# 33g Long Fish Ideas



## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

I had a previous thread relating to my Gar, but the topic changed over to basically what I could put in a 33g long tank, so I just created a new thread to prevent confusion. I'm going to list the materials I have/are getting as well as a few fish ideas and decor ideas I have at the moment. Feel free to edit anything, give me ideas, or criticize on whatever since it helps me in the long run. Please take the time to read this, I really will appreciate it.


*Materials:*
- 33g Long All Glass Tank
- Matching Hood With Fluorescent Bulb
- AquaClear Power Filter 70
- Playsand (probably getting from Home Depot or Lowe's)/Black Sand
- Some kind of heater

*Fish Ideas:*
- Oddball Tank (African Butterfly Fish, Ghost Glass Catfish, Clown Loaches, [all that I have at the moment])

- Tetra Tank (Neons, Black Neons, Penguins, Rummynoses, X-Rays, some kind of Corydoras)

- Rainbow Tank (Bosemani, Ornate Turquoise, some kind of Corydoras)
This could prove to be a little expensive, so this is a stretch

- Small Cichlid Tank (Kribensis [I think that's how you spell it], German Blue Rams, German Gold Rams, some kind of Corydoras)

- Bumblebee Goby Tank (Bumblebee Gobies, not sure what else I could add)


*Decoration:*
- Playsand (I mentioned it above, but sand is the preferred substrate I want for this tank, I'm debating between Playsand or Black Sand)

- Java Ferns (I have a ton in my 38g, so I plan on moving some into this tank too)

- Driftwood (I'll have to look around for this one to find some pretty decent prices)

- Stones/Rocks (I can find these in a creek in my backyard, I plan on boiling them and washing them with hot water to make sure I rid the bacteria from it, plus it cuts the costs of buying stones/rocks =P)


So this is what I have right now. Like I said before, suggestions/ideas are VERY WELCOMED. Thanks for reading, hope to get a response soon.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Tank still isnt big enough for any of the fish in option #1 besides the butterfly
Tetra tank would work but could be sorta boring
Tank isnt big enough for Rainbows either unless you go small like celebese or furcata
Small Cichlid tank would work but i would do either the rams or the krib, if you do the rams you could try to get some sort of a south american biotope going
Bumble Bee tank would work as well, some options to go with them in a brackish would be some knight gobies, glassfish, figure 8 or green spotted puffers..


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

4 ft x 1 ft, right? That lets you keep a harem of small mbuna like P. demasoni or C. afra. Kribs and cories would be nice. Or you could buffer the water and have a tank of shellie or a colony of neolamprologus (daffodils? or lelupi) or julies. 

River rock from a landscape place is reasonably cheap (in the cents/pound range) allowing you to fill a tank for <$10 that might be less work. 

Pool filter sand may be better than playsand as it is a bit more uniform in size and it is also supposed to be cheap. 3M colorquartz is supposed to have a beautiful black, but it can be hard to find. I suggest a sponge over the filter intake to keep sand from getting in your filter's impeller.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

emc7 said:


> 4 ft x 1 ft, right? That lets you keep a harem of small mbuna like P. demasoni or C. afra. Kribs and cories would be nice. Or you could buffer the water and have a tank of shellie or a colony of neolamprologus (daffodils? or lelupi) or julies.


That actually sounds pretty cool. If I don't do the tank full of neons, I might follow up with this idea. Can you link me a site involving mbunas, p. demasoni and c. afras? I know what kribs and shellies are so there's no need there. Thanks for the help =P.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=849 This is the fish I have in my 33L (just fits under a 55). If I get 2 big males at the same time, I end up removing one with a chewed tail. They chase all day long. This is the smallest tank I'd put Mbuna in for the long term. 

I have one more idea for you. This Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1440 is a small, mean, mouthbrooder that likes sand and plants. The males are stunning.

There is good stuff on this site. http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/introduction_list.php and check out the trading post, sometimes you will find something locally.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

emc7 said:


> http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=849 This is the fish I have in my 33L (just fits under a 55). If I get 2 big males at the same time, I end up removing one with a chewed tail. They chase all day long. This is the smallest tank I'd put Mbuna in for the long term.
> 
> I have one more idea for you. This Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1440 is a small, mean, mouthbrooder that likes sand and plants. The males are stunning.
> 
> There is good stuff on this site. http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/introduction_list.php and check out the trading post, sometimes you will find something locally.


Thanks a bunch! The males do look absolutely stunning, even from that picture. I'll take those both into consideration while I'm making my decisions.

Please everyone, more help would be appreciated =P.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

And another question, does anyone know any decent online sites that sell bog wood at a good price?


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

So I think I'm going to go with Dwarf Cichlids right now, either between all Kribs or all Rams, I'm still deciding at the moment, as well as a nice little shoal of cories. If anyone could get back to me on this idea, please do, thanks.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

sound nice. Plants, sand and dwarf-cichlids. I would suggest you add java moss to the mix, its good for feeding fry and making sight-line barriers between pairs.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

emc7 said:


> sound nice. Plants, sand and dwarf-cichlids. I would suggest you add java moss to the mix, its good for feeding fry and making sight-line barriers between pairs.


I'll probably go with the black sand for this one to bring out the best in their colors. Plants I'm thinking about are Java Ferns, Vallisnera (not sure if I spelled that right), and I have some leftover Java Moss in my 20g so I'll just take that and add it in here.

I was told to add a sponge to my filter to prevent the sand from clogging my filter. Do I just take like a cube sponge and put it over the filter? 

Also, I was maybe planning on using some branches in the woods behind my house. What is the easiest way to clean this and submerge it quickly? (If this is even possible to do).


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You can tank "aquarium filter sponge", put a slit in it and shove it over the filter intake, the filter's suction should hold it on. Or you can buy a sponge "pre-filter" that comes with adapters to the most common filter intake tubes. 

The issue with most wood is that it floats. Boiling for days or soaking for weeks or months with a weight on them is one way to get them to sink, attaching to something heavy, like slate, is another. Or buy a dense wood that sinks even when fresh, such as manzanita.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

emc7 said:


> You can tank "aquarium filter sponge", put a slit in it and shove it over the filter intake, the filter's suction should hold it on. Or you can buy a sponge "pre-filter" that comes with adapters to the most common filter intake tubes.
> 
> The issue with most wood is that it floats. Boiling for days or soaking for weeks or months with a weight on them is one way to get them to sink, attaching to something heavy, like slate, is another. Or buy a dense wood that sinks even when fresh, such as manzanita.


Sounds good! Thanks for the ideas man!


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

Alright, so I took back my Gar and I ended up selling all of my Fancy Guppies as well, just because I've had them for too long and I need a change. Tomorrow I plan on picking up the tank, hood, and sand so I should have a few pictures after I set it up.


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## DavidAl (Nov 17, 2009)

If this is a new setup, which I think it is, I would avoid the rams at all costs. IME, rams will only do well in a mature tank, and even then they tend to die prematurely if the water is not to their liking, i.e., pH 6.6, temp 80F, GH <5. In addition to the kribs, look into Apistogrammas...

The glass catfish could do well, but you have to make sure you provide them with a good current. The addition of a powerhead should create the needed current to keep these fish happy. Keep them in groups of at least 5, the more the merrier. Feeding can be a problem at first so make sure you ask the retailer what they're feeding them. Whatever it is, buy it along with your fish. Once they're acclimatized and feeding well, you can wean them on to other foods. The African Butterfly fish may require live foods...

Dwarf neon rainbows, _Melanotaenia praecox_, is another species of rainbowfish that will do well in a 33-long. They are active and will certainly do a great job at keeping your tank lively. Keep more females than males; a ratio of 2:1 is good. A powerhead will benefit this fish as well.

The penguin tetras you mentioned share a similar trait to the glass cats: they like to shoal stationary, head elevated and in the same direction against the current. I would not put them both in the same tank as it would look weird, as if they're all watching a movie or something. All in all, I do like them, as well as the rummynose tetras. I keep a large school of rummies in a planted tank and they look spectacular. Keep them in large schools. If they lose their red nose, check your water, something's not to their liking.

The AC70 is a good filter. IMO, Hagen makes the best hang-on-back filters on the market, hands down. That said, I'm not sure I would use it for a 4ft. tank. I would probably go with a canister on this one. With a strong canister, you can probably forego the powerhead by placing the inlet/outlet at opposite ends.

I'm not a fan of playsand, but it is popularly used. Look into the 3M Colorquarts already mentioned. They have a bunch of colors to chose from, although I always recommend a natural look. There are two grades of this stuff: S grade and T grade. I have the S grade and I will say that it's very fine. I sometimes have problems with new plants taking hold. Go with the T grade if you plan on going with rooted plants. The javas you plan on using will work well on driftwood, as will anubias and subwassertang.

David


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

Thank you very much for your feedback, it's very appreciated .

Fish choice right now is still bouncing back and forth as I do more and more research. I believe one of the LFS in my town have German Blue Rams from time to time, but if they're pricey (which they usually are) and what you are saying is true about picky water conditions, I might hold off on them at the moment. I'll probably start off with a few Kribensis along with another few compatible Cichlids (maybe some Bolivian Rams).

I set up the tank today so I'm going to use the Aquaclear 70 instead of the canister with powerheads. It's running really smooth and is rather quiet which is really enjoyable.

I ended up choosing black marine sand that my friend's store carried, which looks incredibly nice I must add. When I dropped in the plants for the first time, even with the cloudiness still tapering over the tank, it really brought out the green in the plants. I love it.

I was given a few pieces of driftwood from one of my generous friends who took down his tank, and set them up on either side of the tank. I rubber banded some Java Moss to the wood on the left while I just stood the other piece up on the right. I also added a stone I had leftover from my 20g that I took down and ended placing that in the tank as well after boiling it. 

Plantwise, at the moment I have a group of larger Java Ferns in the middle of the tank, while two small ones are anchored to the wood on the left. I threw in some small Amazon Swords as well and hopefully they grow a little bit larger to spread a little more.

The tank is really looking nice. I plan on adding maybe a slate cave or two with some leftover slate that I have. I also had a question regarding a bottom feeder: I honestly don't want to get Corydoras this time around, so I was looking for maybe just a catfish of some sort or something, or maybe even a Clown Plecostomus. What would you guys recommend? I don't want something that gets enormous, but something that'll be able to stay in the tank forever. Thanks.


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

Rams do tend to be pricey. Here~$14 each last time I checked. Store rams are more picky IMO, but I've really never had any issue with these. Its really just the price. Keep them at 80* mine did fine in pH of 7.6 and GH of 8. However if you can get locally bred rams these are much better. They can be cheap if you go with fry vs. adults. This is only if you have experience raising fish though. It takes much longer and they need their own tank and live food. I got 5 at a auction for $5. At .25" they grew great and eventually spawned in my tank. Unfortunately my high nitrates are not nice to eggs. Lots of fun though, cuz they start out as little colorless fishies.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

Mikaila31 said:


> Rams do tend to be pricey. Here~$14 each last time I checked. Store rams are more picky IMO, but I've really never had any issue with these. Its really just the price. Keep them at 80* mine did fine in pH of 7.6 and GH of 8. However if you can get locally bred rams these are much better. They can be cheap if you go with fry vs. adults. This is only if you have experience raising fish though. It takes much longer and they need their own tank and live food. I got 5 at a auction for $5. At .25" they grew great and eventually spawned in my tank. Unfortunately my high nitrates are not nice to eggs. Lots of fun though, cuz they start out as little colorless fishies.


I never actually held German Blue Rams in any of my tanks before, but I did have a few Bolivians a while back. Once died early on and the other one lived for about 3 1/2 years and ended up dying about a month ago. I don't know if German Blues are any similar to Bolivians, but Bolivians are incredibly hardy and weren't finicky at all about water conditions or foods. I will look around though for different prices, if I don't find anything in the area does anyone happen to have a highly recommended online site?


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

A few photos from what I have at the moment:


































I'll post more as I get fish and add more decor. Comments appreciated


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## DavidAl (Nov 17, 2009)

Chaos,

Your tank is coming along...

I would take the java ferns and attach them to driftwood; they don't grow well in the substrate. That looks like Tahitian Moon Sand. Add root tabs around the swords as the TMS has no ferts. You may get by without the ferts once the gravel has matured in time. It is my understanding that TMS is not safe for fishes with barbels. I have never had it in any of my tanks so I cannot attest to it.

The clown pleco would be fine in that tank, if you can find them. They're not too common, at least not in my neck of the woods. They love driftwood, as do most _Panaque_ species. Actually, they like the microscopic bacteria that breakdown the wood. I forgot what its called... If you can't find them, look into the rubberlip pleco or the bristlenose pleco. They all grow to about the same length, give or take a few centimeters.

You might want to reinforce that chest. Remember, you're going to have close to 330 pounds on top of it, plus whatever is in the drawers, if there's anything heavy. See if you can support it with six pieces of 2x4's: one in each corner and two in the middle, on opposite ends. That is, of course, if the chest has a flat bottom. If it's on four legs, I would be very cautious. Non-aquarium furniture are not always as strong as they seem.

David


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

DavidAl said:


> Chaos,
> 
> Your tank is coming along...
> 
> ...


Yeah I figured, I'll attach the ferns to the wood when I come home from college for break, and by then I should also be able to get fish as well. How do you add root tabs?

My LFS actually has a few clown plecos left so I might pick one up when I come home. Does he just gnaw on the driftwood or will her also clean up some of the bottom as well?

The chest does not have legs, the bottom of it is flat and very solid. At the moment there isnt a whole lot in the drawers since I'm in school, but I will take that into consideration when I come home again. I'll work with my dad to reinforce it. Thank you for your concern, much appreciated .


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

It looks really good. If the chest is hardwood it may be just fine (unless it gets wets). Since its less than 300 lbs. (good furniture should let you stand on it). Be careful with particle board furniture watch for sagging and cracking. And in a lot of laminate (wood) furniture, the laminate will peel if its gets wet, but it won't affect the structure, just be ugly. The plants will grow and give it a nice look. Only thing I might change is the background. A solid black or blue would be nice. I've heard that windshield tint film from wal-mart makes a nice background and is easy to use without tape.

You might want some "caves" for cichlids, coconut shells or porcelain pockets, but its likely they will just dig under your rocks.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

emc7 said:


> It looks really good. If the chest is hardwood it may be just fine (unless it gets wets). Since its less than 300 lbs. (good furniture should let you stand on it). Be careful with particle board furniture watch for sagging and cracking. And in a lot of laminate (wood) furniture, the laminate will peel if its gets wet, but it won't affect the structure, just be ugly. The plants will grow and give it a nice look. Only thing I might change is the background. A solid black or blue would be nice. I've heard that windshield tint film from wal-mart makes a nice background and is easy to use without tape.
> 
> You might want some "caves" for cichlids, coconut shells or porcelain pockets, but its likely they will just dig under your rocks.


I'm pretty sure it's hardwood, but I can double check when I go back home. I was trying to make caves with the remaining slate that I had but they didnt look at all the way I wanted them to. I'll have to look around and look for something cave-like around my LFS. 

My mom mentioned a background as well and I think I'll probably go with black since I had blue before and I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, but I'll definitely head to Wal-Mart and take a look around, thanks alot =P.

Also, does anyone know if I could mix Curviceps and Kribs? I was told before that Rams and Kribs shouldn't be mixed so I probably won't be doing that.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

curviceps/kribs like rams/kribs are one american, one African. Usually not recommended. But they are both somewhat peaceful (mainly kill their own kind) and both like soft water. It would probably work if you got one pair of each,but personally, I'd get 6 fry of one or the other and let them pair off themselves. Extra "breeding pairs" could then be traded for something else.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

So you're saying If I got like 6 Rams when I went to get fish, they would eventually kill each other if they were all the same sex? Hmm...that's really not what I want.

Could I possibly put together an African tank or solely all African Cichlids? If so, what would you recommend? In this case, I'm going to have to create a ton more caves, but I plan on doing that anyway so it's no biggie really.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

No, all same sex fish would be fine. Its when substrate-spawning cichids pair off that they drive other fish away and kill them if they can't escape. a ram's normal territory is the size of 10 gallon tank, a krib's is more like 20L. Most likely even 2 pairs of either would be fine but territory size can vary with individual fish. I guess my point is 6 fish gives an extremely good chance of getting one pair and if you end up with 3 pairs, pairs are more valuable than single fish. You can usually trade them for other fish, no problem. But if buy 2 of this and 2 of that, your odds of getting a happy pair are really low.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

So you're basically saying I should just buy 6 German Blue Rams, for example, and hope some pair off. Worst case scenario, trade the odd ones out in either for another pair or a whole different fish completely. Am I hitting the nail on the head?


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

So I think I'm settling with 4-6 German Blues, and 4-6 Gold Rams depending on what is available, but I will try and get an even number regardless. I still plan on getting the Clown Pleco as well, but not until maybe a few weeks into it, just because nothing will be there for him to eat. Thanks for all the help!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You got what I was saying. You plan sounds fine. But because blue and gold rams are the same species, don't expect to choose their own color partner. So if you want to try to breed gold rams, you'd better get only gold rams.


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## Chaos553 (Apr 2, 2007)

emc7 said:


> You got what I was saying. You plan sounds fine. But because blue and gold rams are the same species, don't expect to choose their own color partner. So if you want to try to breed gold rams, you'd better get only gold rams.


I don't think I'm going to try, if it happens it happens. I'm more worried about whether they'll all get along or not. I had a friend who had 2 German Blues and a Gold and all they would do is constantly fight by locking lips (cichilid fighting). Eventually a German Blue and Gold died and the remaining German Blue died 2 months later. I'm assuming that if I give them plenty of caves though, they should be fine.


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