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I would second that they are messy, messy little buggers. When I kept them the near constant maintenance on a 5G tank nearly did me in. It was worse because I didn't have a cover, and evaporation played a huge role in the water parameters. I decided that if I ever repeated the experiment, it would be in a ten gallon at least.

I had best success with supplementing frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms with little pest plant snails: I don't think they can actually eat MTS snails. Most fish can't because they have little trap doors. They did eat RRHS but seemed to "nibble them to death" I'm not sure how much they actually ate before there were decomposing snails on the floor of the tank. Those little pond snails were the coolest: the puffers sucked them right out of their shells. Another thing I used was itty-bitty red wigglers from my vermiculture. It was a serious PITA to harvest those almost microscopic babys but they sure attract the puffers attention!

Really, with the stocklist you've got you should be able to go any direction you want. I honestly am not a plant person despite myself. But for stocking suggestions. . . Rasborras, neons and the danios like friends, lots and lots. Not sure what rasborras or danios you have (harlequin, galaxy, giant, zebra etc), but I'd get rid of whichever species gets largest or that you like least. Then I'd add ten more of the other two, so that you've got two schools of a dozen each. Since this is just a temp home really for the balas, I won't address them. Then I'd add bottom dwelling fish; a small peaceful species, like a few kuhli loaches (most other species of loach will outgrow a 30G quickly) or a few small corydoras (Species that stay under 2" preferabbly), or a small pleco (A species that stays small, rubber lip, bristlenose, clown, etc). If the tank is really established and has lots of algae, maybe even some of those darn fragile ottos. Then, I'd add a "feature fish", optimally something that won't be bothered by fast, frisky danios or rasborras, but won't outgrow the tank. Maybe a dwarf gourami.

Right now an American Bullfrog, and a couple African Clawed Frogs. In the past I have kept fire-bellied newts and toads, ADFs. I am planning a spring tadpole project, though, so we'll see. . .

Actually, depending on what fish you want to keep keeping native fish is totally NOT illegal. What is illegal is harvesting young fish from lakes to keep in aquariums. So whatyou need to do is buy captive bred native fish. Here is the governments list of suppliers for "fingerlings" http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/div6187 Heck, I'd suggest you start with "feeder rosy reds" and ask for the grey coloured ones. These are in all actuality, Captive-Bred Native Canadian Fathead Minnows.

Thanks! I agree, although it seems like an addiction. Everything all set up and doing well? Fishes healthy, happy, doing well? Then starts the "itch", what if I had a tank with x? or y? And then pretty soon, you just have to give it a try, and well, the cycle starts all over again.

Hi, just found this forum and thought, wow, a local fish forum? No way! I've really just started getting back into fish, had a minor obsession as a child, then as a university student came to the sad conclusion that tanks are just not portable or practical when you move every six months. I started again last year with a little 20 gallon, and well, that was the end of that. . . I maintain 5 tanks ATM, 3 are community tanks, and 2 are amphibian tanks. I have a really bad soft spot for amphibians.