Need stocking ideas for a 29 gallon

[JaredShope1]

I need some stocking ideas. I’m getting a 29 gallon for Christmas. I have some ideas already laid out and I am in need of a decently sized centerpiece fish. Preferably a fish around 5-6 inches that can be in a group of 2-4.

Here is my stock list

4-6 platies
4 mollies
6-8 guppies
(I love livebearers)
My water is also hard and livebearers do great in it

I need a good centerpiece fish. I’ve tried dwarf gouramis but they always die. I thought Denison Barbs would be good but they are crazy expensive. I liked swordtails but they only get about as big as mollies. Looking for a good 6 ish inch centerpiece. And like I said above, maybe 2-4 of em. I’m not a fan of cichlids in community aquariums. Also I have one LFS so oddball fish maybe avoid from recommendations. Thank you to anyone who can fork up some ideas!

[SaraB]

Swordtails get a lot bigger than you think. Like the 5-6" range you are looking for. Keep in mind that with livebearers it's easy to overstock a tank because of all the babies. Also make sure the mollies don't nip at the guppies, they can be bullies. I'd recommend a angelfish fish but again keep an eye out for nipping. Bolivian rams and dwarf cichlids are cool but they don't get big like what you want.
Either way set up plenty of plants/hiding spots for your smaller fish to hide if they need to.

[JaredShope1]

Originally Posted by SaraB

Swordtails get a lot bigger than you think. Like the 5-6" range you are looking for. Keep in mind that with livebearers it's easy to overstock a tank because of all the babies. Also make sure the mollies don't nip at the guppies, they can be bullies. I'd recommend a angelfish fish but again keep an eye out for nipping. Bolivian rams and dwarf cichlids are cool but they don't get big like what you want.

Either way set up plenty of plants/hiding spots for your smaller fish to hide if they need to.

My mollies are super friendly. I’ve had gouramis and I’ve never noticed nipping. I’m actually more concerned about the angelfish being aggressive. Do angelfish have a tendency to do that? I love the look of angelfish as well. My water is also hard and I heard they like soft water.

[SaraB]

Captive bred fish will adapt to whatever type of water you have. Angelfish can become aggressive as adults but it's mostly a territorial thing. I really think a swordtail is your best option. Certain mollies get larger than the typical shorter tailed ones.

[SaraB]

Like my lyretail mollies had an extra inch to them compared to the regular ones. I hear sailfin mollies also get bigger.