What Would You Put In 29

[atmmachine816]

My aunt is setting up her other 29 gallon and I was just wondering what you would put in it if it was yours, so I can give her some ideas.

atm

 

[SandMan8388]

Well first ask her whether she wants a community tank or a more aggresive tank.

If she wants a community tank, I would recommend some guppies, platies, or tetras. Especially if she is new to aquariums. You could probably have one angel fish too. And definately some cories! Gouramis are definately an option as well.

I am sure when she goes to the LFS, she will know exactley what she wants. Just remind her to research before she makes a purchase on a fish, or at least ask you!

 

[tophat665]

Well, that's 18" tall, so I'd start with a single Angelfish (I'm partial to Half-blacks and Silvers). I'd use black Tahitian Moon Sand for a substrate, and add a 5 albino bronze cories (I'd think about adding a trio of Botia striata for snail control, but I don't know how they mix with corys). Then a school of 6 to 8 Lemon Tetras, a pair of cherry barbs or a trio of dwarf sunset or coral platies, maybe round out with rummynoses or hatchet fish (6 or so) if I had a really good handle on the water quality. One nice, long piece of driftwood, arcing front corner to back. An Iwagumi set up with lapidarite or some other nice purple stone in the large side of the floor. Plant vals along the back, a cabomba thicket in the smaller part of the floor, with some Brazillian pennywort mixed in for contrast. Maybe even set up an aquariumsealant affixed slate planter with 3 to 4" of gravel and put a nice sized sword in in in the far corner. Plant some star grass to either side of it. Couple of green Crypt Wendetii in the midground, and some C. Parva in the foreground. Finish with a triangular slate covered in Java Moss propped up on a round, grey river rock about the size of a hens egg, slightly flattened.

I can see it in my head now. Lovely.

 

[PoPoV]

I like my Hemichromis (Jewel Cichlids). They are by far some of the most beutiful and colorfull fish I have seen. I have 2 in a 30 gallon tank. I also like Kribs very much. But for your aunt I would recommend a nice community tank.

 

[atmmachine816]

Well first ask her whether she wants a community tank or a more aggresive tank.

If she wants a community tank, I would recommend some guppies, platies, or tetras. Especially if she is new to aquariums. You could probably have one angel fish too. And definately some cories! Gouramis are definately an option as well.

I am sure when she goes to the LFS, she will know exactley what she wants. Just remind her to research before she makes a purchase on a fish, or at least ask you!

O sorry I should have told you, she has a 29 now with some angels, and some unknown fish, and a cory I think from my grandpa, not sure on numbers though. She's not sure what she wants yet, I'm just trying to get ideas from you guys and give them to her since she doesn't have a computer, but her daughter does but she doesn't use it. I'll talk to her about gouramis but no angels she already has some and she doesn't think there that cool, guppies she likes, don't know about platies and tetras though, tank type don't know maybe she'l want tiger barbs or something aggressive.

Well, that's 18" tall, so I'd start with a single Angelfish (I'm partial to Half-blacks and Silvers). I'd use black Tahitian Moon Sand for a substrate, and add a 5 albino bronze cories (I'd think about adding a trio of Botia striata for snail control, but I don't know how they mix with corys). Then a school of 6 to 8 Lemon Tetras, a pair of cherry barbs or a trio of dwarf sunset or coral platies, maybe round out with rummynoses or hatchet fish (6 or so) if I had a really good handle on the water quality. One nice, long piece of driftwood, arcing front corner to back. An Iwagumi set up with lapidarite or some other nice purple stone in the large side of the floor. Plant vals along the back, a cabomba thicket in the smaller part of the floor, with some Brazillian pennywort mixed in for contrast. Maybe even set up an aquariumsealant affixed slate planter with 3 to 4" of gravel and put a nice sized sword in in in the far corner. Plant some star grass to either side of it. Couple of green Crypt Wendetii in the midground, and some C. Parva in the foreground. Finish with a triangular slate covered in Java Moss propped up on a round, grey river rock about the size of a hens egg, slightly flattened.

I can see it in my head now. Lovely.

O sounds nice though not sure on it, were going to the lfs tues if I'm up to it after my surgery tomorrow and picking up stuff for her tank since it's 25% off everything plus on sale items.
Question: you say hatchets need good water quality, does that mean high nitrates might kill them off because she had bought some back before she bought a test kit and found out she had high nitrates then they all died? She likes hatchets but won't buy anymore if she doesn't know what killed them. I'll look into those other fish, not sure on the botia, will look it up and see if they sell it around me.
Questions: what's the best way to make a thicket of cabomba, does it thicken up once you cut the top off.

I like my Hemichromis (Jewel Cichlids). They are by far some of the most beutiful and colorfull fish I have seen. I have 2 in a 30 gallon tank. I also like Kribs very much. But for your aunt I would recommend a nice community tank.

She's not into cichlids too much though kribs might be ok.

thank looking foward to responses

atm

 

[tophat665]

Question: you say hatchets need good water quality, does that mean high nitrates might kill them off because she had bought some back before she bought a test kit and found out she had high nitrates then they all died? She likes hatchets but won't buy anymore if she doesn't know what killed them. I'll look into those other fish, not sure on the botia, will look it up and see if they sell it around me.

Questions: what's the best way to make a thicket of cabomba, does it thicken up once you cut the top off.

There are two big problems with hatchets: The first is that they will jump through any gap in the tank lid at all. The second is, if you don't have at least 6, they pine away and die young. I haven't kept any in years (I'm planning on setting up a 75 this summer to include a school of hatchets), but that's what my reading has suggested. I'm sure that, like any other Amazon Basin fish, they prefer low PH, soft water, lowish nitrates, and, above all, stable tank conditions.

They way I have been sugccessful in getting thickets growing is to plant my first stems to the back and center of where I want the thicket to be, then, when they grow to the surface, cut them in half and replant the top to the outside of the thicket. Cabomba will branch from the cut side, so the center gets bushier as the replanted tops expand it outward. The only problem is that, after a while, the cut ends get a little ratty, at which point I'll trim the new growth off, pull the original plant, and re-plant the new tops in its place.

If you do decide to go with Loaches, read up and ask questions on how they mix with cories. I've heard both ways on this, and I haven't mixed them together myself. The plus sides are two: With a shoal of loaches, you won't see any snails that are small enough for them to eat, and they are really entertaining to watch (Much like cories at their most playful.)

 

[Lynden]

If your aunt likes cute, personable fish, why not make it a brackish water tank and have Puffers? Or just leave it freshwater and have freshwater puffers...

Many of the Dwarf Cichlids are also recommended. Clourful, active, and friendly, they are almost ideal. Shelldwellers are also recommended; although you did say that she didn't like Cichlids. How could anyone not like Cichlids?

For a more 'exotic' option, a baby Polynemus could be accomodated in a 29 gallon. Unfortunately, they require live foods and would ultimately outgrow a 29 gallon.

Badis and Dario species would also make a beautiful inhabitant. They are easy to keep.

Angels are also recommended, though in my opinion they grow too large for a 29 gallon ultimately. Angels are Cichlids, in case you didn't know.

Honeycomb Tatias are very cute fish and could be very easily accomodated in a 29 gallon.

Another wonderful animal for a 29 gallon tank, though not a fish, would be the Axolotl, which is a salamander that is always neotenic (stay at the larval stage their entire lives) naturally, and so do not require land to crawl on. They are easy to keep, but can be expensive ( I saw some at my pet store for $60).

-Lynden