How many rummynose tetras in a 29?

[InuYasha]

Im in the process of setting up a 29gal in my bedroom, and I would like to know how many of these tetras would live confortably in a 29gal? My plan is to have live plants, plenty of water changes, and a Penguin Bio-Wheel 170 for filtration.

[Blinky]

Will they be the only fish in the tank? I'd go with no more than eight to start with, since you'll probably want to add something (shrimp/snails/otos/a bristlenose/a rubberlip) to take any algae off the plants for you.

[InuYasha]

I will probably add something to help take care of the algae. I haven't had a freshwater setup for a long time. It is refreshing after the sort of stringant stocking levels for a saltwater aquarium!

[geoffgarcia]

I agree...8-10 would be a good number to start with, also toss in 3-4 flying foxes of siamese algae eaters (SAE's) or maybe 4-5 otto cats

I've found shrimp to be useless for algae cleanup

[Rushdude]

Why not just one zebra pleco?

[InuYasha]

I just got done reading the species profile, it says that zebra plecos don't eat algae.

[Rushdude]

I just saw it browsing some place. Wouldn't a normal pleco still be better that a bunch of other algae eaters? I know it gets big but then you just trade it back in for another smaller pleco and then they sell it to someone that has a pond. I will look up more algae eaters.

[Rushdude]

From what I have found sae's are the best way to go. I have also used albino chinese algae eaters because they are what my lfs carry and they seem to eat algae good also. I have also just started cycling a 29 gallon with a penguin 330 filter. I will be doing 30-40% water changes weekly. I plan to have a school of 6-8 neon tetras, 5 rainbow fish (not sure what type), and some new fish at the lfs that are rare. They are expensive as hell like 75.00 a piece. I don't remember the name though. I will probably get 2 of them or how ever many the lfs recommend. And for clean up crew I will probably add an albino chinese algae eater as needed. I have about a month left of cycling since I just started. The thing that sucks is that I am having new floors put in after christmas so I will probably wait to add the fish. I will store 15 gallons in buckets and move the tank out of the room with water filled 1 inch passed the gravel so the bacteria doesn't get affected. I am cycling with 2 guppys right now. I will take the guppys back to the lfs when the tank is done cycling. They will be put up for adoption.

[Rushdude]

If you don't know already, after you are done cycling you should only add about 2 fish a week.

[chunksofpoooo]

...and some new fish at the lfs that are rare. They are expensive as hell like 75.00 a piece. I don't remember the name though. I will probably get 2 of them or how ever many the lfs recommend.

Just a word of warning, id do some research before you buy a fish like that. I know that a lot of fish stores mislable their fish/animals and sell them for a lot more than their worth. Ive been looking for a mantis shrimp at random stores and ive gotten repeated warnings about mislabeled species. Namely, Odontodactylus scyllarus, or the peacock mantis. A few stores will sell any mantis they have as a peacock mantis (because they cost the most), but many of the shrimp they own arent Odontodactylus.

careful :D

[InuYasha]

From my saltwater experiences, you shouldn't do water changes during cycling. It removes the nutrients that you are attempting to create using the guppies (and on a side not, nothing personal, but I disagree with using living things to cycle a system, small amounts of food or a piece of shrimp works equally well).

[kveeti]

If somebody decides to use fish for cycling then, yes, they should do water changes – although not arbitrarily. They should have test kits and do water changes to keep ammonia and nitrIte levels low. As long as there is ANY reading on a test kit, the cycle will progress; it will not be slowed.

[Rushdude]

I have been using fish to cycle fish since I have been in this hobby. It has worked well for me. I used a zebra danio 5 years ago to cycle a ten gallon and it is still alive today. Chunksofpooo, thanks for reminding to research the fish. I might of forgot. At one of my lhs's they have a type of rainbow fish that sell for $20 and at another a kind of rainbow fish that sell for $4. Is it the type of rainbow fish making the difference or the lfs trying to sell a fish for a lot more than they are worth becuase of their looks? I remember the name of one of the $20 rainbows, I think they were blue river rainbows or something like that.

I have never had a saltwater tank but the people at my lfs cycle their salt water tanks with jack dempsies. The just opened up and the first day I was there their salt tanks were cycling with those fish.

Also in my cycle I have a filter cartride in the filter from another one of my tanks.