What fish would be good starters for a tank and bowl?

[Leader of Men]

I, of course, dont want to spend much if they have the possibility of death... But I want them to be hearty fish, so they will help balance the nitrates and everything of my tank. Just so you know it is a 29 gallon tank, and a 2 gallon bowl.

 

[fishgal]

For the bowl I would suggest either goldfish or a betta as these are the best suited to unheated water. Bettas are really nice fish and very low maitence, they are happiest in a small environment, they need frequent water changes and food, thats about it. Make sure they have lots of surface area as they are air breathers!

For your 29 Gallon, if you are looking for hearty fish, I would suggest Barbs or Tetras. There are lots of varieties of tetras to choose from and they are all community fish. Try adding a few corys for the bottom of the tank. Once you are comfortable with a few fish and everyone looks well, start looking into different species.

I have a mixture of fish in my 30 Gal tank. Angels, tetras, dwarf gouramis, corys, a red tailed black shark, and a pleco. They all get along fine. As long as you introduce them slowy and not all at once the fish should be fine.

 

[Bearfan]

Danios are the best suited to cycle the tank as they are darn near immortal and active enough for your 29 gal.

I don't keep bowls, I don't think they are a good idea as the fish are incredibly restricted and keeping the proper levels is near impossible, so I'll defer to someone else on that one.

 

[Leader of Men]

Thanks you two.

I'll look into some of those fish, what do you think for numbers to start off with?

 

[loganj]

IMO, the only fish you should even try to keep in a bowl is a betta. You'll need to do a water change at least every week. Goldfish in a bowl is not a good idea. Goldfish are messy fish that generate a lot of waste...they'll foul the water in a 2g bowl very quickly. Also, goldfish need a good supply of O2 in the water. The limited surface area that the bowl offers will not supply that. Bettas belong to a group of fish called anabantoids. These fish have an extra respiratory organ called a labyrinth. This allows them to breathe atmospheric air...actually, they have to because their gills alone will not support them. This makes them ideal inhabitants for the bowl environment as long as water changes are done to remove waste products from the water.
For the 29, most of the tetras and some of the barbs would be good. How many? Assuming this is a new uncycled tank? None. Check into fishless cycling to get the tank started. Once the tank is cycled, you can add a couple of fish every couple of weeks as long as you are keeping a close eye on ammonia/nitrite levels. The lower you keep the bioload, the easier time you'll have maintaining good water quality.

 

[Leader of Men]

Should I put a male and female beta into my bowl? I know I cant put two males! 8O

 

[Leader of Men]

Also:
I was wondering if I could put a few fish in for the start and wait like a week or so for the next round to come in...

That's what I did before the whitespot ick came in, and up until there everything was going great.

 

[shawmutt]

Well, since my fiance's betta died (after 2 days), I am hesitant to suggest the buggers.

In my 29 gallon tank, I started a black water biotope. I bought 4 cardinals every week, I lost 3, and the rest have been around for about 3 months now. I currently have 9 cardinal tetras, 4 ottos, and I am looking into getting two blue rams. You can see a few pictures of the setup in my gallery.

There are a ton of things you can get with a 29 gallon.

 

[Leader of Men]

So the cardinal tets worked well?

 

[shawmutt]

yeah, it's cool to see them dart around in my bleak tank...they really shine!

 

[Leader of Men]

Maybe I'll pick some up tonight or tommorow

The tank has been running since early yesterday, and I added declorinator... think I could add anything yet?

 

[shawmutt]

Opinions differ on cycling, and I'm not too strong in the cycling area. I was lucky enough to "inherit" a tank that had been running for 10 years, so there was no cycling. From what I could tell, and what I would do if I did have to cycle a tank, would be to buy 4 cardinals for it. Watch the water parameters, wait for the ammonia spike and the subsequent bacteria bloom, and BAM!--cycled tank. Then I would add a few more fish every week until my population is where I want it.

Opinions also differ on the hardiness of cardinals. I find they are very hardy, I have been slowly adjusting the water parameters in the tank with no loss. Plus a lot of people say to use something like zebra danios or such, but I've always wondered--what do you do with them after the tank is cycled? I for one don't like them.

 

[Leader of Men]

How much Cardinal Tetras run?

I also dont have a problem with zebra danios...

 

[amakin24]

Hey can anyone answer LOM's question about the two beta's (female and male together? I wondered that myself. I also have a 2 gallon beta bowl. I didn't know that beta's breathed air. Is it ok that I have a plant on top?

 

[Leader of Men]

Hey can anyone answer LOM's question about the two beta's (female and male together? I wondered that myself. I also have a 2 gallon beta bowl. I didn't know that beta's breathed air. Is it ok that I have a plant on top?

As long as they can get the air, I assume they would be fine. And they answered my question in a different thread, they need a big aquarium for both the male and female bettas.

NEVER put two males in the same place. 8O

 

[shawmutt]

How much Cardinal Tetras run?

Hmmm...you know what? Now that you bring that up, I guess it does make sense to use danios--they are a lot cheaper than cardinals. The only lfs that stocks them in the area charges $15 for four cardinals. Zebra danios are about $1.25 each.

 

[Leader of Men]

How much Cardinal Tetras run?

Hmmm...you know what? Now that you bring that up, I guess it does make sense to use danios--they are a lot cheaper than cardinals. The only lfs that stocks them in the area charges $15 for four cardinals. Zebra danios are about $1.25 each.

Well I already went with the penguin tetras

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

I didn't know cardnal tetras were that hardy. I thought that the reason certian companys didn't ship them was because they werent that hardy and stressed easily. you have more experience than me with cardnal tetras though, as I don't even keep them.