Biorb 30L - Dont Hate Me Please!

[JHR]

Hey all!

I have just purchased a 30 Litre Biorb which, in hindsight, perhaps may not have been the best choice ive ever made.

Ive been doing research and it seems the fishkeeping community seem to dislike the biorb range due to their lack of surface area in contact with the air, apparent algae problems and others!

However, I have purchased the tank and am now stuck with it!

So please could someone help me with some problems/questions i have?

1- i have read that bottom dwellers can be harmed by the ceramic stones that come with the biorb? surely this is an easy fix for someone like me who wants a bottom dweller or two in their tank by replacing the stones with a different brand substrate such as 'Roman gravel'?

2- how many 'inch' of fish is reccomended for such a small tank? i have done hours and hours of research into how to keep fish happy and healthy in an aquarium and have found countless different theories for this problem from 1 inch of fish per 2 cubic inches of water to 1 inch of fish per gallon and more!

3- what combination of fish will work? i would love to keep a small shoal of neon/x-ray tetra maybe 3 or 4 and also a clown loach and if theres room for one or two more fish then maybe more... what are your thoughts? is this combination a reality or just a 'dream'?

Thanks for taking the time to read this post and im really sorry if its in the wrong section please move it to where people will help me!

- A disgruntled soon-to-be-Biorb owner!

 

[greenjar]

Definitely cant keep a clown loach in this - far to small....

Personally I would go with some shrimp and snails.

 

[dh058977]

Not a fan of the Biorbs myself but the tank is completely your own choice. I will say however, tetras need to be kept in larger groups than 3 to 4 so you should really have at least 6, they also arent recommended for new setups, they tend to do best in mature tanks. Clown loach are a big no no in a tank that size, they also should be in groups and your tank is no where near big enough.
I would say a 30L tank is pretty limited anyway, even more so as its a biorb, you should be looking at smaller shoaling fish, shrimps and snails.

How do you plan on cycling your tank? Have you read up on cycling in the beginners section?

Good luck!

 

[JHR]

darn, i really wish i didnt jump on the 'biorb bandwagon' and i wish i got a tank that is actually designed to keep fish! but thanks for your replies!

i have read up on cycling on other websites/forums briefly but have also found conflicting information (which seems to be everywhere in this game!)

i intend on reading up on everything in that secion before i even touch my new biorb.

 

[Liquid skills]

you could keep a betta in this ?

 

[JHR]

i did read of someone having a betta in the same tank as mine however i believe they need a lot of swimming space dont they? what other fish would be suitable to have in there with it?

 

[fluttermoth]

I'd honestly stick to six of one of the smaller tetras or microrasboras. You could maybe have some shrimps as well, but I'm not sure how they do in Biorbs.

 

[JHR]

yeah tetras are really cool i love neon and xray tetra.. could i have like 3 of each or do they literally need to be the exact same species?

is it true that shrimp can be miscounted in the '1 inch of fish per gallon' rule of thumb?

 

[Junior Gent]

Ive been bought a Biorb Life 30 litre (square type), im new to fish keeping too. Ive just started my Fish-less cycle 4 days ago. Ive decided on keeping 4 Guppy's in there and a couple of shrimp, wondering if there is a possibility to fit maybe 2 more fish in. but not sure if the size of tank would be suitable or if there are any fish suitable.

JR

 

[Rummynose]

A Betta would look nice in it, but you'd have to keep the water level low in order to give him breathing room, since he frequently comes up for air too with him being a labyrinth fish.

Have a look at some of the smaller fish species like micro rasboras, especially the boraras species. I think you could easily add 8 of those fish! They are beautiful and would add colour and life to your bi-orb, especially if you add a few plants.

 

[JHR]

yeah ive read up on the breathing thingy to do with bettas and i think it looks better with a bit of a gap above the water line anyhow..

i like the sound of 8 fish in there! im not looking to overstock my tank NO WAY but 8 sounds good to me if theyre small.. just wish i could have a bottom dweller but oh well ill save it for a future tank! (a proper bloody tank)

also as a 'design' i intend on having sandy coloured gravel with a layer of black pebbles (roughly 1.5" diameter)on top. simplistic look with maybe one small ornament and some plants that will sway with the bubbles... thoughts?

 

[Liquid skills]

I tell u what i would do is have your gravel and fill the tank with cabomba depending on what fish you get as the micro fish would be swiming in and out of this plant OMG my money has now been spent lol

 

[Tizer]

yeah ive read up on the breathing thingy to do with bettas and i think it looks better with a bit of a gap above the water line anyhow..

i like the sound of 8 fish in there! im not looking to overstock my tank NO WAY but 8 sounds good to me if theyre small.. just wish i could have a bottom dweller but oh well ill save it for a future tank! (a proper bloody tank)

also as a 'design' i intend on having sandy coloured gravel with a layer of black pebbles (roughly 1.5" diameter)on top. simplistic look with maybe one small ornament and some plants that will sway with the bubbles... thoughts?

the gravel provided with the biorbs is the stuff your bacteria grow on, its part of the filtration method, so altering what you use, isnt ideal.

 

[JHR]

OMG my money has now been spent lol

took the words right out of my mouth that sounds real nice... i want my tank to hurry up in the post so i can cycle the bloody thing and get some fish!

the gravel provided with the biorbs is the stuff your bacteria grow on, its part of the filtration method, so altering what you use, isnt ideal.

oh really? i had no idea... thanks for letting me know it could have been a disaster otherwise!

 

[fluttermoth]

yeah tetras are really cool i love neon and xray tetra.. could i have like 3 of each or do they literally need to be the exact same species?

Yes, they do really need to be the same species. newbies always want to have lots of different fish but, believe me, small tanks look far, far more impressive with just one species, plus the fish will be happier and behave more naturally.

Remember that these fish live in shoals of hundreds, if not thousands, in the wild; keeping them as six or eight is really pushing at the lower limit of acceptable as it; three of two different ones is not a way to have happy fish; they'll be shyer, be less willing to eat and will be more dully coloured than if in a proper group.

X ray tetras grow too big for you Biorb, and neons can be very delicate in newly set up tanks. I'd recommend you look at these species, and pick the one you like best, although knowing the hardness of your water would help make that choice too;
sparkling gourami
ember tetra
dwarf emerald rasbora
celestial pearl danio
mosquito rasbora (Boraras brigittae)
pygmy rasbora (Rasbora maculatus)
featherfin rainbow

is it true that shrimp can be miscounted in the '1 inch of fish per gallon' rule of thumb?

Yes, as their bioload is so small (ie they produce very little waste)