Hello!
I am new here and new to fish keeping. My Dad had a fish tank when I was little and I remember it with fondness. After a few years (3-4) of toying with the idea of getting a tank I decided to go for it this summer. I did a decent amount of research before starting. I am a grad student and fish keeping research was a wonderful way to procrastinate during my finals this spring.
I am currently in the middle of a fishless cycle for my 29 gallon tank. I have added hardy plants, driftwood, and lava rock to the aquarium already. Some snails came with the plants and I've left them in the tank during cycling. I am ambivalent about their presence in my tank. I figure that if they start to overrun my tank I will just buy an assassin snail.
I live in a small apartment so I needed to custom make a stand to fit the aquarium in my place. (It was also cheaper to build one myself rather than to buy one-grad students are not known for wealth). I had a friend help me build a stand. We overbuilt it to hold around 600 lbs.
Eventually I want to get:
9 Harlequin Rasboras,
9 Cardinal Tetras,
5 Blue Velvet Shrimp
1-2 Bolivian Rams (
MAYBE)
I would love to have a Bolivian Ram or two because I think they are beautiful...but I am hesitant because I have found mixed information on Bolivian Rams ability to live peacefully in a community tank. I also know they tend to eat shrimp...but I figured maybe if I gave the shrimp a head start (breeding wise) and a densely planted tank/enough places to hide that many would survive.
If I get the two rams AND the shrimp I'll be at an 86% stocking level.
I was planning to start the tank with the rasboras once my fishless cycle is complete.
) 
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