29 gal Stock List Help

[ocminpin]

In my 29g I currently have:

-- 2 Adult Mollies M/F
-- 2 1" Juvie Mollies M/F
-- 1 Adult Platy F
-- 2 1" Juvie Platies M/F
-- 4 1/4" Platy Fry
-- 2 Adult Guppies F
-- 1 Oto

I change the water 50% twice a week and use an API Master Liquid Kit and feed Omega One Flakes every other day.

I have ads out to sell/rehome the male Juvie Molly & male Juvie Platy. Hoping they find a home soon. They were leftovers from my 20g I just tore down and put into closet until I need it for fry or a QT.... Just added fish in couple days ago.

I had one more adult Molly to keep my ratio of M:F to at least 1:2, however I generally like 3-5 females per male. I had a death recently.. :-/

At the moment I would prefer to keep the guppies at females only and the platies as females only...

I'm having fun watching my first batch of Red Mickey Mouse Platy fry grow up... May keep one female from the bunch and as they grow (they always grow very slow), rehome the other 3. At the moment they all swim in a little group... Cute very small.. Only 1/4".

I've had bad luck with Otos, as some of you know... Down to one again... Has well rounded belly off algae on colosseum decoration.

Question: is my current stocking doable for now considering 2 of the fish (male Juvie Molly & male Platy) will be rehomed and my frequent PWC?
Also. As final stocking after babies grow up is this okay?:

-- 3 Mollies 2F:1M
-- 3 Platies F
-- 2 Guppies F
-- 1 Oto

The Otos have been tricky regardless of acclimation and groups of 3-4 always dwindle down to one... :-( so don't want any more Otos.

Just checking with you more experienced people and would prefer only male in tank to be my gorgeous black Molly, Blaze
I have raised lots and lots of fry and am slowing it all down... A lot of work. My female Cruella has slowed down tremendously mating with Blaze... Perhaps he's fertile, but not as much as my previous male. Last 2 batches were obviously his because they turned out different than any other before.

Thanks a lot! Look forward to your thoughts, opinions..

 

[ocminpin]

Can anyone help?

 

[FishFanatic88]

That stock seems fine, definately not overstocked.

I would however consider some kind of bottom feeder. What type of substrate do you have? Do you raise the fry in the 29 gal? do you care if the fry survive? do you have live plants?

I can further help if you answer those couple of questions.

 

[ocminpin]

That stock seems fine, definately not overstocked.

I would however consider some kind of bottom feeder. What type of substrate do you have? Do you raise the fry in the 29 gal? do you care if the fry survive? do you have live plants?

I can further help if you answer those couple of questions.

I have small gravel rocks... I care about the fry and have a lot of fun with them. I remove fry immediately after birth and raise in my 20g L and sell on Craigslist.
I have plastic and silk plants with a couple of live onion plants I've grown from bulbs.

 

[ocminpin]

Edit: A Pleco? Would one of those work? I know they have a lot of waste... Would I have to up my PWC to three times a week or would two be sufficient? Or just judge by what my readings are?

 

[Chronos313]

I would go with a bristlenose pleco. They like driftwood though but mine is extremely happy in my 55 and was home in my thirty gallon prior. Albino bristlenoses are really enjoyable

 

[ocminpin]

I would go with a bristlenose pleco. They like driftwood though but mine is extremely happy in my 55 and was home in my thirty gallon prior. Albino bristlenoses are really enjoyable

I like the leopard looking bristlenose.. Any difference with male or female with only one? Would my colosseum be suitable or not good enough? I could perhaps add a small piece of driftwood to the left side and rearrange plants around?

 

[FishFanatic88]

i agree with getting a BNP, i just got him and i enjoy watching him. He will leave your plants alone too.

The only thing is that livebearers and plecos have large bioloads. You may need to up the number of gravel vacs, what is your filtration?

 

[ocminpin]

i agree with getting a BNP, i just got him and i enjoy watching him. He will leave your plants alone too.

The only thing is that livebearers and plecos have large bioloads. You may need to up the number of gravel vacs, what is your filtration?

I vacuum the gravel every PWC. Filtration low with hand me down filter... It's rated for 30g.
One day I want an Aquaclear 60...

 

[FishFanatic88]

I vacuum the gravel every PWC. Filtration low with hand me down filter... It's rated for 30g.
One day I want an Aquaclear 60...

Sorry i couldnt remember ur pwc scedule, but you should be fine with that scedule. You should definately upgrade to a better filter. I have a topfin60 and it does a pretty decant job but it doesnt have room for additional media.

Everything seems good! Petsmart sells BNP (mine just started carrying them), and i think your stock would be good then.

 

[ocminpin]

I agree... Can't wait for a new filter.
I notice my Petsmart only has black/brown BNP... I don't want to pay a ton on shipping online, but I may have to.

 

[FishFanatic88]

I agree... Can't wait for a new filter.
I notice my Petsmart only has black/brown BNP... I don't want to pay a ton on shipping online, but I may have to.

Lucky the first shipment mine got was albino, and i was there when they got them in!

 

[Samzter]

i think if you get a bigger pleco , rehome the oto. they like to school and since you don't want anymore and you're thinking of getting a bigger pleco , i would rehome him.

 

[ocminpin]

i think if you get a bigger pleco , rehome the oto. they like to school and since you don't want anymore and you're thinking of getting a bigger pleco , i would rehome him.

I'd think the odds of him surviving transferring to an unknown tank from someone off craigslist would be rather slim. :-/ I really like the Otos but every time I up it to 3-4 they eventually die off to one.
I won't be getting the pleco anytime soon. Have a lot going on at the moment and need to wait until things settle down.

 

[Samzter]

Can you grow enough algae for him and the pleco to feed off? I mean the bn will only eat algae when young , but still, do you have enough?

 

[ocminpin]

Can you grow enough algae for him and the pleco to feed off? I mean the bn will only eat algae when young , but still, do you have enough?

Green algae and diatoms grow on the colosseum and also get some diatoms along the edge of the tank. I mostly wipe the glass and he eats off the colosseum.
I was planning on doing blanched veggies for the Pleco.

 

[emerald76]

What about a small school of harlequin rasboras or a female betta?(by the way, what happened to yours?)

 

[ocminpin]

What about a small school of harlequin rasboras or a female betta?(by the way, what happened to yours?)

I'm not doing another Betta in the community tank. I didn't have many fry survive with her in there. I'm not really looking for more fish, just making sure I didn't have too many as it was.
My female Betta Lucy had a series of seizures and laid on her side one night... Barely breathing... Another seizure and one more breath and that was it... Happened in April/May.. I was devastated.
I now have a gorgeous male halfmoon in his own 10g and I love him