[Delphinus]

I'm tired of looking at my FW tank, which I think I've seen cleaner sewage treatment plants ... so I'm thinking I'd like to tear it down and start a new setup, one where I don't concern with trying to grow plants because that's where it seems some magic threshold got crossed, before I tried growing plants it was "so-so" but now that I have plants in there it's more in the category of "utter abomination".

So I'd like to keep my current fish, and design a setup around them (minus real plants, fake plants may be OK though), and maybe have some schooling fish of some sort (tetras?) or at least, fish that occupy the middle part of the water column because all I have right now are ever-invisible bottom dwellers.

Fish are:
- 2 clown loaches (which at the 6 or 7 year old mark, are in the size category of "miniature trout" - seriously, about 5" in size)
- 1 bristlenose plec (I had a pair, but I recently lost my female)
- 1 butterfly loach (sometimes called "UFO plec")

For free swimming fish I was thinking some tetras of some kind, or some other kind of reasonably peaceful open water swimmers.

I was thinking maybe a 50g, 48" wide. Currently the tank is a 30" 30g. I can't go too large as the spot it sits on is above the garage in a bonus room so shoring up the floor is not an option. But I figure something like a 50 would work because it gives the fish some swimming room without stepping up the volume too drastically. (I think I once heard you can go up to 75g usually without needing to reinforce the flooring underneath..)

I'm not 100% sure what my question is.. I guess. ... do you think this could work? If not, what are some good ideas for a setup for some larger clown loaches that I could consider?

I was also maybe thinking of going with a small sump, since then I could access filters a little better (maybe even {gasp!} make use of bioballs), hide things like the heater, not worry about water fluctuation because I could use a float valve, etc. etc.

Maybe even a sort of closed loop with the input and outputs on opposite sides to get some sideways unidirectional flow, to kinda/sorta mimic a river setup (although now I'm just dreaming, but I still think it's a neat idea).

Any thoughts?