Stocking ideas for 2 29gal tanks?

[sereneselkie]

Hello AA, I’m in the process of getting the hardware for and setting up two 29gal tanks that will both be scaped in artificial plants with a coarse gravel substrate. I’m thinking something small so that I can stock many fish in there. Also thinking about snails to do some grunt work for me. Ideas so far include neon tetras, gouramis, and cherry shrimp. What are your thoughts about stocking tanks in this size and what are your ideas? Thanks y’all [emoji177]

 

[goatnad]

i personally love gouramis. i have 1 in just about every tank i own and have my eyes on buying 3 more species of them. cherry or amano shrimp are always nice but could be alittle tough for people new to aquariums just because of how sensitive they can be to things. also they do better in a live planted tank. neons look great in a large school but they are prone to having diseases and all kinds of issues but they are easy to keep. here are a few fish i like and would recommend.



white cloud mountain minnows (regular or 24k gold)
albino tiger barbs
leopard or zebra danios
guppies are great and easy for beginner hobbist(i personally dont like guppies)
serpae tetras(just about any tetra)
corydoras
pleco's
killifish

all of those are very simple fish to keep. now if you are experienced in fish keeping then i would recommend more expensive and slightly tougher to keep fish.
cichlids(small ones, not large ones. 30g is to small for all but a hand full of cichlid species)

angelfish( again small ones and you have to keep up on tank maintance)
marbled hatchet fish(can be sensitive and they are jumpers. lid is a must)
celestial pearl danios


if you decide to go shrimp i dont recommend putting gouramis in with them. my gouramis are always going around picking at my snails to see if its something edible and with shrimp they will do the same. well hopefully that gives you some options and good luck.

 

[rlederer]

Well, I like tetras - most are reasonably sized and are attractive. A big school of any of them are nice. Tiger barbs are attractive - the regular kind, but they get big and can get nippy. They should be kept in schools of at least six to keep aggression down. Zebras and most other danios are nice but not as colorful as tetras.
I don't like the idea of a "centerpiece" fish like a gourami because I'm convinced most all fish prefer to be with others of their kind. But a half dozen Pearl Gouramis would be nice and attractive.
I don't think you can beat a nicely landscaped and planted tank with a school or two of tetras, though.

 

[afink1]

I agree with many of your choices above.

GOURAMI: I love Gouramis. I have 5 in my tank. My favorite is the blue Paradise gourami. Long fins remind me of betta but they are more of a community fish.

TETRA:. I have always enjoyed the rummynose tetras. They have beautiful bright red faces and black/white tails.

CORIES:. They come in many different patterns and are very entertaining to watch. They are constantly moving so they will keep ur tank active.

 

[sereneselkie]

Thanks for the responses y’all, I appreciate the insight and ideas. It will be some time before this plan comes to fruition so in the meantime I’ll continue to watch this thread and meditate on my options.

 

[TMaier]

I have Neons and Dwarf Rainbows in my 29 right now. Kuhli’s in the bottom. Snails and Amanos too. Oh and one random guppy that refuses to die. Dorian Orange. Skip the plastic plants. Java ferns and Anubias are easy. It’s what I started with. . I swear there are Neons in there. They are sleeping in.

 

[sereneselkie]

I have Neons and Dwarf Rainbows in my 29 right now. Kuhli’s in the bottom. Snails and Amanos too. Oh and one random guppy that refuses to die. Dorian Orange. Skip the plastic plants. Java ferns and Anubias are easy. It’s what I started with. View attachment 309478. I swear there are Neons in there. They are sleeping in.

I love the tank. Never done a planted tank. What kind of substrate did you use and what did you use to cap it? Worried about too many nutrients in my tank.

 

[sereneselkie]

I agree with many of your choices above.

GOURAMI: I love Gouramis. I have 5 in my tank. My favorite is the blue Paradise gourami. Long fins remind me of betta but they are more of a community fish.

TETRA:. I have always enjoyed the rummynose tetras. They have beautiful bright red faces and black/white tails.

CORIES:. They come in many different patterns and are very entertaining to watch. They are constantly moving so they will keep ur tank active.

Never had cories before, how many for a comfortable sized school? I love neon tetras but never had rummynose, but they are awfully cute at the fish store. How big were your gouramis when you got them and how long did it take for them to grow to current size?

 

[sereneselkie]

Well, I like tetras - most are reasonably sized and are attractive. A big school of any of them are nice. Tiger barbs are attractive - the regular kind, but they get big and can get nippy. They should be kept in schools of at least six to keep aggression down. Zebras and most other danios are nice but not as colorful as tetras.

I don't like the idea of a "centerpiece" fish like a gourami because I'm convinced most all fish prefer to be with others of their kind. But a half dozen Pearl Gouramis would be nice and attractive.

I don't think you can beat a nicely landscaped and planted tank with a school or two of tetras, though.

I agree, I also like the look (vain as I am) of having multiple of any fish I put into a tank. Is a 29 big enough to stock a small group of gourami for their entire life? I want this to be the permanent home of whatever I put in

 

[sereneselkie]

i personally love gouramis. i have 1 in just about every tank i own and have my eyes on buying 3 more species of them. cherry or amano shrimp are always nice but could be alittle tough for people new to aquariums just because of how sensitive they can be to things. also they do better in a live planted tank. neons look great in a large school but they are prone to having diseases and all kinds of issues but they are easy to keep. here are a few fish i like and would recommend.



white cloud mountain minnows (regular or 24k gold)
albino tiger barbs
leopard or zebra danios
guppies are great and easy for beginner hobbist(i personally dont like guppies)
serpae tetras(just about any tetra)
corydoras
pleco's
killifish

all of those are very simple fish to keep. now if you are experienced in fish keeping then i would recommend more expensive and slightly tougher to keep fish.
cichlids(small ones, not large ones. 30g is to small for all but a hand full of cichlid species)

angelfish( again small ones and you have to keep up on tank maintance)
marbled hatchet fish(can be sensitive and they are jumpers. lid is a must)
celestial pearl danios


if you decide to go shrimp i dont recommend putting gouramis in with them. my gouramis are always going around picking at my snails to see if its something edible and with shrimp they will do the same. well hopefully that gives you some options and good luck.

I’ve always vaguely thought about doing a cichlid tank but I’m not brave enough yet. The gods of river and sea have blessed me with easy fish so far, lol. Everyone agrees tetras are easy and fun, and I adore them, so that might be what I do in at least one, if not both, tanks.