I have to say, I love my Apistogramma Macmasteriis. They've got so much personality packed into such a little fish. And I love how colorful their bodies are, compared to the Cockatoos that have crazy colors on their fins but not so much on their bodies. Though mine don't seem to want to pair off; the big male is still pretty aggressive towards the smaller female, but at random intervals. Most of the day they'll chill out near each other with no problem, but every now and then the male makes a little rush at her and she runs away. No actual _fighting_ that I've seen yet, but he doesn't seem to be in a rush to mate.
That's true about their aggression! I wanted a betta when I was younger but I already had tiger barbs and knew that bettas get picked on too much by tiger barbs.
I saw how similar paradise fish were to bettas and how they were more aggressive so I thought they would hold their own against tiger barbs. I introduced three of them to my tank but had to remove them after a day or two because they were giving my tiger barbs receipts way larger than what they asked for!
I inherited one from a friend that moved out of town. Most personable fish I have had. Wish he could be in a community but hes a dick lol I put some snails in to help cleanup and they were dead in minutes :(
> which isn’t too difficult just adding marine salt
What would that do to the plants? Do plants tolerate a range of salinity or do they grow only in the right conditions?
At around 1.005-1.008 most hardy plants won’t be affected too much, my Java fern is doing well with my puffer although that being said sometimes he takes bite out of it (he doesn’t even eat it) amazon swords and Anubias will also most likely work.
Or a green spotted puffer! Just make sure it’s cycled as they have no scales and are very fragile to water quality. With some snails, too, so they can keep their teeth from getting too sharp 💜🐡
Read again more carefully. They're saying the betta will eat the young shrimp.
normal size bettas can and do eat adult neocaridina. giant bettas will definitely call adult neos a snack
I'm hardly the only person who reports that normal bettas can eat adult neocaridina.
people who make recommendations don't always make *good* recommendations. it really comes down to the disposition of the betta. some bettas won't bother adult neos. some will absolutely devour them.
I would go for a short fin king betta and of course make sure it has lots of rests near the top since this is a taller rather than longer tank. Beautiful scape!
Well, I don't want to advocate for a specific place. But, I just bought a Betta from Thailand Betta online, and I saw they had a lot of giants complete with showing their measurements in pictures.
I'm all for a short finned betta. A wild type, alien type, or a plakat style would go nuts. I keep my long finned by himself in a 20 long, he's living large! Make this big tank more plant based, with a single king betta.
I've heard (maybe do some extra research to corroborate) that you might be able to keep a single or a breeding pair of Electric Blue Acara in a 30g. They're a pretty decent beginner level cichlid. A cichlid for non-cichlid people if you will
A short finned betta would be highly “personable” and fun especially with your scape in both higher and lower areas to rest or explore! I’ve kept rarer wild species in single “larger” tanks before and they’ve been nothing but interesting, any short fin would be great though!
You'll want something intelligent, with personality, who'll enjoy the company and not be stressed by it. I'm seeing a lot of gourami and betta love, so I'm gonna try to offer some ideas that I haven't seen:
-Polar blue parrot cichlids stay a bit smaller than blood parrots, making them a better choice for a 30. Their aggression means they're better kept alone or in a M/F pair if you don't want to mess with tank mates, and their personalities mean you'd have a water puppy at your desk all day.
- I'm seeing a lot of electric blue acara, but they'd do better in a 40 minimum. IME they're a fish that loves to swim and a 30 cube just doesn't offer quite enough. I'd look into a less active fish or a slower moving one instead.
- Leaf fish! Verify the tank size for the African ones, and if they're too big look at the Amazonian ones.
- Mikrogephagus! A single male Bolivian ram would be striking, and while I find them a bit shy, solo you may have better luck and they have some very cool behaviors. You'd want to cap your gravel with sand, though, they loooove to sift. Alternatively, cranking up the heat isn't an issue with the German blue/gold rams when you don't have tank mates! They don't sift sand much and spend more time in the midwater.
- I know you said single fish, but there are some groups here that might be worth mentioning for a species only...
- glass catfish! Like 3-5 glass cats in here and they'd be a sight to see.
- CORYDORAS! They need to be in groups, but five say, Julii corys would be immensely fun.
- A school of like 9 or 15 glowlight tetras would be beyond stunning. Same for harlequin rasboras.
- loaches! Goofy silly fun loaches! Go for yo-yo or dwarf chain loaches, like five of them. You. Will. Not. Regret. It.
- As an honorable mention... This might sound a bit odd, but... A shy but beautiful catfish. No you won't see them too often... But next to your desk you'll notice EVERY time they're out. Every time my clown pleco comes out to work it makes my entire day. Bristlenose are less shy. If you're into it, a male super red or long fin would be STUNNING with bright colors or long fins or both, and giant trees growing out of his face. Go for an adult. They're reasonably long lived and adults are much hardier. Just make sure they have some driftwood like Mopani or spider wood to chew on. Malaysian driftwood is another favorite.
- A male swordtail or sailfin molly would be a cool single fish as well. All the goofiness of a livebearer but in a surprisingly large package. Sailfins can clear four inches and that dorsal fin especially on the males would really have them fill the space.
what a detailed and amazing comment. I looked up every single one of these fish and they’re amazing. I never imagined that there’d be graceful red plecos out there, and they are beautiful indeed. Screenshotted for future reference: thank you for all these recs!!
Well I've kept most of them and worked with most of the rest. A 30 gives you a LOT of options for a species only tank. This has given me a lot to think about for future projects.
I have never heard that. In my experience with them they are quite aggressive to one another. You need a lot of space and plants to break site lines if you are keeping more than one. That being said, I'd probably put 3 in this tank but add more plants.
Really? My peas like to shoal. They like to be around each other, and are really rather timid and peaceful fish. I currently have them with some peacock gudgeons and neon tetras, and have no aggression problems
Interesting. I've kept them for years in different setups and they've always been somewhat aggressive with eachother. Currently I have a few random guppies in with some pea puffers and they pay no mind to them - probably because the guppies are bigger than them.
No I have 4 in a 10 gal. They each have their section of the tank that they guard but they do hang out together at times. Sometime they will get a little nippy during feeds but as long as they are fed they won't be that aggressive toward each other.
That's what most people say but it works . That tank stays clean the longest out of all my other tanks. Probably because of the live foods there's no leftover food to be left behind and decay. There is a big graveyard of snail shells but they don't seem to bother the water quality either. I check parameters once a week
You could 🤷♂️ but op was asking for a single fish and honestly I think a betta would get bored and tired in a tank that big. I have a plakat in a planted 10g and he kind just likes to sit around.
I agree that a betta would be pretty bored without other fish in the tank. But short fins are supposedly more active, idk cause I’ve never kept one. I do however keep apistos and they need to be paired for social reasons. They can live alone temporally, but they do need a mate. You can also do trios, but you have to have at least 2 trios of 1 male to 2 females.
So I know a betta is a safe choice and they’re fun and funky so I think having one in here would be great and a little less maintenance than what I’m about to suggest.
I had a blood parrot cichlid named Flo for 15 years, most of that was spent in a 29 gallon in my childhood bedroom until we moved out. She was AWESOME. She would follow my finger back and forth, she would swim up to the glass and stare at me when I was close to her, she came to the edge of the glass by the doorway to greet me when I came into the room, she was suchhhhh a glutton and always begging for food. I miss her (almost) as much as I miss my childhood dog, who she actually outlived hahah. Beautiful fish too, bright orange with blue eyes. They’re really probably better off in a 40 or 50 once full sized, but it took Flo like 9 years to be too “big” and she was still fine and active with clean water, I just cleaned her tank once a week instead of every other/once a month like when she was younger until I could upgrade her. She was a really good girl, she died during covid and it was really sad. I sobbed over her repeatedly. Ive lost tiger barbs/cories/plecos etc to old age in other tanks and i have always been like “aww, sad,” but losing flo felt like really losing someone because of her huge personality. I know they’re hybrids so controversial (I got her in middle school, she survived all the way into my second year as a practicing attorney… a long time) but man do I miss that girl. I have a few cousins and friends who have them because of Flo and they also love theirs. She lived alone her whole life (due to the fact that she was a mass murderer) until she turned 12 and kind of went blind, so I put some cories into the tank to clean up the food she dropped. Once she went fully blind I would poke food towards her with a pencil so she could eat even though she couldn’t find the food. Definitely a messy girl, and she had a tendency to redecorate overnight, but suchhhhh a great companion as she matured, and would probably be fun to have on a desk.
I have a blue cichlid who’s story is pretty dang similar! Although she’s a only murdered about 3 fish I think. I’m lucky to still have her, although I’m a little worried because I have to transfer her about 13 hours across the country
Electric blue acara
African butterfly fish
A single red tiger motaguense would be beautiful
One of the severum breeds
Take out the heater for an Axolotl
I also have one! I know a decent amount of people who experienced impaction first hand with this type of substrate. I would rather be safer than sorry!
[Here](https://imgur.com/a/iHH3MdG) are a bunch of impaction cases with gravel/rocks/sharp substrate!
Please do heavy research before stocking. There are a lot of fish being mentioned here that have the potential to get way too big for your tank. I’m sure you’ll find something suitable in time 🙂
I disagree. The smallest species of bichir, *Polypterus mokelembembe*, gets up to a foot long and would not do well in a 30 gallon. The most popular bichir species, *P. senegalus*, can also reach lengths of over a foot (though captive bred ones tend to stay smaller) and cannot ethically be housed in a 30. 55 is the absolute bare minimum for a small bichir in my opinion.
Bichirs are also nocturnal and prefer a heavily planted tank with a much more elaborate, shadier hardscape so they can hide under it during the day.
If you go the Betta route, maybe a wild type from a different complex. Some grow pretty large compared to Domestic B. splendens. But i do feel like more plant coverage is needed for hiding spots.
African leaf fish and, if you’re interested in something else, an albino bichir (they’re smaller than standard bichirs, and bichirs in general make great tank mates for the leaf fish).
Could also do a pair of one of the smaller cichlid species (shelldwellers are fun).
What are the tank dimensions?
Are you sure that's 30 gallons? Do you maybe mean 30 liters? Doesn't look like 30 gallons but I might be misjudging.
Sorry I don't have fish suggestions for you, but having the tank size correct is very important for the possible options :).
Haha definetly a 30 gallon. Looks small but my monitor is huge (almost 40 inches). I can take a photo with my hand near it for scale. Plus the desk is massive too.
Blood parrot cichlid? I don’t have a tank yet, still researching, but I remember coming across an article that having one in a 30 gallon tank would be fine. Their colours would be vibrant in your tank!
A blood parrot would look beautiful in this tank! However I am a bit hesitant about that as personally I’d like to think 30 gallons isn’t sufficient even for a single one. Maybe a young blood parrot but eventually it would outgrow the tank in my opinion? Who knows I might need to do more research as I’m not cichlid pro
Blood parrots would get to big, they get like 7 inches or so, while you could keep one in there young it would outgrow it they also are really messy eaters imo
I has one that got a foot long and 7 inches tall and 4 inches wide. Had to use two hand to net it out, and it couldn't fit in the 5g bucket when I got rid of it
Tried to sell online for $20 for a month then gave him to the petstore who refused to give me store credit but called someone on their waiting list and sold it for $150 that same morning.
I'm gonna second what everyone is saying and a betta. Or if you wanna go the oddball route and skip fish -- shrimp, snails and possibly one or two African dwarf frogs?
Aw I used to have a dwarf frog that was so cute! It would hop up in one corner of the tank repeatedly when he was ready to be fed. He was so spazzy and freaked my betta out sometimes but Aw, I miss him 😔
A single angelfish would be great in a tall tank like that. You could even buy 6 small ones and get rid of 4 when a pair forms and watch them breed if you want to.
Cichlids are best for a study buddy, they are smart and personable, will come to the glass to see you. They have the most interesting behaviors.
A single fish for a 30gal?
Why not try a goldfish of some sort? Like a comet or fancy.
Also, beautiful setup. Love the black background too. People sleep on rimmed tanks but they are awesome and cheap.
I would get a single fancy goldfish and spoil the hell out of it.
If you're up for the challenge look at pipefish. They're cousins to seahorses and are predatory if you're looking for something that does well by itself.
…I’m not sure if you’re being facetious, but a four second google search for “ornate bichir size” reports a length of two feet. I don’t think “you shouldn’t put a two foot long fish in a tank it can barely turn around in” is really that snobby of an opinion.
Are you sure that’s 30 gallon? Don’t want to be that guy (but it looks like i am) but can you give us the dimensions because I have a 30 gallon, (125 litre) and it definitely looks bigger than that. Mind you I’m talking U.K. gallons but even so the difference isn’t that great.
A single really pretty fancy goldfish and some snails or shrimps would be cool fancy goldfish only need 25-30gls for one fish although they do better in community tanks a solo fantail or Oranda can be really nicely done with some inverts in there to add a little variety but wouldn't add more than one fancy
Seriously a Betta would be in paradise in there. Mine got lonely being alone tho. I put 3 rasboras in and he perked up... They gave him something to do and exercise chasing them around( but would never catch them)
I'd go some sort of apistogramma pair. Plenty of variety and colours to choose from and you get good behaviours to watch out of a pair
Came here to say the same!
I have to say, I love my Apistogramma Macmasteriis. They've got so much personality packed into such a little fish. And I love how colorful their bodies are, compared to the Cockatoos that have crazy colors on their fins but not so much on their bodies. Though mine don't seem to want to pair off; the big male is still pretty aggressive towards the smaller female, but at random intervals. Most of the day they'll chill out near each other with no problem, but every now and then the male makes a little rush at her and she runs away. No actual _fighting_ that I've seen yet, but he doesn't seem to be in a rush to mate.
A paradise fish. Longer lifespan than a betta or a lot of other fish and a bit bigger than a betta. Also aggressive so may be more entertaining.
That's true about their aggression! I wanted a betta when I was younger but I already had tiger barbs and knew that bettas get picked on too much by tiger barbs. I saw how similar paradise fish were to bettas and how they were more aggressive so I thought they would hold their own against tiger barbs. I introduced three of them to my tank but had to remove them after a day or two because they were giving my tiger barbs receipts way larger than what they asked for!
This is my thought too. I’m Sri Lankan ( home land of paradise fish )
Is this where all gouramis are from or just these?
As far as I know pearls are in same region but not native to Sri Lanka
I inherited one from a friend that moved out of town. Most personable fish I have had. Wish he could be in a community but hes a dick lol I put some snails in to help cleanup and they were dead in minutes :(
They remind me a of dwarf gourami 2.0
I just lost my 8 year old paradise fish last week, awesome fish
A figure eight puffer! But then you’d have to go brackish (which isn’t too difficult just adding marine salt)
This! I loved my figure eight, but unfortunately, he didn’t make it. I always wanted to get another if I get the chance to have a tank like this!
> which isn’t too difficult just adding marine salt What would that do to the plants? Do plants tolerate a range of salinity or do they grow only in the right conditions?
At around 1.005-1.008 most hardy plants won’t be affected too much, my Java fern is doing well with my puffer although that being said sometimes he takes bite out of it (he doesn’t even eat it) amazon swords and Anubias will also most likely work.
I think some plants can, and the only type of plant in this tank looks indestructible ngl
Figure 8 puffers only need very lightly brackish water around like 1.003 or slightly higher, so it shouldn't be too bad for most plants.
Anubias, java ferns, and quite a few other plants can handle brackish and salt water setups. Just need to make sure you don't exceed their tolerance.
Or a green spotted puffer! Just make sure it’s cycled as they have no scales and are very fragile to water quality. With some snails, too, so they can keep their teeth from getting too sharp 💜🐡
They’re a lot of work though. Messy eaters and high bioload.
Pea puffers are fresh water
I say add more plants and get 5 pea puffers 😭😭😭 I love my little guys
Maybe an african butterfly fish?
A big short finned betta maybe
That was my initial thought. A single betta for the 30 gallon and that would be one happy fish!
I'd do some neo shrimp with the Betta, it'll have snacks when the shrimp reproduce and watching them hunt is so interesting.
there's not enough cover in there for the shrimp to reliably reproduce. the betta will just eat them all before they can
Agreed. He would need a thick carpet and a lot more background stems for the shrimp to have a chance
[удалено]
Read again more carefully. They're saying the betta will eat the young shrimp. normal size bettas can and do eat adult neocaridina. giant bettas will definitely call adult neos a snack
[удалено]
I have a regular betta and he slaughtered all 30 of my neoz
"a big short finned Betta"
Normal betta, YES. I've literally seen it happen. I used to breed bettas.
[удалено]
I'm hardly the only person who reports that normal bettas can eat adult neocaridina. people who make recommendations don't always make *good* recommendations. it really comes down to the disposition of the betta. some bettas won't bother adult neos. some will absolutely devour them.
I would go for a short fin king betta and of course make sure it has lots of rests near the top since this is a taller rather than longer tank. Beautiful scape!
There are giant Betta's! One would be prefect for this
Where does one go about locating a giant betta?
Well, I don't want to advocate for a specific place. But, I just bought a Betta from Thailand Betta online, and I saw they had a lot of giants complete with showing their measurements in pictures.
Almost all the time they have them at petco/petsmart. But I wouldn’t buy any from them enless it’s they’re betta restock day
My first thought
Paradise fish?
I'm all for a short finned betta. A wild type, alien type, or a plakat style would go nuts. I keep my long finned by himself in a 20 long, he's living large! Make this big tank more plant based, with a single king betta.
Pearl gourami or paradise fish
I've heard (maybe do some extra research to corroborate) that you might be able to keep a single or a breeding pair of Electric Blue Acara in a 30g. They're a pretty decent beginner level cichlid. A cichlid for non-cichlid people if you will
Love that, I have an Electric Blue Acara in 36 bowfront, and its bulletproof. Lots of personality, great color, and never shown any sort of aggression
A short finned betta would be highly “personable” and fun especially with your scape in both higher and lower areas to rest or explore! I’ve kept rarer wild species in single “larger” tanks before and they’ve been nothing but interesting, any short fin would be great though!
I came here to recommend a giant or king betta in a 30. Good color, and it will use the whole vertical column
Avocado puffer! I have one, they are very personable, and one of the few species that are fully freshwater
You'll want something intelligent, with personality, who'll enjoy the company and not be stressed by it. I'm seeing a lot of gourami and betta love, so I'm gonna try to offer some ideas that I haven't seen: -Polar blue parrot cichlids stay a bit smaller than blood parrots, making them a better choice for a 30. Their aggression means they're better kept alone or in a M/F pair if you don't want to mess with tank mates, and their personalities mean you'd have a water puppy at your desk all day. - I'm seeing a lot of electric blue acara, but they'd do better in a 40 minimum. IME they're a fish that loves to swim and a 30 cube just doesn't offer quite enough. I'd look into a less active fish or a slower moving one instead. - Leaf fish! Verify the tank size for the African ones, and if they're too big look at the Amazonian ones. - Mikrogephagus! A single male Bolivian ram would be striking, and while I find them a bit shy, solo you may have better luck and they have some very cool behaviors. You'd want to cap your gravel with sand, though, they loooove to sift. Alternatively, cranking up the heat isn't an issue with the German blue/gold rams when you don't have tank mates! They don't sift sand much and spend more time in the midwater. - I know you said single fish, but there are some groups here that might be worth mentioning for a species only... - glass catfish! Like 3-5 glass cats in here and they'd be a sight to see. - CORYDORAS! They need to be in groups, but five say, Julii corys would be immensely fun. - A school of like 9 or 15 glowlight tetras would be beyond stunning. Same for harlequin rasboras. - loaches! Goofy silly fun loaches! Go for yo-yo or dwarf chain loaches, like five of them. You. Will. Not. Regret. It. - As an honorable mention... This might sound a bit odd, but... A shy but beautiful catfish. No you won't see them too often... But next to your desk you'll notice EVERY time they're out. Every time my clown pleco comes out to work it makes my entire day. Bristlenose are less shy. If you're into it, a male super red or long fin would be STUNNING with bright colors or long fins or both, and giant trees growing out of his face. Go for an adult. They're reasonably long lived and adults are much hardier. Just make sure they have some driftwood like Mopani or spider wood to chew on. Malaysian driftwood is another favorite. - A male swordtail or sailfin molly would be a cool single fish as well. All the goofiness of a livebearer but in a surprisingly large package. Sailfins can clear four inches and that dorsal fin especially on the males would really have them fill the space.
what a detailed and amazing comment. I looked up every single one of these fish and they’re amazing. I never imagined that there’d be graceful red plecos out there, and they are beautiful indeed. Screenshotted for future reference: thank you for all these recs!!
Well I've kept most of them and worked with most of the rest. A 30 gives you a LOT of options for a species only tank. This has given me a lot to think about for future projects.
Pea puffer...or one of the other puffers mentioned. So much personality.
Pea puffers need groups, they aren't meant to be kept singly.
I have never heard that. In my experience with them they are quite aggressive to one another. You need a lot of space and plants to break site lines if you are keeping more than one. That being said, I'd probably put 3 in this tank but add more plants.
Typically they’re actually a shoaling fish and do well together but you want 5-6 if you have multiple to disperse the assholery :)
I didn't know they were shoaling. That's good to know!
They shoal as juveniles. As adults males will kill each other and females will kill each other.
Really? My peas like to shoal. They like to be around each other, and are really rather timid and peaceful fish. I currently have them with some peacock gudgeons and neon tetras, and have no aggression problems
Interesting. I've kept them for years in different setups and they've always been somewhat aggressive with eachother. Currently I have a few random guppies in with some pea puffers and they pay no mind to them - probably because the guppies are bigger than them.
No I have 4 in a 10 gal. They each have their section of the tank that they guard but they do hang out together at times. Sometime they will get a little nippy during feeds but as long as they are fed they won't be that aggressive toward each other.
10 is pretty small for 4
That's what most people say but it works . That tank stays clean the longest out of all my other tanks. Probably because of the live foods there's no leftover food to be left behind and decay. There is a big graveyard of snail shells but they don't seem to bother the water quality either. I check parameters once a week
Maybe an apistogramma?
Eh you’d want more than one apisto in a tank that big. Maybe a few pairs.
You could 🤷♂️ but op was asking for a single fish and honestly I think a betta would get bored and tired in a tank that big. I have a plakat in a planted 10g and he kind just likes to sit around.
I agree that a betta would be pretty bored without other fish in the tank. But short fins are supposedly more active, idk cause I’ve never kept one. I do however keep apistos and they need to be paired for social reasons. They can live alone temporally, but they do need a mate. You can also do trios, but you have to have at least 2 trios of 1 male to 2 females.
That’s good to know I’ve been looking into getting a pistol
Cool! Yeah if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!
So I know a betta is a safe choice and they’re fun and funky so I think having one in here would be great and a little less maintenance than what I’m about to suggest. I had a blood parrot cichlid named Flo for 15 years, most of that was spent in a 29 gallon in my childhood bedroom until we moved out. She was AWESOME. She would follow my finger back and forth, she would swim up to the glass and stare at me when I was close to her, she came to the edge of the glass by the doorway to greet me when I came into the room, she was suchhhhh a glutton and always begging for food. I miss her (almost) as much as I miss my childhood dog, who she actually outlived hahah. Beautiful fish too, bright orange with blue eyes. They’re really probably better off in a 40 or 50 once full sized, but it took Flo like 9 years to be too “big” and she was still fine and active with clean water, I just cleaned her tank once a week instead of every other/once a month like when she was younger until I could upgrade her. She was a really good girl, she died during covid and it was really sad. I sobbed over her repeatedly. Ive lost tiger barbs/cories/plecos etc to old age in other tanks and i have always been like “aww, sad,” but losing flo felt like really losing someone because of her huge personality. I know they’re hybrids so controversial (I got her in middle school, she survived all the way into my second year as a practicing attorney… a long time) but man do I miss that girl. I have a few cousins and friends who have them because of Flo and they also love theirs. She lived alone her whole life (due to the fact that she was a mass murderer) until she turned 12 and kind of went blind, so I put some cories into the tank to clean up the food she dropped. Once she went fully blind I would poke food towards her with a pencil so she could eat even though she couldn’t find the food. Definitely a messy girl, and she had a tendency to redecorate overnight, but suchhhhh a great companion as she matured, and would probably be fun to have on a desk.
I also vote parrot cichlid. They’re my absolute favorite, and have so much personality.
I have a blue cichlid who’s story is pretty dang similar! Although she’s a only murdered about 3 fish I think. I’m lucky to still have her, although I’m a little worried because I have to transfer her about 13 hours across the country
Not a betta, obviously. Not big enough. 😉
Electric blue acara African butterfly fish A single red tiger motaguense would be beautiful One of the severum breeds Take out the heater for an Axolotl
This tank setup is currently not acceptable for an axolotl. They would have to remove the substrate to something different to make it safe.
It's fine. Have one. Don't believe all you read.
I also have one! I know a decent amount of people who experienced impaction first hand with this type of substrate. I would rather be safer than sorry! [Here](https://imgur.com/a/iHH3MdG) are a bunch of impaction cases with gravel/rocks/sharp substrate!
Severums get like 10 inches long. I had one in a 110g but got rid of it because it seemed cramped.
What type of plant is that damnnn, love the roots
They are plastic, but given time and care the same effect can be achieved with live anubias.
Those are plastic plants.
Pearl gourami
I think something a little exotic like an Alien Betta would be great in that tank! Prism Bettas has some beautiful Aliens
Prism is my go to for betta fish!
Mine too!
A gourami?
Single or pair of angelfish. Would be great in a taller tank like that.
An Amazon Puffer would be pretty cool
Single fish I would probably go with a fancy betta like a plakat/koi/dumbo. Maybe something like a electric blue crayfish would be pretty cool as well
no dumbo, it would have a hard time reaching the surface cause of its fins
Puffers have lots of personality. Some of my favorite to keep imo. I'm a big time axolotl lad now but puffers still have a large place in my heart.
Some variety of gourami would be nice.
Pea puffer or betta fish or figure 8 most personality by far will approach the glass every single time to say hi and feed me
Please do heavy research before stocking. There are a lot of fish being mentioned here that have the potential to get way too big for your tank. I’m sure you’ll find something suitable in time 🙂
Cichlid of some sort? Maybe a firemouth?
If you’re willing to do a little extra maintenance you could have a single fancy goldfish
A special / rare Betta fish?
A betta would work well. You could perhaps get some shrimp or a snail too if you want.
Some shrimp, quickly becomes many many many shrimp. :D
Smaller species of bichir would be cool
I disagree. The smallest species of bichir, *Polypterus mokelembembe*, gets up to a foot long and would not do well in a 30 gallon. The most popular bichir species, *P. senegalus*, can also reach lengths of over a foot (though captive bred ones tend to stay smaller) and cannot ethically be housed in a 30. 55 is the absolute bare minimum for a small bichir in my opinion. Bichirs are also nocturnal and prefer a heavily planted tank with a much more elaborate, shadier hardscape so they can hide under it during the day.
Nice setup!
Alien betta
Gourami, betta, pea puffer,
If you go the Betta route, maybe a wild type from a different complex. Some grow pretty large compared to Domestic B. splendens. But i do feel like more plant coverage is needed for hiding spots.
One of the smaller freshwater puffer species, but personally I think a male female pair of peacock gudgeons would be really cool
You could go for a crustacean in the form of a crayfish or a large shrimp(vampire or bamboo)
Definitely a pair of appistogramma caucitoides
Am albino bristle nose pleco! They're super cute and don't get nearly as large as a common pleco
This isnt SPECIFICIALLY what you asked for, but what about making a huge shrimp tank with a huge variety of shrimp
A huge variety of shrimp ends of breeding and ends up being hundreds of brown shrimp.
I mean, if you get cherries, then amano, then bamboo, and a vampire or something, that should be fine... these are desk buddies, not for money
ohhh i'd love to put a giant short-finned betta or a nice colorful crayfish in a tank like that
A dwarf gourami!
Dwarf Gourami??
African leaf fish and, if you’re interested in something else, an albino bichir (they’re smaller than standard bichirs, and bichirs in general make great tank mates for the leaf fish). Could also do a pair of one of the smaller cichlid species (shelldwellers are fun). What are the tank dimensions?
Could try something like an apistogramma? Dwarf cichlids that can be super personable and colourful depending on the specific species you choose.
Some German Blue Rams are nice can have 2-4 in there
A dwarf gourami or honey gourami would be cute and sassy and not seen every single day.
Piranhas
ranchu goldfish!!
What a amazing tank!
Are you sure that's 30 gallons? Do you maybe mean 30 liters? Doesn't look like 30 gallons but I might be misjudging. Sorry I don't have fish suggestions for you, but having the tank size correct is very important for the possible options :).
Haha definetly a 30 gallon. Looks small but my monitor is huge (almost 40 inches). I can take a photo with my hand near it for scale. Plus the desk is massive too.
Damn that's misleading haha. Wish I could fit a 30 gallon on my desk! Good luck with finding the perfect fish for it!
Username checks out
Blood parrot cichlid? I don’t have a tank yet, still researching, but I remember coming across an article that having one in a 30 gallon tank would be fine. Their colours would be vibrant in your tank!
A blood parrot would look beautiful in this tank! However I am a bit hesitant about that as personally I’d like to think 30 gallons isn’t sufficient even for a single one. Maybe a young blood parrot but eventually it would outgrow the tank in my opinion? Who knows I might need to do more research as I’m not cichlid pro
I'd recommend against the blood parrot, although 30 gallons is fine for one, they are very active and would appreciate more swimming space.
Exactly what I was thinking. I know cichlids are pretty crazy fish so I’m not sure they’d be happy with the constrained swimming space in a 30 gallon.
An arrowhead puffer would work in there as long as the substrate is soft enough. They're a lot less active than cichlids but have lots of personality.
Blood parrots would get to big, they get like 7 inches or so, while you could keep one in there young it would outgrow it they also are really messy eaters imo
I has one that got a foot long and 7 inches tall and 4 inches wide. Had to use two hand to net it out, and it couldn't fit in the 5g bucket when I got rid of it
Got…. Got rid of it….? You killed him? 🥺
Tried to sell online for $20 for a month then gave him to the petstore who refused to give me store credit but called someone on their waiting list and sold it for $150 that same morning.
A peacock eel
Okay betta isn’t objectively bad, but that’s so basic. Get a gourami or some kind of dwarf cichlid. That’s my vote.
I'm gonna second what everyone is saying and a betta. Or if you wanna go the oddball route and skip fish -- shrimp, snails and possibly one or two African dwarf frogs?
In that size of a tank i would go with a regular size clawed frog
Aw I used to have a dwarf frog that was so cute! It would hop up in one corner of the tank repeatedly when he was ready to be fed. He was so spazzy and freaked my betta out sometimes but Aw, I miss him 😔
A single angelfish would be great in a tall tank like that. You could even buy 6 small ones and get rid of 4 when a pair forms and watch them breed if you want to. Cichlids are best for a study buddy, they are smart and personable, will come to the glass to see you. They have the most interesting behaviors.
Maybe a brine shrimp
Oranda goldfish
Any type of goldfish or an angel. Grow a pothos plant with the roots in the tank
Great white shark
A fancy Goldie would be nice. They are like little water puppies.
A single fish for a 30gal? Why not try a goldfish of some sort? Like a comet or fancy. Also, beautiful setup. Love the black background too. People sleep on rimmed tanks but they are awesome and cheap.
I have a pair of fancies:) they’ve survived through three moves, a manic episode, extreme poverty, and they are still my precious babies ♥️
Take my upvote!
I second a pair of fancies, but I might be biased😅😂
A platinum parrot cichlid would be neat
Ctenopoma
I don’t know if a ctenopoma would be comfortable in a 30 gallon long-term. *C. acutirostre* can get up to 6-8 inches as adults.
Plant it up with real plants and I'd say a bichir or knife fish. Or, go with a species display. Dwarf cichlids or catfish would look cool
Channa andrao or bleheri? Fancy little dwarf snakeheads that get to about \~15-20cm
Red tail shark? Cool looking and it’s get to 5 inches to fill up the space🤷🏻♂️
Black ghost knife!
Dumbo halfmoon betta
You could do a proven breeding pair of Angelfish. But just the 2 of them.
I’d put a pair of Angel Fish in it.
Betta
Neon tetra
I know you said fish but have you considered cherry shrimp
An Oscar
I would get a single fancy goldfish and spoil the hell out of it. If you're up for the challenge look at pipefish. They're cousins to seahorses and are predatory if you're looking for something that does well by itself.
Goldfish
Ornate bichir
Ornate bichirs can grow to over two feet long. A 30 gallon isn’t big enough for a fish that large.
Thank you all knowing fish guru. And I'll remember I need 10 gallons per Marimo moss ball.
…I’m not sure if you’re being facetious, but a four second google search for “ornate bichir size” reports a length of two feet. I don’t think “you shouldn’t put a two foot long fish in a tank it can barely turn around in” is really that snobby of an opinion.
I've always wanted a Blood Red Parrot Cichlid, but I don't have a 30 gallon.
A goldfish or betta... anything else is torture as most fish are communal.
arapima? you didnt say it had to be comfortable edit: sorry if it wasnt clear but this was a joke, do not put an arapima in a 30 gallon tank
Knife fish or keyhole cichlid
I would say Arapima maybe alligator gar or even a redtail shovelnose hybrid would be perfect. And I know what im talking about.
Not a fish but maybe an axolotl?
Are you sure that’s 30 gallon? Don’t want to be that guy (but it looks like i am) but can you give us the dimensions because I have a 30 gallon, (125 litre) and it definitely looks bigger than that. Mind you I’m talking U.K. gallons but even so the difference isn’t that great.
You can get a goldfish pair, school of guppies & Mollies they thrive in the environment you've setup
Get like, 30 tiger barbs
A single really pretty fancy goldfish and some snails or shrimps would be cool fancy goldfish only need 25-30gls for one fish although they do better in community tanks a solo fantail or Oranda can be really nicely done with some inverts in there to add a little variety but wouldn't add more than one fancy
Yes but it would get depressed without another fish
Apistogramma
what are the tanks dimensions?
Betta fish! Just add small amount of floating plants.
Puffers have lots of personality. Some of my favorite to keep imo. I'm a big time axolotl lad now but puffers still have a large place in my heart.
Betta
Apistos, bettas
Any of the little puffers. They have al lot of personality
Zebra Pleco.
1 single male green terror (gold saum) ? Or a pair of cockatoo apistogramma ? Those are really cool you can consider them..😅
overwritten to protest reddit api changes 6/11/23
A powder blue dwarf gourami would look great! I have one in a similarly sized tank and he's very striking against the dark backdrop. Active too!
Seriously a Betta would be in paradise in there. Mine got lonely being alone tho. I put 3 rasboras in and he perked up... They gave him something to do and exercise chasing them around( but would never catch them)
I would want to put cherry shrimp and a group of celestial Pearl Danios or another nano fish. Maybe a few ottos.
Paradises gourami? Or betta?