30 Gallon Sorority Log

I found a 30 gallon tank at my local thrift store for $35 so I brought it home. I'm going to turn it into a planted sorority/ community tank with about 10-15 females and the remaining fish in my 10 gallon community tank. I'll update with pictures along the way.

The tank is roughly 36 in long x 12 in wide x 16 in high. I'm going to be putting a glass top on it and using one 30in light strip and another 24 inch light strip until I can afford to buy lighting to fit the tank.The substrate is black eco-complete. I have roughly 40lbs of it but I'm not sure if I'm going to need that entire amount. Right now ALL I have is the tank and the substrate. Its going to be a very slow project because of my budget constraints but I'll get it set up and make due until I can add stuff along the way.

Today I'm cleaning the tank. It has hard water stains along the back and front so currently I'm covering the stains with a paper towel soaked in vinegar. The vinegar dissolves the stain and makes it easier to scrub off. Then I'll bleach out the inside.

This weekend I'll be painting the back wall and the wood colored rims of the tank with a black acrylic paint. I like painting the back wall black because it hides the cords and equipent and also makes the plants and fish pop. I'm painting the rims simply because black colored lighting is cheaper than oak colored so I want it to match