Novice w/29g - advice appreciated

[Namar]

Hi I recently decided to try building a cool aquarium with some neat looking fish in it. For about 2 months I've had a 29gal beginner setup kit. I have had no deaths but I did have to give away my Beta and return 3 of 4 Angels. I dove right in going by the opinion of the dealer and doing no research. I have read up a little on the fish I now have and would like some feedback.

1 small Pleco
1 small mentally handy capped Angel
2 Pictus Cats
2 Pearl Gourami
3 small Rosy Barbs
5 Blue Rams

I feel I am slightly overstocked in there but I change about 25% a week and plan on upgrading to either a 55 or 75 gal within a few months. I also have a few plants in there. Upon this time I was hoping to get a few more Barbs as they are a schooling fish. After that I'm not sure. I want to stay away from aggressive fish as I want a social happy aquarium even guests are interested in.

 

[Niccobacci11]

the five rams I am sorry, most likely will not work out. I know they are cool but I believe that they will not get along as well as you think. Just start off with two and make sure you know the difference between male and female so that you don't get 2 males.

And you said that you want a peaceful tank. the barbs are aggressive, the gourami is aggressive i forget what family it is in I think it was related to the betta but could be mistaken. but I think it is a good compatible stock.

what do you mean by mentally handicapped angelfish?

 

[Namar]

Haha the poor Angel just hangs out at the top and pretty much lets the current carry him around as he stares up at the surface. I don't see him as a threat at all. He's a runt.

Aww man sometimes I wish I could start over. The Rams all seem to get along but at one point 3 of them got bright colors and each took a section of the aquarium but I think the Barbs are keeping them in check and they all swim together now lol. I'll look up Ram sexes.

 

[Niccobacci11]

Well as long as they don't try to kill each other as all fish are different or special just like your angelfish.

 

[Evo8]

Agreed ^ I had a school of barbs and they never bothered a thing..except a school if neons I put in there..I love barbs and of I ever went back to tetras I would get them again..

 

[Namar]

Even though the Barbs didn't seem to bother anyone I still returned them today. I like them but I think I'll wait until I upgrade my aquarium then I'll get a small school of them. My Rams haven't been as colorful lately and I think it's due to stress of over population in a 29gal.

I now have 1 Pleco, 5 Rams, 2 Pictus Cats, 2 Pearl Gourami and a special Angel. Once my Rams color is back I'll be able to identify their sexes and determine if any need to go.

 

[rmiller]

1 small Pleco--What type? Commons are way to large for a 29 gallon tank, and have a heavy bioloads

1 small mentally handy capped Angel--Based on your description, you likely have a sick angel, and I'm not talking about his mental status. Angels are very sensitive to water conditions. What are your current reading for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

2 Pictus Cats--Awesome fish, very social, very active. Really need a 4 foot tank. How long until you get a 55 or 75 gallon tank?

2 Pearl Gourami--Should be fine as long as you have a male and female. 2 males could cause problems once they sexually mature.

3 small Rosy Barbs--They less of these guys you have the more nippy they are, watch them around the Angel and gourami especially. They can get up to 5 inches according to profiles I've looked at, so once your larger tank is set up a larger school would likely do well.

5 Blue Rams--Once you have a mated pair you'll have problems in a small tank. When you get a larger tank a couple pair would probably work ok.

 

[Evo8]

1 small Pleco--What type? Commons are way to large for a 29 gallon tank, and have a heavy bioloads

1 small mentally handy capped Angel--Based on your description, you likely have a sick angel, and I'm not talking about his mental status. Angels are very sensitive to water conditions. What are your current reading for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

2 Pictus Cats--Awesome fish, very social, very active. Really need a 4 foot tank. How long until you get a 55 or 75 gallon tank?

2 Pearl Gourami--Should be fine as long as you have a male and female. 2 males could cause problems once they sexually mature.

3 small Rosy Barbs--They less of these guys you have the more nippy they are, watch them around the Angel and gourami especially. They can get up to 5 inches according to profiles I've looked at, so once your larger tank is set up a larger school would likely do well.

5 Blue Rams--Once you have a mated pair you'll have problems in a small tank. When you get a larger tank a couple pair would probably work ok.

+1..although if a common pleco is bought small it would take years to outgrow a 29..I've have one for 3 years and he hasn't put on but 2 inches maybe..

 

[Namar]

Yesterday I was able to take the Barbs back and exchanged them for a big piece of driftwood and some plants. I'm glad I was able to reduce population, I think I got a little excited starting out. I also did a 20-25% water change yesterday. When I woke up today the water seemed pretty brown, I'm thinking it's because of the driftwood but maybe it was the overpopulation so I did a 50% change early in the day and also changed the 3 week old filter. The water seems better but can still see the light brown tint. I'm gonna wait until next week and do another 50-60% change , they've had enough excitement for now. Rams color already looks better but can be brighter.

The Angel seems a lot more social too, maybe he was sick? I had 4 Angels at first and the others were all fine and even grew slightly but due to aggression I gave them back for the Gouramis and I kept the runt because I had a soft spot for him. The Pleco is still only a couple inches long and I plan on getting a bigger tank within a few months. Once I sort out the Rams sexes I'll try deal with that then too. For now there is some peace.

 

[cgranola]

The brown is probably tannins from the driftwood.

I adopted a pleco from a middle school student who had purchased him a year ago. The pleco came to him only a couple inches long. In a year it was right at a foot. Just measured him today in in only a couple months he's now grown another inch.

 

[rmiller]

The brown is probably tannins from the driftwood.

I adopted a pleco from a middle school student who had purchased him a year ago. The pleco came to him only a couple inches long. In a year it was right at a foot. Just measured him today in in only a couple months he's now grown another inch.

Common plecos should grow quickly. Any that don't are typically being kept in sub-par conditions.

Did you ever get a positive id on your pleco? If he's not growing quickly, he may not be a common. Can you post a pic?

 

[Fishperson]

The Pictus Cats, 1 pearl gourami and probably 3 rams need to go. Rams are pretty territorial and 5 in a 29 gallon is way too many. There are two types of pictus, one that grows to 6 inches, and one that grows to twice that, but the trouble is they look almost identical except one stops growing at 6" and one doesn't. Either way, I don't think either one would be happy in a 29 gallon. Pearl gouramis can live in a 29, but 2 is probably stretching it. Also, the pleco, if it is a common pleco, will grow to like 18" I think, definitely well over a foot, so that shouldn't be in there unless it's a smaller variety, like a clown pleco, in which it would be okay. It would also be beneficial to up the school of barbs to at least 5, but 7 or 8 would be appreciated by them.

HOWEVER, if you upgrade, you could have 2 pearl gouramis, 5 rams, and probably 2 pictus cats (probably in a 75, maybe in a 55).