Help with stocking 29 gallon

[karen99]

I'm planning on starting up a 29 gallon planted aquarium. I know it will be awhile before I can add fish (though I am going to use filter sponges, gravel, and plants from an established aquarium to speed things up).
I was thinking of a school of neons (maybe a dozen) or other small tetras and maybe a few cherry barbs and a few corys. When I start to get algae growth I plan to add some ottos and a smaller pleco.
I would appreciate any suggestions or recommendations on numbers of fish or species. I am also wondering how many ottos might be necessary... I've had aquariums in the past and NEVER could manage to keep algae under control. Thanks.

 

[Holly9937]

My only suggestion would be to consider skipping the pleco. They produce huge amounts of waste, and for a 29g tank, there are only a handful that stay small enough to fit well. I would go for maybe 8 neons, 6 barbs, 4-6 corys and 3 otos. Something like that

You also might do some research on algae, there are usually reasons for it getting out of control (overfeeding, lights, etc.) that need to be addressed more than just getting fish to control it. Find the cause instead of just treating the symptoms

If you are using filters from an established/cycled tank, you may be able to instantly cycle the new tank, you might just have to add your fish slowly to allow the bacteria to catch up