Starting a new 29 gallon tank.

[Katiee]

I'm starting a new tank and I was wondering if my tank would be overstocked. I am planning on getting:
2 Dojo Loaches
1 Angelfish
7 Cherry Barbs
5 Gold Barbs
1 Black Molly
6 Harlequin Rasboras

Don't worry, I'm not getting them all at once, but I do plan on getting that many. Is that overstocked?

 

[imasillymomma]

You are going to want 1 or 2 gallons per inch of fish. For a 29 gallon tank, that would be extremely overstocked. Look up their information on liveaquaria.com. Even if they were only an inch long you would initially need to accomodate 22 inches worth of fish! At full size you would need to have room for up to 62 inches! You're looking at needing a 124 gallon tank at the very least once they are full size.

Plus, you need to be sure that they will get along well together.

I know you said you weren't getting them all at once. I would suggest getting a school to go in there for starters (either one type of the barbs or the rasboras).

I'm pretty new to this myself and am learning all about this as well. I have a tank of 9 incompatible fish that was passed on to me and I'm in the process of separating them into properly sized tanks. It's quite the undertaking! Also, remember that the more fish you have, the more frequent your water changes will need to be.

 

[toolman]

Would lose the gold barbs they need cooler temperatures than your other stock.

 

[imasillymomma]

Oh! You also have to be sure that they all require similar water temperatures and parameters. You don't want to have a boiled fishy because the others prefer a warmer climate!

 

[Toad]

Inch per gallon rule is outdated. Just from what I can see on the fish I know about-

Angels need a tank that is at least 16inches high, as they get pretty tall.

Dojos are cooler water loaches, so probably not a good idea.

If you get a molly, make sure you get a male, as females are almost always already pregnant, and you don't want extra fish lol.