Getting back into the hobby

Sorry to hear that. Haven't gotten far as my tank is leaking. Looking to get a 2 ft tank rather, even if I have to wait a while

 

I have 3 tanks that will go up for sale soon.

95l Fluval planted tank
60l Boyu tank
450l 4ft tank (My new baby)

 

How are the power outages causing issues? Some low tech systems could be perfect

 

Was thinking the same. Or some cold water tanks

 

Welcome back to the lifestyle.

A Cascade 100 HOB filter will work perfectly on the 30 litre tank.
They are super quiet, and when fitted with a sponge over the intake, provide excellent filtration.
Rip out the cartridges it is supplied with, and fill the filter with something like Seachem Matrix.

As to plants, there are a wide variety to choose from, that are extremely easy to grow.
Something like Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown can look look stunning as it grows to fill the tank.
Alternatively a nice piece of wood, with Anubias Nana Petite or Bucephelandra on it, would make a good focal point in the tank.

On a tank that size you don't want to overfill the tank with plants.
Keep it simple.
Fill the bottom 3cm or so with a good substrate like Seachem Flourite Black or Prodibio Aqua Growth.
Plant your Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown in the back of one half of the tank.
Place your driftwood with Anubias and/or Buce about a quarter distance away from the opposite side of the tank, fill with water, and wait for everything to start growing.

For fish, I would get any of the micro Rasboras.
My favourite are either the Galaxy Rasbora, or the Emerald Rasbora.
A school of 10 or so would look stunning in that tank.
Add 3-4 Otocinclus or Nerite Snails to keep away the algae, and you will have a happy tank.

There are literally hundreds of choices you could make for lights.
My favourite again, is a Zetlight, especially when connected to the A200 WiFi Controller and A200 WiFi Receiver.
On a tank that size you could go for either a Zetlight Aqua Series 1200, or the Lancia 438.

 

Thanks @Pezulu, I didnt think of micro rasboras.

I haven't done a real planted tank before. Will look at the costs, so that I can budget before I start.

Been looking at videos of the Hamburg Matt Filter. Looks interesting, will check the filter you suggested also.