Looking for fish recommendations 29 gal schooling hard water

[Ariel S]

Hello All,

I’m swapping some fish around my tanks and I’m looking for some mid/top level fish for my 29 gal. 
They will need to live with my Kuhli loaches and Apisto (he’s been in there about 4 years- they need to get along with him). 

I have very very hard water.
temp 79/80 usually.

PH- 6.8-7.2 

Not looking for guppies or endlers (I have another display tank filled with them).

I wanted cardinal tetras originally, I’ve purchased groups twice now and had them all die in quarantine on the 1st or 2nd day. So I’ve basically given up on them. Does anyone have tips on keeping cardinals in hard warmer water? 

 

thanks in advance! Just looking for inspiration/information. 

[Patrick_G]

Check out this Video

I pretty much like every fish on the list, it’s filled with show stoppers. 

 

 

[Ariel S]

28 minutes ago, Patrick_G said:

Check out this Video

I pretty much like every fish on the list, it’s filled with show stoppers. 

 

 

Thanks! I wonder if those condo tetras would be too much for my apisto. My apisto is likely to mess with them a little bit, he’s very territorial. 

[Patrick_G]

I’d also be concerned about their size. I don’t have any but the local LFS has them in a display tank, and they’re huge!  
A school of six might be to many for a 29. 

[JaredL]

I've had 10 Harlequin Rasboras in my 29 gal with hard water for years. No health issues, even spawned several times(though the eggs were promptly eaten by the others unfortunately). Keep mid to high in the tank, though they will occasionally try to pick food off the bottom. I have never witnessed them picking at my cherry shrimp(even the babies) or eating my endler fry so I feel they are pretty compatible with most fish. Just thought I'd share my experience!

[laritheloud]

4 hours ago, Ariel S said:

Hello All,

I’m swapping some fish around my tanks and I’m looking for some mid/top level fish for my 29 gal. 
They will need to live with my Kuhli loaches and Apisto (he’s been in there about 4 years- they need to get along with him). 

I have very very hard water.
temp 79/80 usually.

PH- 6.8-7.2 

Not looking for guppies or endlers (I have another display tank filled with them).

I wanted cardinal tetras originally, I’ve purchased groups twice now and had them all die in quarantine on the 1st or 2nd day. So I’ve basically given up on them. Does anyone have tips on keeping cardinals in hard warmer water? 

 

thanks in advance! Just looking for inspiration/information. 

I have moderately hard water and a high Ph, and my diamond tetras absolutely love my tank. They've even spawned unexpectedly in it. They're a bigger schooling fish (males a little over 2 inches) but I'm comfortable fitting 6 to 8 in my 29 gallon.

Edited May 13, 2021 by laritheloud

[tonyjuliano]

8 hours ago, Ariel S said:

Does anyone have tips on keeping cardinals in hard warmer water? 

Best tip I can give is...

Don’t try to to keep cardinals in hard water.

Seriously, they just do not do well under those conditions.

As for alternates, consider the humble White Cloud Mountain Minnow.  
 

Great schooling fish, super active, tiny bio load, extremely hardy and inexpensive.

They will acclimate well to almost any water condition.  Are also available in a “gold” variant.

Edited May 13, 2021 by tonyjuliano

[Ariel S]

52 minutes ago, tonyjuliano said:

Best tip I can give is...

Don’t try to to keep cardinals in hard water.

Seriously, they just do not do well under those conditions.

As for alternates, consider the humble White Cloud Mountain Minnow.  
 

Great schooling fish, super active, tiny bio load, extremely hardy and inexpensive.

They will acclimate well to almost any water condition.  Are also available in a “gold” variant.

Yes! I’ve tried a couple times to keep cardinals, but they always die!! My LFS refunded me once, but not the second time (Bc it was 3+ days) which was frustrating. They are so pretty! I think I’ll be trying the white clouds or danios!