Input on 29 Gallon with Bolivian Ram centerpeice! --My build thread--

[arock911]

80 is ok for a short time and it's a good way to prevent ich

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[Daven]

80 is ok for a short time and it's a good way to prevent ich

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It seemed the other fish i was looking at would be comfortable with that temp. No A/C here so some days it gets pretty warm and today both tanks were staying warmer than usual.

On another note, this AC 70 filter puts out some serious flow in this tank lol Had it on full blast to get some filter media going and it started pushing back the sand at the front of the tank so i had to turn it down This big of a filter should be plenty on the lowest setting anyways. I always have to go overkill with things..

 

[arock911]

It's better to go with over kill on filtration. All my tanks have a larger filter than required. My 50 gallon has a 70 gallon filter and it's been over a year since I lost a fish from that tank

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[Daven]

It's better to go with over kill on filtration. All my tanks have a larger filter than required. My 50 gallon has a 70 gallon filter and it's been over a year since I lost a fish from that tank

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lol i might have gone over-overkill with an "up to 70 gallon" filter on my 30 But turning it down i dont disrupt the sand anymore and have some room to turn down a bit more if fish dont like the flow for some reason. And if i get a 50 gallon or something im good!

So aeration... Is it necessary to run an air pump to get bubbles going through the water? I know they need the oxygen, but is the filter enough to do that? My girlfriends tank has a pump running some undergravel filter tubes. And i do have an air stone laying around. I just dislike the less-natural look of bubbles at a random location in the tank, and im stuck with the only place to mount it being below the tank (water being sucked back if it ever turned off). Then again, i was thinking it could be a good idea to have a filter ran off air incase something ever happened to this filter. But again a random bubbler.

Heres a pic of the top of the water from the filter. I have it filled fully and set on a different stand, which i am watching VERY carefully because its on the edge of too heavy lol As you can see, i have 3 little guppies from mt girlfriends tank in to start things off. (Filter media and whatnot has all been switched and ill be testing and changing water as needed)

 

[PNWaquarist]

Planet Catfish has the most accurate info on Corys. If you're doing 80 F, Sterbai are the way to go. Most other species don't do as well in the long run over 77 F. You can do five of them, but six is better.


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[Daven]

Planet Catfish has the most accurate info on Corys. If you're doing 80 F, Sterbai are the way to go. Most other species don't do as well in the long run over 77 F. You can do five of them, but six is better.


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You make a good point. I will start checking more-so on the sites based specifically on the fish im looking for. So id like to keep my tank around 78*, since right now im definately on the higher end. But since theres no A/C here and im having heater issues (i think) its probably best to assume the higher temps. The one downside i see to the species you suggested, was that they grow to be a bit bigger than the usual 2" i was thinking. Wouldnt be the end of the world, but it would take more space for fish of other varieties.. I did see the flag tailed panda likes higher temps as well and is smaller. Maybe ill go with that one even though i liked the darker colours Might look cooler in my lighter sand anyways

 

[Freakgecko91]

You make a good point. I will start checking more-so on the sites based specifically on the fish im looking for. So id like to keep my tank around 78*, since right now im definately on the higher end. But since theres no A/C here and im having heater issues (i think) its probably best to assume the higher temps. The one downside i see to the species you suggested, was that they grow to be a bit bigger than the usual 2" i was thinking. Wouldnt be the end of the world, but it would take more space for fish of other varieties.. I did see the flag tailed panda likes higher temps as well and is smaller. Maybe ill go with that one even though i liked the darker colours Might look cooler in my lighter sand anyways

Corydora oiapoquensis is not a commonly seen species. I've never seen it offered personally. Regular panda cories (corydora panda) do not do well in height temps IME.


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[Daven]

Corydora oiapoquensis is not a commonly seen species. I've never seen it offered personally. Regular panda cories (corydora panda) do not do well in height temps IME.


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Thats too bad. Well maybe my best bet are the sterbai veriety. Can anyone tell me what i could do for stocking after 1-2 Bolivian rams, and 6 sterbai cories? I must be getting up there a bit once theyre fully grown, but leaving the top of the tank empty pretty much. I also havent decided wether or not i should try a male and a female bolivian and hope they pair. I dont want excessive aggression if they dont end up working out

My tank also seems to stay at 80* even with the heater unplugged due to the warmer weather and no A/C id assume. So maybe i need to pony up and get some A/C and i can keep the tanks a bit lower

 

[Daven]

And i should bring back up this more important question about aeration since theres fish in now. Ive read that some cases a filter is enough to disturb the water and replenish oxygen, and my filter is quite big. But is this enough for my tank? Also because of the higher temps im seeing, i might require more from my understanding. Does the oxygen come from the bubbles from the water falling in from the filter (for example), or does the top of the water have to physically be rippling all over? My girlfriends tank has two air driven tubes with filters from an undergravel grate, so her water is really disturbed at the top from all the bubbles. Im thinking about putting something underneath my filter to prop it up a bit and therfore make it disturb things more.

I know, i know. Ive got a million questions... lol I do look this stuff up when i have the time, theres just conflicting information thats true to some cases and others more of a grey area.

 

[PNWaquarist]

Sterbai get to 2.5 inches. A shoal of 6 will give a single ram plenty of space. If you did a breeding pair of Bolivians, they might get rough with the Corys when the female spawns. Not sure if I'd go that route. If you want Corys, I'd suggest a single Bolivian in that tank.

You could round out the top half of the tank with a small shoal (6-8) of tetras. Bloodfins, Black Neons, and Lemons all occupy the top half of the tank. Pencilfish and Hatchetfish are also good choices.

Don't worry about the oxygenation of the tank. If you have a filter running, there's enough oxygen dissolved in the water.


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[Daven]

Sterbai get to 2.5 inches. A shoal of 6 will give a single ram plenty of space. If you did a breeding pair of Bolivians, they might get rough with the Corys when the female spawns. Not sure if I'd go that route. If you want Corys, I'd suggest a single Bolivian in that tank.

You could round out the top half of the tank with a small shoal (6-8) of tetras. Bloodfins, Black Neons, and Lemons all occupy the top half of the tank. Pencilfish and Hatchetfish are also good choices.

Don't worry about the oxygenation of the tank. If you have a filter running, there's enough oxygen dissolved in the water.


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Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of only getting one male, but would they not be happier with more of its own kind? Or what would be ideal considering the small space? And with rams and corries, id only have room for 6-8 small fish after that? (Of course not sticking to specific numbers since everything is different). Now, for the oxygen... can someone chime in on things to watch for to make sure all is good there?


Now for the fun stuff! Ive been trying to boil this peice of driftwood halfway at a time since i dont have any larger pots, and set in hot water the remainder of the time to soak. I didnt want to end up with murky brown tank, but i just took the plunge and added it in! Hopefully it stays relatively clear. I also added a couple ridiculously cheap plants i was given just to add a little bit to the tank (Yay or Nay?). What do you guys think of what ive got? Finally starting to look a little less barren lol Any suggestions are always welcome!

 

[Cold Canadian]

Research the rule of thirds in aquascaping and alike methods.


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[Bbush]

I'm pretty sure you are fine on oxygen. I think that's all good if you have an HOB. maybe lower the water level if you want more aeration. I don't think it's even an issue unless you are running @ extremely high temps. I don't think you would need an air stone unless you just want one.


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[Daven]

Research the rule of thirds in aquascaping and alike methods.


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Thanks! I took a quick look and will look over it more intensely later on for sure. I know my tank is off a bit, this is just the begining mainly to get something started and go from there.

I'm pretty sure you are fine on oxygen. I think that's all good if you have an HOB. maybe lower the water level if you want more aeration. I don't think it's even an issue unless you are running @ extremely high temps. I don't think you would need an air stone unless you just want one.


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Ok ill just keep an eye on them and see if they stay towards the top more than usual. The one fish seems stressed (breathing heavy) and im thinking its because ive been messing around with things so much. Shes also pretty pregnant lol Putting them in an empty tank and constantly changing things around cant be too nice, so im going to take a step back and leave them alone a while. At first i worried about the flow from the filter, but i have it turned down and they dont ever seem to stay in hiding spots away from it and tend to swim into it. But water has been testing good. Havent seen any noticeable colour on the ammonia test at all. Nitrite started showing some slight readings (.3ppm) yesterday but according to today it went back down to so light it hardly shows at all. So the water shouldnt be the issue

Also, i managed to find a slightly better bulb for my tank light! Being a standard t12 housing i couldnt find anything online for bulb options towards plant life and mainly fish colours. The old one didnt show any of the fish's colours and reminded me of a refrigerator light lol New bulb claims to be wide spectrum and is a colour temperature of 3100K. It does bring out the colours a bit more so thats good. One day ill have a better lighting setup but this should do for now!

 

[PNWaquarist]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of only getting one male, but would they not be happier with more of its own kind? Or what would be ideal considering the small space? And with rams and corries, id only have room for 6-8 small fish after that? (Of course not sticking to specific numbers since everything is different).

In a 29 gallon, I'd do either one ram and some Corys OR one confirmed breeding pair of rams and no other mid/bottom dwellers. (Groups of 6+ rams can be kept in larger tanks, but that's not an option here.)

In addition to that, you could do a shoal of middle/top dwelling fish. Anywhere from 6-10, depending on size. I'd suggest using aqadvisor.com.



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[Daven]

In a 29 gallon, I'd do either one ram and some Corys OR one confirmed breeding pair of rams and no other mid/bottom dwellers. (Groups of 6+ rams can be kept in larger tanks, but that's not an option here.)

In addition to that, you could do a shoal of middle/top dwelling fish. Anywhere from 6-10, depending on size. I'd suggest using aqadvisor.com.



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Thats actually the site ive been refering to. Although it lacks a couple kinds of specific fish, but i find similar ones to use instead in the case. So in all of your guy's opinions... Would one Ram be happy in a tank like this with other fish? Or is it like guppies and whatnot that never really thrive without alike companions?

 

[Bbush]

I'm not sure about "happy." But I don't think it would stress a ram to be alone. I think they're almost like angel fish in that regard. I could be wrong. I think most people have one or two in tanks that size.


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[Daven]

I'm not sure about "happy." But I don't think it would stress a ram to be alone. I think they're almost like angel fish in that regard. I could be wrong. I think most people have one or two in tanks that size.


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Maybe ill be looking at getting just one then. I dont know how my luck would be if i tried to make just 2 fish pair :/ But id feel sorry for the little guy lol Oh well, the joys of a smaller tank. Maybe when i one day get a large tank i can get him some friends.

My guppies are starting to get a little more comfortable with things now. Im not sure what i should do about the large amount of flow in the tank. Or if i should even mess with it since it would tend to keep the tank filtered better. I placed the filter as far to the right as possible to give the fish a farther away point if the flow was too much. That created a circular flow that goes across the front and around to the back and the fish seem to have to swim against the current alot. Maybe im just used to the other tank that was essentially still at the front where the fish didn't have to swim sideways to stay with me at the front of the tank or to eat I know some fish like flow and they would adjust. But as usual, being a beginner, i havent seen what the high end of ok looks like

 

[Daven]

So i got my chichlid stone and couldnt resist diving in again! (pun intended) WHat are your thoughts on the layout? Eventually id like to get something to suit the far right side than the random decoration i had. But i sunk it right to the bottom under the gravel so its not so big and cluttering. I personally really like the rock hill look. Lighting could have been better, but i wanted to snap a quick pic for you guys

I also grabbed a filter thats about 1/2" thick and cut it to fit across the outlet of my filter. Makes the flow alot better for the fish so they can swim freely now. And very quiet. Now to watch them like a hawk and see if they start having oxygen issues

 

[PNWaquarist]

Looks good, but you'll need more plants. Rams and Corys like places to hide.

Also, stop worrying about the oxygen. As long as you have a running filter, it's a non-issue.


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