New 29 gallon tank stocking help

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centerpiece fish

  • killifish

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • dwarf cichlid

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • dwarf gourami

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • bosemans rainbow fish

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1

betta_cuties

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 2, 2014
Messages
26
Hello, I am stocking my new 29 gallon freshwater aquarium and need help deciding what fish to put in. I am looking to include neon tetras fancy guppies mystery snails fruit tetras,and a larger centerpiece fish that will not eat or harm the smaller fish. I also plan on having some algae eaters and bottom feeders.Does anyone have any suggestions on how many fish of each kind we can stock in this tank, along with what large fish will be good in this community? I like Killifish, dwarf cichlids, dwarf gouramis, pearl gouramis, and bosemans rainbow fish. I am running an ehiem classic 150 and tetra whisper air pump. The tank is now cycled. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks! :fish1:(y):thanks:
 
Hi, just in case - would you have tank ph? Just in case it is very high or low from your tap or well.

Are you going for a gravel or sand bottom? How about dwarf loaches (get to about 2 inches). I have bristlenose catfish but they get to 4 inches and need driftwood.
 
PH is 7.2. It is a planted tank with a natural gravel bottom.

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Sounds nice. I'm going to go for a gourami centre fish. The rainbow fish might get too many when you stock a school of them. I like cardinal tetras a little better than neons. Slightly bigger and more harder imo but nice colours.
 
Okay, so how does this list sound?

1 neon blue dwarf gourmari
5 neon tetras
1 red platy
1 pineapple platy
1 Mickey mouse platy
1 red fire guppy
1 lemon cobra guppy
1 purple snowflake guppy
2 otocinclus catfish
2 peppered Cory cats
And some mystery snails and ghost shrimp. Is that overstocked? I will also be planting java moss, java fern, water sprite and water wysteria.


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Okay, so how does this list sound?

1 neon blue dwarf gourmari
5 neon tetras
1 red platy
1 pineapple platy
1 Mickey mouse platy
1 red fire guppy
1 lemon cobra guppy
1 purple snowflake guppy
2 otocinclus catfish
2 peppered Cory cats
And some mystery snails and ghost shrimp. Is that overstocked? I will also be planting java moss, java fern, water sprite and water wisteria.

I agree with Delapool about Cardinals, one of my all time favorites! They are one I would add last as a group of them, about 6. I would wait about 6 weeks to make sure you have stable parameters, then after about 4 weeks of good test numbers, I would add then no sooner.

As for the Guppies and Platy, if you are wanting them for show, you might want to get all males. And see how they behave, sometimes they will get cranky with each other.

Otherwise you will constantly be having babies, and as long as you don't mind your larger fish snacking on them you might be alright.

But in all honesty that is a decent size tank, but not a big enough tank to be raising a bunch of babies along with the stock list. And you also always are having to worry about finding the babies a new home, and whether they are being/or are gonna be eaten...that can be stressful.

Also, developing a stock list is sometimes a flexible list, as you will find something great and change your mind, :rolleyes:.

As a new fish keeper, spend a little time searching the area lfs and the not so local fish stores for your stock.

DON'T buy a fish out of pity or think you will buy and help it.

Add stock in groups over the course of the next few months.

There are a huge number of patterns of Platy and Guppies. They will cross breed btw with their own kinds, so another reason to try males, or get one kind of Platy.

Do you have a quarantine tub/bucket/tank? After you spend all this time on getting your tank ready and picking out stock list, and stock, you don't want them to bring in some awful sickness.

I would also go with 3 or 4 Cories. And the Cories and 3-4 Otos, often you will lose one, should go in last. Or next to last. The Otos need established tank/biofilm I believe to thrive.

You might want to become a member of a local aquarium society chapter. There are some amazing Guppies, and they aren't from the local Petsmart and Petcos. Guppy Fish Catalog here are some really beautiful examples. I have never purchased these but, just as an example of how amazing a fish can look.

These are my favorites
Green Snakeskin Guppy from Angels Plus
 
Are we neon tetra snobs? :)

The platy and guppy list I agree might be tricky. Common note is 2 females to 1 male but I tend to go with a higher ratio. I confess I like big schools and would do one or the other. Or perhaps all male guppies?
 
I was planning on all male guppies...however, when I had my all guppy tank up and running my LFS game me credit for fry. I have a 1 gallon quarantine tank, and will not be buying from big- name pet stores. They keep there fish in such horrible conditions...I went to look yesterday and they all had ich and/ or fin rot :(

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What do you guys know about badis badis or scarlet badis?

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Stocking it this weekend :)
Final stock: ( probably)
1 badis badis
1 dwarf gourami
1 German blue ram
4 Cory's
4 guppies (male)
3 platys (trio)
And some mystery snails.


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I have 3 Scarlet Badis. Recently got two babies from the fish store, and then when I was picking up some plants we were talking about the Scarlet Badis and she said I have one lonely one and asked me if I wanted him, so of course I did! They are really small.

I do not know too much yet, mostly other than what I have read.

They seem to be predators, so I do not expect to end up with many Dwarf Cherry Shrimp to survive their young days in that tank, though I hadn't planned on them in there as a breeding tank for Shrimp.

They love to sit concealed in the plants or rocks, and they seem to love to eat. Mine are mostly young and I think the biggest one is a female, at least it seems fairly pale. I tried to pick the babies as one pale one and one looking more colorful, in hopes of a pair. So maybe had the babies 3-4 weeks and the bigger one about 2 weeks.

I would put the Ram in later after you have the tank running and the system stable for about a month after adding in your new inhabitants. The Cories before the Ram, I forgot to mention.

Just watch the tank parameters as you introduce them. I am never in favor of adding a tankful of fish into a new system. I would still add group, then wait a week, another group, etc. Just to be safe, my 2 cents. :flowers:
 
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