Stocking My 29gal

[x1vicious281x]

Cycling will be done in about a week in a new 29gal we just set up. We have 3 serpae's in the tank by themselves right now and are wonding what we should start stocking with in a week.

Would like to have:
6 Serpae Tetras (maybe 3 more?)
1 Angel (is 2 too much for the tank, possible they might pair off and get too aggressive?)
Clown Loaches
Bala, Rainbow, Red Tailed or any shark (any sharks small enough for a 29gal, will they get along with tankmates?)

any other possible suggestions, we are trying to stock with colorful fish.

[adblair]

You should do a search on bala sharks here before you buy them. I don't know a thing about them, but I have read a lot on here about them and I think there are varied opinions on what size tank they need, etc.
Clown loaches are gorgeous! If you are going to have them you might want to think about snails. From what I understand, loaches love to eat snails and some people use them to control snail populations. Snails are also IN SOME PEOPLE's OPINION (I had to put that before someone reamed me for this :idea2: ) beneficial to your tank. They are sort of a clean up crew.
I had a snail in my tank... but I haven't seen him in a long time. I'm afraid he's gone:sad but I will probably try to get another.

[TKOS]

A group of serpae would be lovely. A single angel would be fine and will grow well in a 29 gallon tank. Stay away from clown loaches as they get to be 8-12 inches long and heavy bodied plus need to be kept in groups of 3 or more. Unless you are planning a big 75 gallon tank or more in the near future leave these guys of off the list. Perhaps another loach would be a good idea.

The only "shark" I would egt is a single Red Tail Black Shark. They can get about 5-6 inches. Balas get huge and need a group and a minimum of a 4 foot tank, though 100 gallon is probably best asa minimum. With the RTBS, though, you will be limited in other fish. You can't get anything with a similar body shape (SAE, Clowns, other RTBS, Flying Foxes etc...).

If you can find them look at Rams as an alternate fish to the angel. They are full of character, don't get too large and can be a great center piece fish.

[TKOS]

Oh and don't forget to add new fish slowly and not all at once. Your tank may be cycled but it is only cycled to handle 3 serpae tetras. The bacteria level is sufficient for three fish right now. Add fish and keep testing water quality. It takes time to grow enough bacteria to handle a full bioload.

[x1vicious281x]

Ya thanks, it looks like the clown loaches and sharks will be too big for the tank, I am still looking at the RTBS and still might be an option. I was also looking at the Rams and they are colorful and look like good tankmates.
As far as bottom feeders what should we go with? Clown's get too big it seems like...

Would these fish pair together good...
3-6 Serpae Tetras
1-2 Rams (Blue & Gold Possibly)
1 Angel (Maybe?) or 1 RTBS (Maybe?) or Both
And Bottom Feeders of some kind (cats, loaches?)

Is this overstocked for a 29gal?
Any other recommendations on colorful fish I should look at?

[x1vicious281x]

Thanks for teh advice on adding fish slowly too. Im not sure which fish should be added before others or if it even matters but we can figure that out when i decide which fish to get.

[TKOS]

If you go with the rams I would not add the angel. But the RTBS should be fine. He will get along with upside down cats or cory cats or some of the really skinny bodied loaches like khulies or yoyos.

That shouldn't be overstocked as long as you watch your water params and do diligent maintenance.

[x1vicious281x]

aright that sounds good, i am trying to decide on a bottom feeder, would the Njassa Syndontis or another Syndontis Catfish get along with everyone in the tank. Just get one, or 2?

[HarmonyAZ]

I'm a newbie, but my book says corydora catfish (cories) are the ONLY cats that a newbie should consider for a community tank. Or something like that.

Good call on no bala shark. I just had to give mine away and I had him less than a year. He was already too big for my 29g. He grew FAST. And my clown loach will have to go someday, too.

I'm re-stocking based on suggested schemes in this book OrionGirl recommended - A Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by David Boruchowitz. Your library might have it. He has 20 or so suggested stocking schemes in there, maybe more. When I get home from work I can see what he says works well with the fish you have and the look you want, if you want.

:)

[tomm10]

May not fit into your plan and you may not be able to find them in your area but I love my Pygmy Corydoras.

They only get to about 1" in length and have a bunch of personality. I have 6 in my 10g and they actually chase the danios sometimes. They also cover all of the tank rather than just the bottom. They're pretty good little cleaners. The nice thing about them is that they're so smal you can get a few of them without too much of an overcrowding threat.

[TKOS]

I don't know too much about Syndontis but they do appear to get on the larger side. And catfish are very good at eating anything they can get their mouth on. I know that the cory catfish and the RTBS can get along as my brother has kept both together for over a year with no problems. He also kept the RTBS with some yoyo loaches and had no problems (then a freak CO2 accident killed the RTBS).

[x1vicious281x]

We just got back from the pet store and this is our updated stocking option.

2 or 4 Blue Rams
6 Serpae Tetras
6 Schooling fish (Glolites, Rasboras, Bloodfin Tetras, or Black Phantoms)
3 Cory cats
1 Otto

How would this look for our 29gal?

[x1vicious281x]

Also would Ghost Shrimp and/or Snails survive?

[TKOS]

Ottos need groups of 3 or more so I would forgo them and just add another cory or 2 as they love groups and look and act much better in groups as well.

I would stick to 2 rams, a breeding pair. When they breed they get very territorial and the foot print of the 29 gallon isn't that large so there might be too many fights.

Serpaes are great but can be aggressive so be careful with your other schooling choice, it should be tough as well. Perhaps try a small barb instead. A cherry barb stays small and a group of 5 or 6 would look great. Tough guys as well.

[Uncle Bete]

while reading through the post's I kept thinking "Leave some room for some Oto's for later on". :)
Once the algae comes around you might add 3 of them?

Depending on the Cory (a few diff. size options) 3 - 5 sounds ok.
But then with the Pygmy's maybe 7?

[adblair]

I haven't had any luck with shrimp.... they keep disappearing.... even though I don't have any fish that I think would be big enough to eat them. We have a snail and so far I like him, but the jury is still out. Lots of people don't like snails because they will reproduce rather quickly from what I understand, but they are kind of neat to look at and help clean the tank. Many people here have had shrimp and had good luck with them. They are neat also and really are good at cleaning the bottom especially in the gravel. Either would IMO be a great addition to your tank.

[Aquarius0015]

I can never tell how many shrimp I have at a given moment. They are small and also good hiders. Just buy a dozen or so, as a few of them will die. Also, they have rather short life spans and are sensitive to a lot of medications. My LFS keeps them in a brackish tank, so I add a little salt to my betta/shrimp tank and they seem to do better than w/o salt.