Pearl Gouramis in 29 gallon
- Thread starter clownfish1124
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That's a lot of schooling fish! Aqua-advisor is pretty good for a computer generated estimate, but I'd opt for 12-15 of one type of schooling fish over two schools of 10.
However, that's just me and my personal opinion. I tend to understock tanks.
Are you considering live plants at all? Java fern, java moss, bolbitis and many crytocornes (which I'm pretty sure I just spelled incorrectly) will do well in lower light levels. Water sprite floating up top is great, too. Live plants really help with water quality and I find them much, much easier than plastic plants.
Eric
However, that's just me and my personal opinion. I tend to understock tanks.
Are you considering live plants at all? Java fern, java moss, bolbitis and many crytocornes (which I'm pretty sure I just spelled incorrectly) will do well in lower light levels. Water sprite floating up top is great, too. Live plants really help with water quality and I find them much, much easier than plastic plants.
Eric
:iagree: Pearls are notoriously shy, I'd go with 12-15 neons if you want the Pearls to be your centerpiece & not hiding. The harleys may be too active for them...
Definately agree on the plants - gourami love floating plants! Watersprite or pennywort would do great floating or planted.
Definately agree on the plants - gourami love floating plants! Watersprite or pennywort would do great floating or planted.
Ok, I'll drop the harlequins and get more neons (my favorite tetra).
I haven't really thought of getting live plants, and I probably won't, because I just want a simple and easy tank with no maintenance whatsoever other than water changes. However, I was thinking of getting these(link) in bamboo which are pretty tall and will fill the surface nicely.
I haven't really thought of getting live plants, and I probably won't, because I just want a simple and easy tank with no maintenance whatsoever other than water changes. However, I was thinking of getting these(link) in bamboo which are pretty tall and will fill the surface nicely.
Just the neons will work out great.
Get this instead of the plastic plant: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=768+822&pcatid=822
Just let it float up top. It doesn't get messy, you'll likely have to toss some out every few weeks because once established, even as a floating plant, it grows well and produces young plants.
The plast plant up top will look nice, but it'll grow algae and not clean your water. Watersprite floating up top will do fine with a single bulb lid (just leave the light on - use a timer if you want life easy - for 10 or so hours each day).
The watersprite won't grow algae on its leaves and will clean your water...they're great for soaking up nutrients.
Eric
Get this instead of the plastic plant: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=768+822&pcatid=822
Just let it float up top. It doesn't get messy, you'll likely have to toss some out every few weeks because once established, even as a floating plant, it grows well and produces young plants.
The plast plant up top will look nice, but it'll grow algae and not clean your water. Watersprite floating up top will do fine with a single bulb lid (just leave the light on - use a timer if you want life easy - for 10 or so hours each day).
The watersprite won't grow algae on its leaves and will clean your water...they're great for soaking up nutrients.
Eric
I've had two pearl gouramis (1 male, 1 female) in a 29-gallon tank, and after about 6 months, I had to take them back to my lfs because the male was constantly beating up on the female. Based on my experience, I think a 29-gallon is too small for a pair of pearls. I recommend you watch for aggression issues as they reach maturity.
Thanks both. I will keep an eye on them, and I have many empty tanks at home if they need to be separated. Hopefully that won't be the case though.
Regarding the plants, will that need any CO2 or the like? I don't want to have to get any equipment other than a filter, heater, and light hood, and if so, are there any other plants that have a similar care requirement?
Regarding the plants, will that need any CO2 or the like? I don't want to have to get any equipment other than a filter, heater, and light hood, and if so, are there any other plants that have a similar care requirement?
Water sprite requires no special care...at all. That's why it's even easier than plastic or silk plants which require you scrape algae periodically (that's a mess!).
My current tank is a 20 long with a double bulb hood (this was what I also used on my 36" long, 17" high 33 gallon tank...but I downsized tanks when I moved my tank to another room...I've been slowly downsizing tanks and tank size for a decade now). I have an aquaclear HOB filter, heater, and gravel for the substrate.
In earlier tanks (including a 29 with a single flourescent bulb), I've grown water sprite (floating), java fern (tied to wood or rocks...it eventually roots to nearly anything, but tied on with fishing line at first to keep it in place), bolbitis (an african water fern), and java moss. I've also grown some cryptocornes, but they do better with more light than the other plants I've listed.
If you want to give plants a go, my usual recommendations are watersprite floating, java fern or bolbitis tied to anything.
If I hadn't tossed a ton of the stuff when I moved tanks last month, I'd offer to mail you enough java fern, water sprite, and cryptocornes to get you started. However, what I put in the new tank isn't producing enough new growth yet for me to share.
I stayed away from live plants for years, messed with a CO2 super high light set up for about 5 years, got lazy, and moved to my low light plants. No special care, and my water quality is great...plus the fish seem to really like the real plants - better to hide in and fry survive more often with real plants (much better hiding places for fry).
I'd never go back to plastic or silk plants.
Eric
My current tank is a 20 long with a double bulb hood (this was what I also used on my 36" long, 17" high 33 gallon tank...but I downsized tanks when I moved my tank to another room...I've been slowly downsizing tanks and tank size for a decade now). I have an aquaclear HOB filter, heater, and gravel for the substrate.
In earlier tanks (including a 29 with a single flourescent bulb), I've grown water sprite (floating), java fern (tied to wood or rocks...it eventually roots to nearly anything, but tied on with fishing line at first to keep it in place), bolbitis (an african water fern), and java moss. I've also grown some cryptocornes, but they do better with more light than the other plants I've listed.
If you want to give plants a go, my usual recommendations are watersprite floating, java fern or bolbitis tied to anything.
If I hadn't tossed a ton of the stuff when I moved tanks last month, I'd offer to mail you enough java fern, water sprite, and cryptocornes to get you started. However, what I put in the new tank isn't producing enough new growth yet for me to share.
I stayed away from live plants for years, messed with a CO2 super high light set up for about 5 years, got lazy, and moved to my low light plants. No special care, and my water quality is great...plus the fish seem to really like the real plants - better to hide in and fry survive more often with real plants (much better hiding places for fry).
I'd never go back to plastic or silk plants.
Eric
seems easy enough, and I have a 2-bulb HO T5 retrofit at my disposal from my old saltwater nano tank that I could put in a canopy. Would 48 watts with individual reflectors suffice? also are there any other plants that you would recommend that are good for beginners that follow the same care requirements? Also do they need real driftwood? I have a really nice resin wood replica that I would like to use
I had 34 watts total for 2 T8 bulbs on a 17" deep tank...you'd be in great shape with that much light. The general rule of thumb is low light plants need less than 2 watts per gallon (deeper tanks may need brighter lights to reach bottom). Your set-up would grow cryptocornes down bottom without any problem. Crypts often melt when moved or introduced to a new tank, but they usually come back and they spread via runners (they also usually don't totally melt - in my current move each plant moved has lost about 1/2 it's leaves)...in my old, established tank I'd pull 1/4th a bucket full of crypts about every 6 months to thin out the tank. Unfortunately, I don't know the crypt species I have, but it grows to about 18" or so tall...looks wonderful, reddish brown tall thin leaves that wave in the current from the power filter.
Vallisneria is supposedly easy to grow and ought to do well at your lighting level, but I've never had good luck with the stuff.
Personally, I try not to grow more than 3 plant species in a tank...I think it looks more natural not to have a lot of different plants but rather a lot of 2 or 3 kinds of plants.
Since you're new to plants, start with easy ones (Java fern, water sprite, crypts planted in the gravel or vallisneria in the gravel). You can even plant water sprite in the gravel since your lighting is good enough...it grows smaller, different shaped leaves planted instead of floating. I love watersprite...
Edit - Forgot to add java fern will grow onto false driftwood, rocks, real driftwood - use whatever you'd like. If you tie it there, it will grow...
Eric
Vallisneria is supposedly easy to grow and ought to do well at your lighting level, but I've never had good luck with the stuff.
Personally, I try not to grow more than 3 plant species in a tank...I think it looks more natural not to have a lot of different plants but rather a lot of 2 or 3 kinds of plants.
Since you're new to plants, start with easy ones (Java fern, water sprite, crypts planted in the gravel or vallisneria in the gravel). You can even plant water sprite in the gravel since your lighting is good enough...it grows smaller, different shaped leaves planted instead of floating. I love watersprite...
Edit - Forgot to add java fern will grow onto false driftwood, rocks, real driftwood - use whatever you'd like. If you tie it there, it will grow...
Eric
