Starting a new 29g tank

[drawnitsud]

Hi everyone! 

I am new to the hobby and admittedly got into it via my three children wanting a new pet. They kept asking over and over and I have never kept fish, but thought, why not? Well, we bought a 10g tank, put in a few Platys and a few snails and... I'm hooked. I don't know what it is about those animals, but I love watching them with my kids and watching as they learn how to take care of them. It's peaceful, fun and more fulfilling than I thought it would be. 

Fast forward a few months and I was gifted a 29g tall (30x12x18) tank (Penn Plex 700 and ACO airstone) and have spent a couple weeks setting it up and starting the nitrogen cycle with Seachem Prime. Please let me know what you think of the tank setup. I want to get some more hornwart and maybe something that will attach and grow on the spiderwood as I am really enjoying how the plants look with the tank and want some cover to help the fish to feel safe and more at home.

Ok, so on to my questions! I have been doing a lot (seriously, I over research things) of research on the type of fish to keep in the tank and with my kids, have been using aqadvisor to see what works. We have decided we would really like to keep 2 (maybe 3) Honey Gourami. They are described as peaceful and they are really beautiful, the females included. My kids are really excited about them. We would also like to put some tetras- probably Cardinal Tetras due to their color and from what I've read, they will keep well with Gourami. After that, we would love suggestions. It would be cool to have some fish with similar size to the Gouramis, so we considered (2) German Blue Rams or (2) Apistrogrammas but I really cannot find information if they would cohabitate well in the tank I have. And lastly, maybe panda cory or other catfish to help with algae cleanup.

Any info would be very helpful! Thanks!

Edited May 20, 2022 by drawnitsud
clarity

[Cinnebuns]

I think you have a great start. One trap I fell into I want to caution you of is that "red honey goruamis" are not actually honey gouramis. They are still peaceful so it's fine if you get 2-3 of them but just know they are not the same as the yellow ones so it would be best to get one or the other. I currently do have 1 yellow and 3 red in a 29 so it can work but I have been told there is increased risk. 

Corydoras are an amazing addition to any tank. Another thing adding cories will give your tank is bottom dwellers. So far you have some good mid and top action but nothing on the bottom. You did mention rams which also hang out on the bottom but I'm not educated on them well enough to guide you there. I do know there are dozens of cory species that would work in a 29. I wouldn't pick any of the larger species as you need at least 6 of them in a school but there are tons of options still available under 2.5 inches.

One thing to note, cories aren't exactly algae cleanup. They will eat some algae so Google lists them as algae eaters but they don't eat much. If you want some algae controllers I would suggest shrimp or snails. Specifically nerite snails help a ton with algae. Other snails will too but nerites just do so much more. They are a little boring to watch so if you want an entertaining snail you can consider others. I put up a post recent that gives info on 4 different types of snails that might help. Uh..I know I've seen people link someone to another thread but im not entirely sure how.  It's called "What Snail is for You" I believe. 

There are some other odd ball algae eaters you can consider that are interesting.  One that comes to mind is the reticulated hillstream loach.  Here's a video cory did listing some options:  

 

Adding: I found the post about snails. Here it is:

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/19/2022 at 8:15 PM, drawnitsud said:

I don't know what it is about those animals, but I love watching them with my kids and watching as they learn how to take care of them. It's peaceful, fun and more fulfilling than I thought it would be. 

I really enjoyed seeing this, that's absolutely awesome!

On 5/19/2022 at 8:15 PM, drawnitsud said:

It would be cool to have some fish with similar size to the Gouramis, so we considered (2) German Blue Rams or (2) Apistrogrammas but I really cannot find information if they would cohabitate well in the tank I have. And lastly, maybe panda cory or other catfish to help with algae cleanup.

I think your tank right now is screaming to have some pygmy cories or something like false julii cories. They will both work with the temperature range you're at as well as the other fish you're looking into.

The only concern, it's likely not going to happen, would be that when you have a tank with gouramis they can have some fish that chew on their little feelers. A small fish like a chili rasbora might be that perfect addition you're looking for.  You do have a livebearer in the tank, so you're going to have some fry, just keep that in mind too.

A bolivian ram might also be a perfect ad, given temp, and other fish you're looking at adding.  GBR might work as well, but I don't know how well some corys do at 80-82 degree tanks. The ones mentioned *should* be fine, that's something to look into specifically.  AQ advisor is a great resource. Keep in mind, if you do target 100% stocking, you might end up signing up for more WC thank you really want.  Start slow and let the tank develop, you're doing awesome and I really don't want you to run into any road bumps. 

You mentioned plants.... I would look into mosses and even something like ledges you can add.  it's a great way to add surface area to the tank itself, being that it's taller, and it might be an easy way for you to add plants to the wood, rock, pots, etc.  Anubias nana petite might be a great one to add into the wood/branch section as well!

On 5/19/2022 at 8:15 PM, drawnitsud said:

Any info would be very helpful! Thanks!

One thing I will note, it's in front of a window.... You might want to add a solid background just to block out the light from outside and stop algae from stopping all the fun!

and welcome to the forums!

[Scapexghost]

In general you should try to avoid getting pairs of fish. It can work but its safer to get 1 or 3+ due to aggression. 2 honey gouramis is probably ok bc theyre such a docile species but if you do see aggression pick up a 3rd. For the dwarf cichlid (ram/apisto) i would recommend one. Two males would fight for territory and a male/female pair may breed. Breeding is a lot of fun but breeding fiah can be very hostile to other fish. German blue rams can be very difficult to keep so Id lean towards the apisto or maybe a bolivian ram. Bolivian rams arent as pretty as german rams but theyre much hardier.

I agree with the others that cories would be a fun addition. If you are looking for an algae eater, i would recommend one albino bristlenose pleco. 

[Hannah Parker]

I think you and your kids would get so much enjoyment out of adding corydoras. They are so cute and have super cute schooling behavior. My personal favorite are the hasbrosas pygmies. Also, if you are looking at some personal experience with some of these species, I'll tell you that I kept a pair of honey gouramis and they did great. We had chasing every once in a while, and I'm pretty sure that's because they were both male. They had a 4ft long tank though so there was plenty of room to get away. If you can successfully sex them and make sure to get a male and female they should be very happy. Rams are also incredibly peaceful, beautiful and interesting. Unfortunately, I could never keep any of the rams I tried alive, even in their ideal conditions and in a mature, balanced tank. They are extremely sensitive and sometimes don't even last the transition from store tank to your tank. I probably wouldn't recommend them for you this time around, it could lead to wasted money and heartbreak 💔 I have no experience with apistos, but many fishkeepers love them and I do know that they stay at the bottom of the tank while your honeys would stay at the top, so that makes for a nice balance. I also second chili rasboras even though they can be hard to find. Their colors are stunning and they are a very cool nano fish to observe. You could also cut down on your projected bioload by going with them instead of the tetras, because they are so tiny. You could easily have up to 20 chilis in that tank, depending on your stocking of everything else. Good luck and I can't wait to see this tank come together! I hope you'll keep us updated 🙂 

[drawnitsud]

On 5/19/2022 at 10:28 PM, Cinnebuns said:

One thing to note, cories aren't exactly algae cleanup. They will eat some algae so Google lists them as algae eaters but they don't eat much. If you want some algae controllers I would suggest shrimp or snails. Specifically nerite snails help a ton with algae. Other snails will too but nerites just do so much more. They are a little boring to watch so if you want an entertaining snail you can consider others. I put up a post recent that gives info on 4 different types of snails that might help. Uh..I know I've seen people link someone to another thread but im not entirely sure how.  It's called "What Snail is for You" I believe. 

Adding: I found the post about snails. Here it is:

 

 

Thank you! My kids love keeping land snails, so when I showed them your nerite snail information, they immediately demanded we factor them in 🙂 

I think, from your post and a few below, a nice mix will be in order to help with algae. I'll look into some cherry shrimp as well.

[drawnitsud]

On 5/20/2022 at 2:24 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

A bolivian ram might also be a perfect ad, given temp, and other fish you're looking at adding.  GBR might work as well, but I don't know how well some corys do at 80-82 degree tanks. The ones mentioned *should* be fine, that's something to look into specifically.  AQ advisor is a great resource. Keep in mind, if you do target 100% stocking, you might end up signing up for more WC thank you really want.  Start slow and let the tank develop, you're doing awesome and I really don't want you to run into any road bumps. 

You mentioned plants.... I would look into mosses and even something like ledges you can add.  it's a great way to add surface area to the tank itself, being that it's taller, and it might be an easy way for you to add plants to the wood, rock, pots, etc.  Anubias nana petite might be a great one to add into the wood/branch section as well!

One thing I will note, it's in front of a window.... You might want to add a solid background just to block out the light from outside and stop algae from stopping all the fun!

and welcome to the forums!

Thank you! I will look at Bolivian Rams. There are some really pretty Apistos too, but honestly getting either of them will be down to what my LFS has in stock. I have never bought any live animals online before so IDK how I feel about it 😄 

Is there something specific I could do for the background? I guess I didn't really think about it but I was going to let the sun in / close those blinds behind for some extra heat/ light control. Not too much, of course, but you make a really good point

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/20/2022 at 9:36 PM, drawnitsud said:

Is there something specific I could do for the background?

I just got some 100% tint solid black window cling film. It works extremely well.

On 5/20/2022 at 9:36 PM, drawnitsud said:

I have never bought any live animals online before so IDK how I feel about it

Me neither! I did order from aqua huna. I think I'll end up only buying fish online now so I can actually choose what I want and support hobbyists (I don't have any local stores near me).

[drawnitsud]

On 5/20/2022 at 2:38 AM, Scapexghost said:

In general you should try to avoid getting pairs of fish. It can work but its safer to get 1 or 3+ due to aggression. 2 honey gouramis is probably ok bc theyre such a docile species but if you do see aggression pick up a 3rd. For the dwarf cichlid (ram/apisto) i would recommend one. Two males would fight for territory and a male/female pair may breed. Breeding is a lot of fun but breeding fiah can be very hostile to other fish. German blue rams can be very difficult to keep so Id lean towards the apisto or maybe a bolivian ram. Bolivian rams arent as pretty as german rams but theyre much hardier.

I agree with the others that cories would be a fun addition. If you are looking for an algae eater, i would recommend one albino bristlenose pleco. 

Great advice. I did purchase a breeding box for the future when I am a little more experienced. My kiddos would LOVE raising fry. They want to be zoologists 😄 But I think I should probably let my tank mature and make sure I understand what that entails before I dive in too deep.

[Cinnebuns]

On 5/20/2022 at 11:36 PM, drawnitsud said:

Is there something specific I could do for the background? I guess I didn't really think about it but I was going to let the sun in / close those blinds behind for some extra heat/ light control. Not too much, of course, but you make a really good point

One thing I did was put black poster board on the side facing the window on one tank. Before I did that it had HORRIBLE algae issues. 

 

On 5/20/2022 at 11:36 PM, drawnitsud said:

I have never bought any live animals online before so IDK how I feel about it 😄 

I had the same reservation when I first did it. I will say if you go through a company like aquahuna you will def have a good experience. I can't mention other sites because of forum rules but I have ordered from aquahuna as well as other sites and never been disappointed. Ebay can be hit or miss depending on the seller. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Cinnebuns

[drawnitsud]

On 5/20/2022 at 11:37 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I just got some 100% tint solid black window cling film. It works extremely well.

Me neither! I did order from aqua huna. I think I'll end up only buying fish online now so I can actually choose what I want and support hobbyists (I don't have any local stores near me).

I have one, but it is pretty small and doesn't have a ton of stock, honestly. But I will see what I can get from them and maybe supplement online if I need. How was your experience?

[Cinnebuns]

Oh, you can also use black poster board as a background for looks alone if you want. Or any color really. Cheap stuff. Can even be something fun for the kids to design!

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/20/2022 at 9:43 PM, drawnitsud said:

How was your experience?

It was pretty good. I did have an issue with the order, absolutely understandable but it was resolved within a few minutes of the box arriving and my taking photos. I had ordered otos and amanos from them. I'll definitely be getting more amanos here shortly.

[da_Fishylover]

Wow, your tank is looking great!