29 gallon stocking ideas?

By "petal gourami" do you actually mean pearl gourami (T. leeri)? I'm no expert on pearls, but I've always thought they needed a bit more space than a 29g (particularly if you wanted to do more than 1), but maybe an individual would be ok. If not, you could do a smaller gourami species like a dwarf or a group of honeys or pygmies.

I've been a fan of harlequin rasboras, although I've recently found their smaller cousins T. espei to be even better in terms of color. Plenty of other smaller, schooling-type fish that would fit that same mold even if you aren't hung up on them being another species of rasbora...tetras, barbs, danios, etc.

I wouldn't do tiger barbs with gouramis. As you said, they tend to be fin nippers, and while keeping them in groups seems to lower that urge, I woudn't risk it if you want to keep a peaceful community.

If you want barbs, I'd highly suggest cherry barbs. Easy to take care of, pretty colorful, and not all that hard to find either.

I agree with jpappy. Cherry barbs are a beautiful fish. Very easy to sex too. Males are bright red and females are dull. Sort of reddish brown. If you can keep the male:female ratio 1m:3f.

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If you decide tiger barbs aren't the way to go, I'd suggest 3F/1M Sparkling gouramis. A mix of regular and albino cherry barbs, all male for color purposes, and some corys. If you want to spice it up just a tad, add 6 male Endlers with the above.

You have a lot of different options, just a bit more limited with the tiger barbs since you'll definitely want to stay away from anything that's going to be picked on (i.e. things with flowy fins).

I really like sparkling gouramis (for some reason I referred to them as "pygmy" gouramis earlier, my bad) but I seem to have bad luck with them myself...definitely a no-no with tiger barbs though. As henningc alluded to you'd want to keep them with smaller, less imposing species.

I agree with what others are suggesting. But I will go a step further on the Tiger Barbs. If this is the fish you decide on, I would make it a species tank, with just the Tiger Barbs [Puntius anchisporus is the now accepted scientific name], in a group of say 12. You mention rock and gravel, so adding a few bits of wood, say branches or bogwood, will complete an authentic habitat. And one other addition is possible with this, and that is a group of one of the "dwarf" species of loach. Five or six of the dwarf loach, Ambastaia sidthimunki , or the banded dwarf loach, Micronemacheilus cruciatus, should be fine. I have both species, they are indeed lovely.

Byron.

Sids are another one of my favorites...another smaller loach species that is a bit more common and less expensive would be kuhlis. Should do fine with Tbs.