New to AA

[lordpet]

Hello

I recently started keeping aquariums and thought this looked like a good place for advice. So hello and thanks for any tips!

A little backstory: I moved in with my girlfriend and her two teenage sons in March. In one room was a 10 gallon tank where Stretchy the African Clawed Frog languished. A small yellow bellied slider turtle (Yoda) lived a miserable existence in another 10 gallon. I upgraded the ACF tank immediately, got a 20 gallon long with some sand and now he's a happy fellow. Yoda still lives in the 10 gallon but I actually clean the water and keep a lot more in it. I have to upgrade his living situation soon as he's really started to grow.

Anyway, when I got the 20 gallon I also got a 29 gallon for fish that I keep underneath it in a metal stand. There's been a high casualty rate with the various goldfish, so now its occupants are one angelfish and a pleco. I'm going to go the tetra route now, so I had a few questions:

1. How many tetras would be good? I guess a couple schools of 6-8 fish?
2. What types of tetras or other fish would be good companions for the angelfish?
3. Freshwater clams good to throw in there?

Thanks for any advice!

cheers!
LP

[Coryluv]

First, welcome to AA. I'm currently working on the second 29 gallon tank I've owned. I'm planning tetras and corys. I use Aqadvisor to help plan my stocking. I just got 7 X-ray pristella tetras and plan to get 7 rummy nose tetras. (I actually have one, I had a columnaris disaster with one survivor). I'm going to get 6 corys. I've since learned that rummys as well as cardinals and neons are not good new tank fish. I've had better luck with cardinals than with neons. IMO neons have been overbred. I've found glow light tetras to be very easy to keep. And of course the pristella tetras I currently have are wonderful beginner fish. There are so many great tetras. See what's in your LFS and start planning your stocking around them. Do double check on their needs. You can keep most tetras in pH up to 8 if you are not breeding. Bueno Aires tetras are nice fish but can be nippy and do eat plants so if you are doing plants they are not a good choice and definitely not with angelfish. In any case, my favorite tetra at any given time, is the school I have in my tank. You really can't go wrong with one larger or two smaller tetra schools in a 29 gal tank. I can't help you with the clams. I'd be more inclined to add a golden mystery snail. You don't say what kind of Pleco. A common will outgrow that tank. Make sure you have real driftwood for your Pleco. I love the bristlenoses which stay smaller, but they don't fit in with my current stocking plan. Best wishes on it.