Overstocked?

[jenema]

Would this stocking be too much for a 29g tank? I would be doing at least 30% water changes weekly, if not more.
8 Harlequin Rasbora
8 Blue Emperor Tetras
6 Panda Cory
1 Bolivian Ram
1 Dwarf Gourami

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Would this stocking be too much for a 29g tank? I would be doing at least 30% water changes weekly, if not more.
8 Harlequin Rasbora
8 Blue Emperor Tetras
6 Panda Cory
1 Bolivian Ram
1 Dwarf Gourami

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

you may be able to get away with it but it would not look good. There would be way too many fish in a relatively small tank, it would look very chaotic and the fish would be on sensory overload. cut out one of the large schools and you should be fine.

 

[jenema]

Would 6 in each school and 5 corys work?

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Would 6 in each school and 5 corys work?

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

I mean its your tank so do what you want but it ill still look hectic. I would do 1 8-10 school with the rest of your fish. Its just too many fish for a small tank IMO but it is your decision, I don't know how exactly it will look so maybe start with 1 school and if it looks like theres room add the other.

 

[apr28]

Actually that's a pretty good stocking with decent activity.

Youre only about 86% through aqadvisor

 

[PNWaquarist]

you may be able to get away with it but it would not look good. There would be way too many fish in a relatively small tank, it would look very chaotic and the fish would be on sensory overload. cut out one of the large schools and you should be fine.

Not sure I agree. I have 21 tetras (even split of Cardinals, Rummys, and Black Neons), a pair of GBRs and four corys in my 29, and my tank isn't chaotic-looking at all. Its definitely full (and slightly overstocked) and I would've removed the Rummys and replaced with more Cardinals if I could do it again. But it looks pretty good, mostly because all strata are occupied. 29s are 18" tall and the OP will definitely want to stock with at least one species that occupies the top third.

The OP's tank isn't that much different than mine: Two small-ish shoals of small fish that occupy the middle/top of the tank, a small centerpiece upper-dweller, and the corys and ram occupy the bottom. Pandas are also on the small side. I might be a little concerned about the Blue Emperors nipping the gourami, but my guess is that it won't be a problem in a shoal of eight. In the worst case, the OP could always return or re-house the gourami.

 

[BBradbury]

Your Tank

Would this stocking be too much for a 29g tank? I would be doing at least 30% water changes weekly, if not more.
8 Harlequin Rasbora
8 Blue Emperor Tetras
6 Panda Cory
1 Bolivian Ram
1 Dwarf Gourami

Sent from my HTCONE using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Hello jen...

That's quite a few fish. Hopefully, they'll all get along. I can tell you, that a 30 percent water change won't begin to remove the dissolved wastes in such a small, well stocked tank. Most tanks should have a 50 percent change every week. You're still leaving quite a bit of dissolved waste in the water and not putting enough clean water back to dilute the wates you've left in the tank.

Besides upping the amount of water to change out, you'll need to get some floating plants like Hornwort and Anacharis in the water. These plants take in more dissolved nutrients and help keep the water a bit cleaner between changes.

Gradually increase the amount of water you change, until you're up to half weekly. The tank inhabitants will appreciate the extra clean water.

B

 

[PNWaquarist]

Hello jen...

That's quite a few fish. Hopefully, they'll all get along. I can tell you, that a 30 percent water change won't begin to remove the dissolved wastes in such a small, well stocked tank. Most tanks should have a 50 percent change every week. You're still leaving quite a bit of dissolved waste in the water and not putting enough clean water back to dilute the wates you've left in the tank.

First of all, that stocking is not all that heavy. And none of the proposed species are large waste-producers.

Secondly, not every tank needs 50% weekly water changes. The OP will probably not need to change out that much water, and very well may be able to get away with 30% water changes. My (lightly) over-stocked 29 gets about a 40% weekly WC and my nitrates are down around 5 ppm. I could scale back that WC to 30% and still stay under 10 ppm.

 

[fish wrangler]

First of all, that stocking is not all that heavy. And none of the proposed species are large waste-producers.

Secondly, not every tank needs 50% weekly water changes. The OP will probably not need to change out that much water, and very well may be able to get away with 30% water changes. My (lightly) over-stocked 29 gets about a 40% weekly WC and my nitrates are down around 5 ppm. I could scale back that WC to 30% and still stay under 10 ppm.

+1 My 29 gallon water changes are done 10 gallons at a time. My nitrates are always under 20. Stock is 10 black skirt tetras and 20 neon tetras

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Not sure I agree. I have 21 tetras (even split of Cardinals, Rummys, and Black Neons), a pair of GBRs and four corys in my 29, and my tank isn't chaotic-looking at all. Its definitely full (and slightly overstocked) and I would've removed the Rummys and replaced with more Cardinals if I could do it again. But it looks pretty good, mostly because all strata are occupied. 29s are 18" tall and the OP will definitely want to stock with at least one species that occupies the top third.

The OP's tank isn't that much different than mine: Two small-ish shoals of small fish that occupy the middle/top of the tank, a small centerpiece upper-dweller, and the corys and ram occupy the bottom. Pandas are also on the small side. I might be a little concerned about the Blue Emperors nipping the gourami, but my guess is that it won't be a problem in a shoal of eight. In the worst case, the OP could always return or re-house the gourami.

yeah I know, my latest post said to do their stocking but put only 1 school in first and then add the second at their discretion. Emperor tetras get larger than your average tetra. Stocking is almost all personal opinion and everybody likes to do it different but I tend to like to have a little lighter stocking as a preference.

 

[PNWaquarist]

yeah I know, my latest post said to do their stocking but put only 1 school in first and then add the second at their discretion. Emperor tetras get larger than your average tetra. Stocking is almost all personal opinion and everybody likes to do it different but I tend to like to have a little lighter stocking as a preference.

Oops, didn't catch that. I agree that two shoals in the middle of the tank is probably the most I'd recommend. I have three shoals and, while it looks nice enough, I think that two would've worked better.

Blue Emperors (aka Purple Emperors, aka Royals) max out a little over an inch.