Stocking my 29 Gallon

[Ac30fan]

I'm finally cycled. What a great feeling!

So based on whats available at LFS, here are my initial thoughts of what to add to my tank over the next few weeks. I welcome all feedback as to the quantity / compatibility of the fish listed. The goal is a non-breeding community FW tank, with a few semi-aggressives that won't stress the smaller guys...

Silver Dollars - 2
Silver Hatchets - 6
Zebra Danios - 6
Bristle nose pleco - 1 or 2?
Blood Parrot - 1
Corys - 2 or 3 (what variety is best?)
Elephant Nose - 1 to be bought via Internet later

Hopefully I'll have a variety of top / middle / bottom water dwellers. I have plastic plants, and not sure if I want to switch to live plants.

I plan to add a canister tank in another week, so maybe can push the bio-load a bit beyond the 1" to 1 gallon ratio. So maybe another variety if schooling / shoaling fish?

Thanks!

 

[Ac30fan]

Here's a pic of the tank

 

[Milano11]

Sounds like a good mix, I used to have similar mix. Small school fish mixed with some cichlids etc.

Check my 29 out
29 Gallon cichlid update - YouTube

 

[emerald76]

Unfortunately, you are very overstocked. Silver dollars and blood parrots need larger tanks. Sorry to disappoint you.

 

[Milano11]

That is a baby pacu, and once larger will be transferred to my friends 75 gallon tank. Also, I have 2 aquaclear 50 filters running on it so my water parameters are just fine.
thanks

 

[Milano11]

Sorry, thought you meant me!

 

[Lardeelion]

Blood parrots need an absolute minimum of 30g when they're small. I've wanted one myself but don't have room.

 

[emerald76]

Pacus need HUNDREDS of gallons of water. They are huge, messy eaters.

 

[CharlieKlein]

I'm finally cycled. What a great feeling!

So based on whats available at LFS, here are my initial thoughts of what to add to my tank over the next few weeks. I welcome all feedback as to the quantity / compatibility of the fish listed. The goal is a non-breeding community FW tank, with a few semi-aggressives that won't stress the smaller guys...

Silver Dollars - 2
Silver Hatchets - 6
Zebra Danios - 6
Bristle nose pleco - 1 or 2?
Blood Parrot - 1
Corys - 2 or 3 (what variety is best?)
Elephant Nose - 1 to be bought via Internet later

Hopefully I'll have a variety of top / middle / bottom water dwellers. I have plastic plants, and not sure if I want to switch to live plants.

I plan to add a canister tank in another week, so maybe can push the bio-load a bit beyond the 1" to 1 gallon ratio. So maybe another variety if schooling / shoaling fish?

Thanks!

The 1 inch per gallon means nothing. You could but 2 full grown blood parrots and 2 electric blues in that fooling that rule. Your stock needs to take out blood parrots and solve dollers and Mabye the elephant nose depending in what exactly it is(don't know about t) but other than that the Cory's need 4 minimum, and you can add a pair of bibian rams

 

[Ac30fan]

Blood parrots need an absolute minimum of 30g when they're small. I've wanted one myself but don't have room.

Ok. BP is off the list. Possibly the Silver Dollars as well (although I had Silver Dollar in a similar sized tank years back and it thrived, outlived all other fish).

With those out, perhaps I have room for a few other specimen?

 

[Lardeelion]

Ok. BP is off the list. Possibly the Silver Dollars as well (although I had Silver Dollar in a similar sized tank years back and it thrived, outlived all other fish).

With those out, perhaps I have room for a few other specimen?

I would definitely up the number of cories to six. They're shy and sad when they don't have a group of at least six, and cories should never be shy and sad! As for cory species, they're all fun and entertaining. It depends on what variety you like. Many people here prefer pandas and julii/false julii. I have both and really enjoy them, probably the pandas are my favorite. I also have corydoras habrosas (pygmy cories) in a smaller tank and I absolutely love them, too. You can't go wrong when it comes to cories.

Also, I'd ask other members about the plecos. I never keep them but I'm pretty sure two is too many.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Yes the plecos are big waste producers, and may also be aggressive to their own kind?(some one follow up)

 

[Ac30fan]

Yes the plecos are big waste producers, and may also be aggressive to their own kind?(some one follow up)

I thought I had read that they too do better in pairs but am not positive about that.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Yep idk just something I thought I heard! Probablly not true, but I do know that they do pretty good solitary as well. I'd reccommend 1 because 2 will take up a decent amount of bioload

 

[Ac30fan]

I would definitely up the number of cories to six. ... They're shy and sad when they don't have a group of at least six, and cories should never be shy and sad! ... You can't go wrong when it comes to cories.

The more the better. They're adorable, and its great that you can mix the diff type!

I'd like to add as much variety without being over stocked, so am hoping to replace the silver dollar & BP with something else that is impressive

 

[CharlieKlein]

Silver Dollars - 2
Silver Hatchets - 6
Zebra Danios - 6
Bristle nose pleco - 1 or 2?
Blood Parrot - 1
Corys - 2 or 3 (what variety is best?)
Elephant Nose - 1 to be bought via Internet later

So from this list I'm glad your willing to take out the blood parrot and silver dollers. Is also reccommend against the elephant nose. They get about 9 inches and need 50 gallons minimum. This tan is 30" long and he will barley be able to swim 3x his body length! But don't worry, there are plenty of unique and interesting fish you can add.
So so far you want
6 marbled hatchet
6 zebra danios
4 corys(6 is better, you choose the kind!)
1 bristle nose pleco.
I'd say switch the zebra danios with Mabye 8 rumy nose or cardinal tetras, because the zebras will occupy the top aswell as the marble hatchets and are very boisterous, and will IMO over rows the top. You could do that, and as a show fish, a nice angel, and Mabye a pair of Bolivian rams.

 

[Ac30fan]

I'd say switch the zebra danios with Mabye 8 rumy nose or cardinal tetras, because the zebras will occupy the top aswell as the marble hatchets and are very boisterous, and will IMO over rows the top. You could do that, and as a show fish, a nice angel, and Mabye a pair of Bolivian rams.

I've never had Rams, so I will look them up. That's a def possibility.

I had an Angel once and thought it was pretty aggressive for a FW community tank. They also get big as I recall. The angel I had was twice the size of my silver dollar. And although I had him only 2-3 years, the elephant nose never got any bigger than 4-6" on a steady diet of bloodworms. I always loved feeding time for the elephant nose, and if you have the right conditions, encourage you to check them out... Search YouTube - there are some great feeding clips.

 

[CharlieKlein]

The reason the elephant nose only reached 6" could be due to the tank not being the correct size. Look up stunted fish growth. As for the rams, I'm looming into getting German blue rams but am waiting 3 ish months as they are very fragile. Need good water conditions. Instead of Bolivians, you can looking to many different species if apistogramma, or a pair of kribs or keyholes. Instead of an angel Mabye a pearl or dwarf gourami

 

[Scottyhorse]

Okay, if you want unique fish, I would do:

6 Hatchets
6 Danios
6 Cories
1 Pleco

That would be fully stocked.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Okay, if you want unique fish, I would do:

6 Hatchets
6 Danios
6 Cories
1 Pleco

That would be fully stocked.

Disagree with the fact that it is overstocked. The fact that there are 0 middle level schoolers. In my above post I stated some alternitives