in my 29 gallon, which is six inches shorter, and they get along fine aside from some chasing. Keeping two males could end badly in a tank that size, though. Dwarf cories might be eaten by the Pfs, which could also kill the paradise fish due to the Cory's venomous spines.


I definitely do not want the Corys or rasboras potentially eaten by a PF. Should I consider a gourami instead?


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

Depends on the gourami...pearls, honeys, and dwarfs would likely be fine if they did not breed, and you could probably keep a mixed sex group of honeys in a tank that size. However, chocolate gourami are known for being fragile and will often hide until they expire if they have non-chocolate tank mates, so I'd avoid them. Three spot gourami would also be best avoided, since they are aggressive and easily large enough to eat a dwarf Cory.


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Thank you for all the info Grah. I just wish there were more striking centerpiece fish in the peaceful realm. I would consider GBRs but they seem to die on everybody
I guess it is settled then:
- 1 Gourami
- 7 dwarf neon rainbow fish
- 7 Harlequin Rasboras
- 7 dwarf corys

Are those numbers alright or can some of them be bumped up?


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

It's not so much a peaceful issue as it is a 'big fish eat little fish' issue...the PF's would be fine with slightly larger fish. Have you considered a badis species? They are rather similar to both cichlids and gourami, and if you can meet their feeding requirements (they need live or frozen food) should get along with everything else when not breeding. One last thing...have you considered Bolivian rams?


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

The Badis are pretty cool and I could feed them frozen foods everyday if it was at my house, which i do with my breeding firemouths. But since it's going to be a my girlfriends, id rather have to feed all of them one type of feed and not have to wait for frozen food to thaw and what not.

I have considered Rams, but I hear they die very frequently (at least the german blue rams), though a pair would make a nice centerpiece along with the rainbows, rasboras, and corys.


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## devilduck (May 9, 2012)

Grah the great said:


> Hate to say it, but I have to disagree with you...all my research has suggested that lone paradise fish are almost always the ones that wreck communities, since they do not have any other paradise fish to bicker with (they're a lot like tiger barbs...lone ones like to peck at tank mates, but they much prefer to peck at their own kind if kept in pairs or groups and will not usually bother anyone else). Keeping a lone one could set up a community tank for disaster. A thirty is plenty large for a male/female pair of Paradise fish...I have a pair in my 29 gallon, which is six inches shorter, and they get along fine aside from some chasing. Keeping two males could end badly in a tank that size, though. Dwarf cories might be eaten by the Pfs, which could also kill the paradise fish due to the Cory's venomous spines.


Gourami and Paradise fish can have vastly different personalities depending on fish. Get them from some place where you know you can return them.

In my experience, male Paradise fish need approximately 2 sq feet of territory per fish. They do not bicker with rival males, they outright kill them or stress them to death. In my area, females are near impossible to find unless you order a clutch of juveniles and raise them.

I've had success with single male Paradise fish in a 29g community tank with a male GBR, emerald cories, x-ray tetras and bamboo shrimp. I had two, one black which died from a bout of columnaris and a blue one which jumped one week when I was on vacation. The blue Paradise was in the tank for close to 2 years.

I love them, they are very majestic and interactive fish.


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## Vin (Apr 10, 2013)

Why not a pair or trio of appistogramma ? Almost all species are very colorful.


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## bzada (Aug 5, 2013)

Devil Duck, thats a really nice tank. I really do like paradise fish, but I dont want them to eat any corys or rasboras. 

Vin, appistos are cool but she already nixed those off the list


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## vihaga (Jan 26, 2014)

Grah the great said:


> One last thing...have you considered Bolivian rams?


I second this. They're more hardy than Germans, and they have a lot of personality.


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## Careful (Mar 26, 2013)

I would highly recommend gouramis - I have 4 pearls and they are the stars of the tank, at the front looking right at you whenever anyone walks up. Great, personable fish - the pearls aren't as aggressive as other gouramis so you could keep more than one if you wanted. They're also not picky about water parameters as long as the tank is 75 degrees +. Even the non-fish people who come to my house comment on them.


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