Need ideas for new tank.

[Chris.d514]

I have an aqueon evolve4 at my desk at work and need some stocking ideas. Going to be a gravel bottom and will up to a 13w fluval compact fluorescent. Going to rig a fluval 20g co2 into filter section. Need help on plants and stock. Will have to be able to go weekend with out being fed.

[Roshan8768]

Maybe some shrimp? If you really want fish some of those micro rasboras would be nice. I personally would do maybe 4-5 of the white cloud mountain minnows, seriously underrated fish

[Chris.d514]

I have a Sakura tank with rasboras, nerites, ramshorns, and otos. Not sure if I want a clone but maybe different shrimp and microfish. Possibly hatchets and Pygmy cories? Maybe swap the gravel for aragonite and do some shellies?

[Roshan8768]

Pygmy cories would be cool, but what kind of hatchets? All the ones I've seen are way too active for a tank so small and they get to like 1.5". Maybe the marbled ones, but you don't see those often... obviously you would need a lid on your tank, and water changes wouldn't be fun, because you would have to make sure they wouldn't jump ship while you have your hand in the tank. There are less skittish fish that are a better fit for this tank IMO

[Roshan8768]

No experience with shellies, but they could work I guess. If you went with aragonite not sure if there would be too many plants that you could use. Maybe just some vals?

[Chris.d514]

Tank has a lid with a small feeding hole that could also be used for water changes.

[Roshan8768]

Yeah it could work man, just need to find the marbled hatchets. Lots of plants will help them feel more secure, and some sort of floating plants will really discourage them from jumping... the gravel layer isn't too thick, what were you planning on for plants?

[morpheus]

Not sure about shellies in that tight of a space. There are a few people on here that house them and can speak better about the behavior (territorial or not). They would probably destroy leafy plants, maybe thicker wax like leaves like Anubis

maybe could go with tetras. things like harlequins and serapes stay small and add nice colors. Could even get a small colony of endlers in there planted nicely

[mnemenoi]

Shellies in that small a tank are just too difficult and aggressive. With the CO2 being added I see an excellent Betta tank or shrimp. With some research and hunting maybe a pair of the wild type bettas might work with the water being soft enough

[Chris.d514]

Thank mnemenoi. Figured you would know. Might be going shrimp again. Looking at getting some gertrudae rainbows from Tim as well and getting a weekend auto-feeder.

[Chris.d514]

Since I have Sakuras at home I'm thinking a blue shrimp for here.

Here's what I have so far (don't know the names of all the plant).