Reccomendations for 29 gallon?

[balasharkz]

Hi guys this is my first fishtank and i want to know some reccomendations for a 29 gallon. I want to have some cool fish like bala sharks but they get too big for a 29 gallon so any reccomendations for stocking ideas?

 

[jaylach]

It is really impossible to advise as to fish without knowing the water conditions.

Is your water soft or hard; GH and KH? With some fish the nitrate PPM level is also important.

The thing is that some fish, such as most live bearers, want harder water while such as South American Cichlids want soft water.

The best advice I can give at the moment is to figure out your water conditions and select fish you like that will be happy with the water. Research the fish, or ask here, what you like to see if it is proper for your tank but, still, the water conditions are essential before ant real advice can be offered.

Also be leery about advice from big chain fish stores. From my experience they will be happy to sell you a common pleco for your tank. The problem is that a common pleco can reach over two feet in size.

 

[Essjay]

For hardness (GH and KH) if you are on mains water the first thing to try is your water provider's website. GH will be called hardness or total hardness. You need a number not some vague words and also the unit of measurement as there are several units they could use. If they give it, they'll use the term alkalinity for KH. Again look for a number.


With a new tank you'll need to cycle it first - that means growing two colonies of microorganisms to 'eat' the waste the fish will make. This will take a while, enough time to finalise your fish wish-list.
If you don't plan on having a lot of live plants, this is how to cycle a tank

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net