# Stocking and equipment ideas for low maintenance 33g planted



## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

33g build ideas for someone who's been out of the aquarium game for a while.

This is what I've put together so far for equipment:

-33 gallon 36x12x18
-Current USA Freshwater Satellite LED Plus PRO - 36-48" 45 Watts*
-Fluval G3 Premium Filtration System*
-Hydor 300 Watt External Thermal Heater
-Hydor Smart Level Control - Auto Top Off*
-Eheim Compact Pump 300 - 80 GPH*
-Caribsea Tahitian Moon Black Sand - 60 pounds
-Seachem Flourish Tabs
-Seachem Purigen
-Seachem Matrix Bio Media
-Tetra Aquasafe Plus





















Close to the look I'm shooting for.

Stocking(not sure if this is realistic, just picked out some colourful fish).

Fancy guppy - 10
Endlers - 3
Scarlet badis - 1
Killifish - 2
Celestial pearl danio - 5
Pygmy cory - 5
Panda garra - 1
German blue ram - 2
Red cherry shrimp - 10








A school of pygmy's is one idea I'm liking for a twist on the clean up crew. And I'll go with black sand for them.

Not sure about plants yet.


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

What kind plants you are going to get? Fluval ultra bright LED will not be enough for high light plants. (might even be reaching for med light.) Some plants require co2 and bop filter such as Aquaclear 70 isn't best for co2 tank. If you plan only dose liquid co2 such as seachem flourish excel. Some fish are sensitive to it. (From my experience red cherry shrimp tend to die when i dose excel.) Unless it is easy plants like green camboba or hornwort, you may need plant substrate such as ADA amazonia. Are you going to get carpet? Most carpet plants such as dwarf hair grass and dwarf baby tear require high light and high co2.

I don't believe German blue ram and Red Cherry Shrimp are good mix as I have read GBR will eat all the shrimp since they are cichlid after all. If you still plan to do that you will need to provide a lot of cover ( Dense carpet.) for shrimps to hide and allow it to build up huge colony first. German blue ram still may hunt down all the shrimps. (same thing goes to Scarlet badis and Killifish appear it will eat shrimp as well. Fish will eat anything that fit in their mouths anyway)


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

In my 45 gallon community tank I once saw Galaxy rasbora (Celestial pearl danio) tried to take a nip at a swimming by cherry shrimps that is same size as the galaxy. The Cherry shrimp jump/bounce away as the galaxy approach.


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## Transposon (Sep 19, 2012)

I would keep the guppies and Endlers separate unless they are all males. But that's just me.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Shrimp and Rams don't do well together. Also don't Rams prefer lower ph and gh whereas live bearers prefer the opposite?


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## Shrimpette (Feb 17, 2015)

I agree, keep the guppies and endlers separated unless they are all male or you'll have cross breeding happening. And many fish will eat your shrimp or shrimplets. I've had luck keeping a few cherry shrimp in with my endlers and pygmy cories in a well planted tank. Galaxy/CPDs might do ok as well. Why not keep a few fewer species and up the numbers on what you are keeping? Three endlers, 1 scarlet badis, or five pygmies will end up kind of lost in a 33 gallon tank.


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## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

I'm thinking now:
15 guppys
10 galaxys
3 garras
5 Pygmy corys
3 scarlet badis
10 shrimp

The killifish would be awesome and I would drop the shrimp to have one, but I believe they are next to impossible to find. I see next to no pictures or video of them in tanks so that's a bad sign. I did see eggs for sale on ebay though. Maybe it will just involve more effort to get them.

For plants:

Stream Bogmoss 
Java Moss 
Java Fern 
Anubais Nano 
Water Wisteria
Amazon Sword
DWARF SAGITTARIA


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

There are lots of killifish locally - you'll be able to find them. Check with April's Aquarium. Or you can post a LF thread in the classifieds section. Just be careful of some sellers on craigslist. 

Depending on the species, a killifish may like to eat other fish. I know I made the mistake once of putting my trio of Gularis with guppies (I know now the water parameters for these fish aren't compatible) - after a couple nights I had some very chubby killifish.

Clown killifish on the other hand may make better community fish.


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## shift (Dec 21, 2012)

Lots of shrimp!


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## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

shift said:


> Lots of shrimp!


I know I could google it, but in your experience, is it easy to breed them?


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## Shrimpette (Feb 17, 2015)

Sneakerpimp said:


> I know I could google it, but in your experience, is it easy to breed them?


Super easy, just let them do their thing


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Easy, if the tank condition is right and they don't have predator to hunt them they will breed like rabbit.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

If you have male and female endlers, you will have a zillion endlers quickly. I love endlers, but have you thought of trying a schooling fish in your 33 gallon? A school of red phantom tetras with some corydoras? Or furcatas? Alternatively, what about a mated pair of krebenzas or Rams? Just a few ideas. I may have messed up the spelling here.


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## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

Morainy said:


> If you have male and female endlers, you will have a zillion endlers quickly. I love endlers, but have you thought of trying a schooling fish in your 33 gallon? A school of red phantom tetras with some corydoras? Or furcatas? Alternatively, what about a mated pair of krebenzas or Rams? Just a few ideas. I may have messed up the spelling here.


I was thinking of having the celestials as the schooling fish. Those furcatas look awesome though. Hopefully they aren't to difficult to find. I really like the german blue rams, but I also want shrimp.


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## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

Here's the new additions for equipment


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Fluval G3 seems overkill and flow might be too strong. Fluval 206 (45 g) should be enough since your tank is 33g.


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## Transposon (Sep 19, 2012)

Just wondering, if flow is too strong, is it possible to reduce the flow in the tank by splitting the filter output (add a check valve) and loop it back to the (also split) intake?


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Transposon said:


> Just wondering, if flow is too strong, is it possible to reduce the flow in the tank by splitting the filter output (add a check valve) and loop it back to the (also split) intake?


Some Canister filter like my Fluval 306 has flow adjust vault. Some suggest you can reduce the flow by packing more media/dense form in the filter. It really depends on what of fish/plant you have in the tank, some don't like strong flow. In Sneakerpimp's case I think G3 is too strong and little fish like Galaxy Rasbora (celestials ) may have trouble with it.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I bought some nice furcatas from Aquariums West once. They were not expensive and they were lively. They got along well with my cories.


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## Transposon (Sep 19, 2012)

outsider said:


> Some Canister filter like my Fluval 306 has flow adjust vault. Some suggest you can reduce the flow by packing more media/dense form in the filter. It really depends on what of fish/plant you have in the tank, some don't like strong flow. In Sneakerpimp's case I think G3 is too strong and little fish like Galaxy Rasbora (celestials ) may have trouble with it.


Thanks for the repley! 
That's good to know.


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## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

outsider said:


> Fluval G3 seems overkill and flow might be too strong. Fluval 206 (45 g) should be enough since your tank is 33g.


I'm sure there is a way around it. This filter is worth it for me. One of the worst parts of aquarium/pond maitenance for me was cleaning the hob or canister filter. Maitenance on the g3 is much easier. Not to mention the better performance compared to traditional filters.I could split the return flow and face them to run the lenght of the tank if it is a problem for the smaller fish.


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Sneakerpimp said:


> I'm sure there is a way around it. This filter is worth it for me. One of the worst parts of aquarium/pond maitenance for me was cleaning the hob or canister filter. Maitenance on the g3 is much easier. Not to mention the better performance compared to traditional filters.I could split the return flow and face them to run the lenght of the tank if it is a problem for the smaller fish.


The thing is you don't need to clean the filter unless it is getting clogged. (Rise off big debris on the form with tank water when you do water change.) I know on the filter user manual it will suggest you to replace media once a month or so, but that is how they make money and you lose all the good bacteria that you establish on the filter media.


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## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

Updated equipment list:


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## Sneakerpimp (Nov 25, 2015)

Also wanted to put it out there that I'm thinking seachem florite black sand for substrate. Three inches deep so I have enough to do some slopping to give a sense of depth.


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