Stocking ideas for 29 Gallon Planted Tank

[laritheloud]

Hello there!

I'm still playing around with my stocking plan for my 29 gallon planted aquarium. Right now, I have 6 juvenile diamond tetras, 6 juvenile corydoras elegans, 1 mystery snail, 2 nerite snails, and plenty of bladder snail hitchhikers. 😂 I'll be sitting with these guys for at least another month before I think about going back for more fish. I love how beautiful and sparkly my diamonds are, and I know they're gonna get pretty hefty as they grow up -- about two inches with longer fins on the males. BUT... I'd love to get more color in my tank, as well as a centerpiece!

We'll get 5 amano shrimp after our tank matures for awhile, and that's in the plan. As for what else... Maybe a smaller, colorful fish for the top? Lambchop rasboras? Chili rasboras? Livebearers (though I'm afraid they'll overrun the tank with breeding)? Honey gourami (should I get two or three)? I originally thought maybe an apisto or a bolivian ram (not a German Ram, I don't want to raise the temps of my tank to over 78), but I've been second guessing and thinking I'd be better off with a centerpiece that dwells closer to the middle/top layers of the tank. I'm looking for a centerpiece with color and a lot of charming personality. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by laritheloud

[swivvr]

A peaceful gourami would be pretty nice. Both honey gourami and female powdered blue gourami are peaceful. Cory made a video about the top 5 peaceful gourami's. 

 

[laritheloud]

3 minutes ago, swivvr said:

A peaceful gourami would be pretty nice. Both honey gourami and female powdered blue gourami are peaceful. Cory made a video about the top 5 peaceful gourami's. 

 

I loved this video! I think it's between the pearl gourami, the female powder blue, and a few cute honeys. I suspect the pearls or the honeys will pop more beside the diamonds, since powder blue is a bit iridescent along the veins of my diamonds. They're really adorable. So much to think about and choose from!

[CorydorasEthan]

6 minutes ago, laritheloud said:

Hello there!

I'm still playing around with my stocking plan for my 29 gallon planted aquarium. Right now, I have 6 juvenile diamond tetras, 6 juvenile corydoras elegans, 1 mystery snail, 2 nerite snails, and plenty of bladder snail hitchhikers. 😂 I'll be sitting with these guys for at least another month before I think about going back for more fish. I love how beautiful and sparkly my diamonds are, and I know they're gonna get pretty hefty as they grow up -- about two inches with longer fins on the males. BUT... I'd love to get more color in my tank, as well as a centerpiece!

We'll get 5 amano shrimp after our tank matures for awhile, and that's in the plan. As for what else... Maybe a smaller, colorful fish for the top? Lambchop rasboras? Chili rasboras? Livebearers (though I'm afraid they'll overrun the tank with breeding)? Honey gourami (should I get two or three)? I originally thought maybe an apisto or a bolivian ram (not a German Ram, I don't want to raise the temps of my tank to over 78), but I've been second guessing and thinking I'd be better off with a centerpiece that dwells closer to the middle/top layers of the tank. I'm looking for a centerpiece with color and a lot of charming personality. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

The fish you mentioned (lambchop rasboras, chili rasboras) would work great. Any peaceful tetra or minnow species would work out fine as well. I would definitely recommend the livebearers (I personally like the Endler's livebearers), and enjoy when they grow very numerous (I don't keep any predators in my tank). Of course, when you get too many babies you can sell them to your local fish store.

In terms of the centerpiece, I would stick to the honey gourami (any number is fine I'm guessing). I personally wouldn't do the pearl gourami, as I found that mine is aggressive to my bottom dwellers, especially my Corydoras, during feeding time, though this is just my experience and other fishkeepers might have different experiences. The Bolivian ram might work as well, though if you wen with the ram, choose a schooling fish that hangs out more towards the surface so that you will get more of a balance of fish at different levels.

[laritheloud]

Just now, CorydorasEthan said:

The fish you mentioned (lambchop rasboras, chili rasboras) would work great. Any peaceful tetra or minnow species would work out fine as well. I would definitely recommend the livebearers (I personally like the Endler's livebearers), and enjoy when they grow very numerous (I don't keep any predators in my tank). Of course, when you get too many babies you can sell them to your local fish store.

In terms of the centerpiece, I would stick to the honey gourami (any number is fine I'm guessing). I personally wouldn't do the pearl gourami, as I found that mine is aggressive to my bottom dwellers, especially my Corydoras, during feeding time, though this is just my experience and other fishkeepers might have different experiences. The Bolivian ram might work as well, though if you wen with the ram, choose a schooling fish that hangs out more towards the surface so that you will get more of a balance of fish at different levels.

Oh, this is extremely helpful. I absolutely love endlers, they were tops on my list along with chilis and lambchops! They're so bright and fun! Do the endlers overcrowd rapidly? Would the fry end up becoming a snack to the voracious tetras?

I do think I'm going to stick with the gouramis in this tank, likely the honeys. My goal is a very peaceful community so the less aggression, the better, especially since I'm still a newcomer to the hobby. I'll probably add them last so I can let my lily and other plants grow out and fill the top end of the tank.

[Demobanana]

11 minutes ago, swivvr said:

A peaceful gourami would be pretty nice. Both honey gourami and female powdered blue gourami are peaceful. Cory made a video about the top 5 peaceful gourami's. 

You think they can add a pair of honey gouramis? Heard they like company.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Demobanana

[Kirsten]

I love diamond tetras, too! They're so sparkly!

I've often thought of putting Diamond tetras with a large-ish school of Diamondhead Neon tetras. Now your tank is diamonds!

But yeah, having seen diamond tetras next to pearl gouramis...it's not bad, but I think the honey gouramis would have more pop.

For a 29g, if you want a single centerpiece, I might also recommend a bristlenose pleco. They're more nocturnal, but would still be plenty visible in a 29 and would look quite different from your tetras!

[CorydorasEthan]

2 minutes ago, laritheloud said:

Oh, this is extremely helpful. I absolutely love endlers, they were tops on my list along with chilis and lambchops! They're so bright and fun! Do the endlers overcrowd rapidly? Would the fry end up becoming a snack to the voracious tetras?

I do think I'm going to stick with the gouramis in this tank, likely the honeys. My goal is a very peaceful community so the less aggression, the better, especially since I'm still a newcomer to the hobby. I'll probably add them last so I can let my lily and other plants grow out and fill the top end of the tank.

My trio of Endlers (actually two endler males and a guppy female) took several of months to reach a large population size. They have not overcrowded yet, as I many to another breeding tank. So they would be a great choice for your community! I think that the fry might be preyed upon by the tetras, but their population will still be sustainable if you have enough plant cover.

[laritheloud]

Just now, CorydorasEthan said:

My trio of Endlers (actually two endler males and a guppy female) took several of months to reach a large population size. They have not overcrowded yet, as I many to another breeding tank. So they would be a great choice for your community! I think that the fry might be preyed upon by the tetras, but their population will still be sustainable if you have enough plant cover.

This is really exciting to hear! I'll keep myself open to endlers. They're such colorful, fun little fish. My kindergartener would love it so much as an alternative to glofish.

[swivvr]

3 minutes ago, Demobanana said:

You think they can add a pair of honey gouramis? Heard they like company.

They do like company but some people go for one since it is the centerpiece fish.

[laritheloud]

Just now, swivvr said:

They do like company but some people go for one since it is the centerpiece fish.

I have room for at least 2 honey gourami, so I'd do 2 or 3 (one male and one female, or one male and two females).

[Kirsten]

2 minutes ago, laritheloud said:

Oh, this is extremely helpful. I absolutely love endlers, they were tops on my list along with chilis and lambchops! They're so bright and fun! Do the endlers overcrowd rapidly? Would the fry end up becoming a snack to the voracious tetras?

As someone who started out with 6 endlers and now have...way too many to count just a few months later, I think the answer is "yes!" Endlers are very hardy and don't tend to eat their fry as much as other livebearers.

Honestly, having some larger fish around to snack on some babies will be a big help. My local pet stores need you to call ahead to see if they have room for you to even DONATE them, and trying to sell them locally or even shipping them has been a challenge. So, I'll be cheering on those gouramis and diamond tetras to get a hankering for endler babies if you go that route.

They ARE gorgeous, fun fish, though, and I love them, so I can't say it's a bad idea.

[laritheloud]

5 minutes ago, Kirsten said:

I love diamond tetras, too! They're so sparkly!

I've often thought of putting Diamond tetras with a large-ish school of Diamondhead Neon tetras. Now your tank is diamonds!

But yeah, having seen diamond tetras next to pearl gouramis...it's not bad, but I think the honey gouramis would have more pop.

For a 29g, if you want a single centerpiece, I might also recommend a bristlenose pleco. They're more nocturnal, but would still be plenty visible in a 29 and would look quite different from your tetras!

We've been considering a bristlenose. My husband adores catfish. I'm a little worried about overcrowding the tank if I add a bristlenose, too!

[Kirsten]

1 minute ago, laritheloud said:

We've been considering a bristlenose. My husband adores catfish. I'm a little worried about overcrowding the tank if I add a bristlenose, too!

Yeah, I'd do EITHER the bristlenose OR the honeys, not both.

[laritheloud]

Just now, Kirsten said:

As someone who started out with 6 endlers and now have...way too many to count just a few months later, I think the answer is "yes!" Endlers are very hardy and don't tend to eat their fry as much as other livebearers.

Honestly, having some larger fish around to snack on some babies will be a big help. My local pet stores need you to call ahead to see if they have room for you to even DONATE them, and trying to sell them locally or even shipping them has been a challenge. So, I'll be cheering on those gouramis and diamond tetras to get a hankering for endler babies if you go that route.

They ARE gorgeous, fun fish, though, and I love them, so I can't say it's a bad idea.

Worse things could happen? 😂 I wouldn't mind if the tetras ate a few of them as a form of population control, but I'll make sure I have a backup plan. I highly recommend Diamond Tetras, by the way. They sparkle so beautifully when you take them home and feed them well. Really easy to sex out, too, once you know what to look for. 

[laritheloud]

Just now, Kirsten said:

Yeah, I'd do EITHER the bristlenose OR the honeys, not both.

Perfect, thank you!

[Fish Folk]

Here’s a couple versions of 29 gal tanks we’ve done... one hot (Amazon) and one cold (US Natives)

 

 

[Fish Folk]

Oh ... here’s another “edition” of the Amazon tank...

 

[laritheloud]

Just now, Fish Folk said:

Oh ... here’s another “edition” of the Amazon tank...

 

All of your tanks are absolutely gorgeous! What are the two 'kissing' fish in the center? (Beautiful tetra and ram, too!)

[Fish Folk]

6 minutes ago, laritheloud said:

All of your tanks are absolutely gorgeous! What are the two 'kissing' fish in the center? (Beautiful tetra and ram, too!)

Thanks! The Rams we have bred and raised. The central fish are young Discus. They are a bit drab when young, but explode with color when they mature. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Fish Folk

[laritheloud]

Just now, Fish Folk said:

Thanks! The Rams we have bred and raised. The central fish are young Discus. They are a bit drab when you f, but explode with color when they mature. 

Gosh, I love Discus. Absolutely gorgeous fish. I don't have a large enough tank for them yet, but I have Big Plans to start a few more tanks alongside my 29 gallon.

The only thing holding me back is that we live in an extremely old house (built in 1810), our space is somewhat limited, and I worry about the weight on our very old floors!

[Fish Folk]

2 minutes ago, laritheloud said:

Gosh, I love Discus. Absolutely gorgeous fish. I don't have a large enough tank for them yet, but I have Big Plans to start a few more tanks alongside my 29 gallon.

The only thing holding me back is that we live in an extremely old house (built in 1810), our space is somewhat limited, and I worry about the weight on our very old floors!

Yes, that’s understandable. We keep Discus in a 55 gal. Here’s a video...

And here’s another, Discus tank up front (with Rams we bred & raised) feeding on live black worms...

 

[laritheloud]

Now that my tank is stabilized again and my quarantine tank is nearing the end of its cycle, I'm back here, dreaming about what to add next. 😄 Thinking we might add one more mystery snail since we love the little guys (we have only 1 right now). And then maybe.... male endlers or the rasboras. I have two LFSs I am trying. One I've been to already and it has an enormous selection of all sorts of fish, the other a smaller selection but exceptional customer service and lots of locally-bred fish (that he quarantines before putting them up for sale). They have honey gouramis and guppies/endlers that were locally bred, but expressed some reticence about pairing diamond tetras with the honeys... then proceeded to say they have angelfish.

Which I admit confused me a lot. I never heard of diamond tetras being a problem with gouramis (and have seen videos of other tanks with honey gouramis and diamonds coexisting peacefully), and so far, they don't bother any of my other tank inhabitants at all. I also have 0 plans of putting an angel into my 29 gallon, and I firmly believe that I would need a bigger tank before even considering them. Otherwise, the owner seemed really friendly and welcoming, and I'd love to support locally-bred.

Maybe I'll add a small top-dwelling fish -- maybe 3 of them at first -- and see how the tetras respond to them. I don't see any reason to be concerned as long as I make sure everyone gets fed.