Stocking Suggestions

[Stella]

I have just re-set up my 29 gallon aquarium after losing my Betta sorority. My new stocking ideas are a school of Orange Venezuelan Corydoras, a school of Cardinal tetras and a single Angelfish as the centerpiece. My question is how many cardinals and corydoras should I do?  I will also be adding plants. Thanks!!

Edit: I almost forgot I’d also like to add a bushy nose pleco if possible. 

Edited August 15, 2021 by Stella

[FrozenFins]

Oooh that sounds like a really nice setup!

All though an angelfish may not be able to spend there entire life in a 29 gallon, they can defentley spend a few years! With only the cardinal tetras, corycats, pleco, and angelfish heres what my stocking would look like:

• 12 Corydoras (btw, great choice with the orange venezuelans! Saw some the other day (on aquahuna I beleive) and almost ordered some!)
• 12-16 Cardinal Tetras (if the angelfish your getting is full grown, make sure these guys are too. Or they WILL be snacks)
• 1 Angelfish
• 1 Bristlenose Pleco (If you just want a pleco, I would suggest the clown pleco. It grows a few inches smaller then the bristlenose, and from what I have heard its less agressive).

Angelfish are some of my favorite fish! I love the colors they come in and the personality each one has! 

Good Luck!

[Odd Duck]

On 8/14/2021 at 10:17 PM, James Black said:

1 Bristlenose Pleco (If you just want a pleco, I would suggest the clown pleco. It grows a few inches smaller then the bristlenose, and from what I have heard its less agressive).

I would respectfully have to disagree on the clown pleco recommendation (depending on the species of clown pleco you’re recommending).  Not that they aren’t a great pleco, but they’re practically invisible.  I have seen my clown pleco about 4 times since he was put in the tank in mid-April.  I see my bristlenoses multiple times every day.  The clown pleco may be coming out to eat at night, or he may be dead for all I can tell.  I haven’t seen him in a couple months, literally.  The bristlenoses do a great job eating algae.  The clown may also, but who can tell?

Bristlenoses (Ancistrus sp.) are easy to find, usually fairly low cost, come in a variety of colors, including bright, lemon yellow (really striking in the tank), even have long-fin versions, and get 3-5” long.  I haven’t seen anything close to aggression between them yet with 5 subadult to young adults in my 100 G.  Maybe it will show up in a couple months, but so far, so good.  I would only do a single or a pair of either species in a 29 G.

Clowns (Panaqolus maccus) are harder to find, and come in light brown/goldish stripes on brown, and run 3-3.5” so the same to maybe slightly smaller.  I like him/her when/if I see it, but truly haven’t seen it since I took a couple pictures on May 11th.

I honestly wouldn’t get a clown again, because what’s the point of buying fish you never get to see?  My bristlenoses are out frequently, come in great colors, long-fin versions, and are nearly constant, hard workers.

[CorydorasEthan]

On 8/14/2021 at 8:28 PM, Stella said:

I have just re-set up my 29 gallon aquarium after losing my Betta sorority. My new stocking ideas are a school of Orange Venezuelan Corydoras, a school of Cardinal tetras and a single Angelfish as the centerpiece. My question is how many cardinals and corydoras should I do?  I will also be adding plants. Thanks!!

Edit: I almost forgot I’d also like to add a bushy nose pleco if possible. 

Are you doing a planted Amazon rainforest kind of tank? That would certainly fit the theme of the fish you are choosing! Anyways, I would recommend 12 cories (as @James Black said), as they will probably be the most active this way without overcrowding the "forest floor". For the cardinals, I would get like 15 since they are pretty small - you can fit a lot of tiny fish into a 29 gallon, provided that there is plenty of filtration and live plants. I personally would forgo the angelfish since they are so big, and instead opt for a Bolivian ram or some other small South American cichlid. Apistogramma species might also work fine, as well as keyhole cichlids or festivum cichlids. Of course, if you planned on upgrading tank size later, it would probably be okay to house the juvenile angelfish there for now.

If you weren't going for a South American theme, some other centerpiece options include dwarf, honey, and pearl gourami, all of which look amazing in any planted tank, and they're pretty peaceful as well.

On 8/14/2021 at 10:17 PM, James Black said:

1 Bristlenose Pleco (If you just want a pleco, I would suggest the clown pleco. It grows a few inches smaller then the bristlenose, and from what I have heard its less agressive)

 

On 8/15/2021 at 12:26 AM, Odd Duck said:

I would respectfully have to disagree on the clown pleco recommendation (depending on the species of clown pleco you’re recommending).

Both @James Black and @Odd Duck make some great points, but I've had only limited experience with plecos, so I cannot say for sure which of the two I would pick. Instead, I personally would recommend the Otocinclus catfish, since they are like tiny, non-aggressive plecos that will clean the tank even more efficiently. I would recommend a school of around 5 or 6 since they are social fish (like cories).

I hope this helps! I look forward to seeing how this one turns out!

[Odd Duck]

@CorydorasEthan Otis are also a great option, just more sensitive than BN Plecos. 

[mommygourami]

I also think the angel would ultimately do better in a bigger/taller tank...considering how big they get vertically.  I have an apistogramma and a honey gourami in one of my 29 gal and both have plenty of room.  The apisto is mostly on the bottom and the gourami is usually towards the top..  I have 6 panda cories, 1 panda garra, 2 myers hillstream loaches and I think about 8 phantom tetras in there. Right now it's a pretty good community.  I used to have 10 emperor tetras before the phantom tetras and they starting getting nippy as they got bigger.  I moved them to a 55 gallon with some rainbowfish and other tetras and they seem much happier there. 

[Stella]

Thank you for all of your suggestions!  I appreciate your help.  

If I do get the angel I know I would have to upgrade tanks eventually.