Starting 29g GBR Pair/Community Tank

[Jill]

I'm currently in the process of cycling a 29 gallon (30x12x18) aquarium. The most important inhabitants of this tank will be a pair of German Blue Rams...the rest of the tank will be planned around them. The tank currently has a Penguin 150 and an Aqua-tech 40-60 for filtration and black diamond blasting sand substrate.

Any and all suggestions regarding building a GBR/community habitat will be appreciated. I need suggestions for other fish, plants, decor....EVERYTHING.

 

[jakester334]

I would give them alot of places to hide wether thats caves, plants etc......

As for other fish you could add....... you could probably do some cory catfish on the bottom and some cardinal tetras for the top.

Just my 2 cents

 

[bs6749]

Microgeophagus ramirezi are not cave dwellers, which is one of the reasons why they were removed from the genus Apistogramma (and other various reasons contributed to this move). You can put caves in the tank but you will rarely see them enter. They would much rather prefer driftwood, pieces of slate, and plants for cover.

 

[Jill]

Thanks, guys. bs6749, I know that you, in particular, really know your stuff when it comes to GBRs. Any fish I should be thinking about that would make good tank mates for them? And how long should my tank parameters be good before I introduce the GBRs? I was planning on having all other fish and everything else done in the tank before I get them.

 

[jakester334]

Microgeophagus ramirezi are not cave dwellers, which is one of the reasons why they were removed from the genus Apistogramma (and other various reasons contributed to this move). You can put caves in the tank but you will rarely see them enter. They would much rather prefer driftwood, pieces of slate, and plants for cover.

Was just going off what my 2 do. They enter the caves I got in my tank for the other fish etc occassionally. But like you said they prefer the driftwood more.

 

[bs6749]

A 29g tank will limit the types of fish that you can keep with rams. Discus, angelfish, and cories all make good tankmates, but I wouldn't keep any of them with rams in a 29g tank, with the exception of cories. A 29g tank doesn't have a huge footprint and the rams and cories would spend most of their time on the bottom of the tank. I am not to familiar with cories, but I know that most of them like to be kept in schools of 6+ and they are decent sized to start with. If you can find something small like a pygmy cory, you might be able to do those in a 29g tank with rams.

If not, you might consider a BN pleco as one is fine in a 20g tank. You might also consider ottos, hatchetfish, danios, cardinal tetras, any of the neon tetra types, glowlight tetras, glass catfish, barbs, gouramis, etc.

 

[gabysapha]

A 29g has the same footprint as a 20g long. So stocks that fit in 20gs will work for a 29; the 29 is just taller. Like a 20g long/20g tall hybrid.

You can do like, 6 cories or a group of otos if you have algae issues, or a bristlenose, and a dozen schooling fish like neons (they look so nice with GBRs), with some topswimmers like guppies? I always have trouble thinking of top swimmers.... Depending on the lighting you have, heavily plant with appropriate plants for your light. Add rocks, slate, and most importantly driftwood! I have a few 29gs, and it's a little annoying that they are tall rather than long. But they save more space that way in a small apartment!

 

[Jill]

Thank you all for the responses!

I have a school of 9 long fin white clouds in my 30g cube right now, and I'm considering moving them into the 29 so they'll have more horizontal swimming room. How does a school of panda cories with the white clouds and GBRs sound?

I know what you mean about saving space, gabysapha. I have a 10g half moon, a 30g cube, and a 29g all in the interest of saving space. I hope to get a 75, but I have no idea where I would put it. Who needs living room furniture when you can have fish though, right?