Dowtie

Ok, so my roommates and I got a 29 gallon tank, let the water cycle, and are now getting it stocked. We are absolute beginners to all this and I just wanted a few tips on what fish to get in order to have an interesting atmosphere. Mostly I'm concerned about overstocking it, so I'd like a few pointers on setting things up.

Right now we have 5 neon tetra, 2 guppies (both males), and 2 mollies, a male and a female. What would be some interesting fish we could add without overdoing it? We would really like something that would grow big- 6 or more inches- but the more I have read online I dont know how feasible that would be. A Bala shark was our first choice, but the more I read about them I feel it could be a bad idea given our tank size. The same goes with clown loaches- we thought about getting a pair but I just dont know... I'm also considering getting a single male Betta fish and wanted to know how that would interact with the rest of them.

Also, as bad as it sounds, we really dont particularly care for the tetras- we mostly bought them because they were cheap and we wanted a starter fish to be in there for the first few days just to see how everything went in there. We could deal with replacing those without much trouble for something a little more interesting without much trouble. Also, we realize the mollies will likely breed and I guess we will just see what happens when they arrive. While one or two more might be cool, we really dont need a ton of them, so I am not overly concerned about the young being eaten.

So yea, basically what kind of medium to large sized fish could we get away with, assuming the tetras are more or less expendable?

Edit: One last thing, would an Oscar be a bad idea? They seem pretty aggressive so I would assume it wouldn't work out, but I figure I might as well ask...

Cody

bettas should be kept alone most of the time..unless there with a otto or a cory.. oscar would destroy all of those fish..tetras are cheap alot of people start with them, even though they arent the easiest to keep alive...dwarf gouramis get larger and are attractive..and shouldnt mind the other fish...the can be teritorial on the downside...giant danios are a fish that gets large and are kinda neat looking and they have a bit of activity but they say to keep them in larger groups..i would say 3 would be the least ..

Cody

and also...please wiat for more posts..thats the best thing about the forum theres endless advice

Gozer_1

I like the dwarf gouramis idea. I love gouramis. That's my vote. Just about any gourami except Pink or Kissing gouramis should be ok. I wouldn't get more than 1 or 2 of the medium sized gouramis. (ie. Opaline, Gold, Blue, 3 Spot, etc.) As Cody said they're territorial. I have 2 Golds in a 45. One male and one female. The medium sized gouramis are a little more "territorial" than the smaller dwarf variety but I keep emperor Tetras with mine and they're fine.

sirdarksol

A bala shark would be too aggressive and produce too much waste for that tank, I'm afraid.
If you could find one, http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=940 would be a decent choice. They remain relatively slender for their length, and are peaceful bottom feeders, a good offset for the others in the tank.
If you're looking for an oddball approach, you could try a Black Kuhli Loach, they aren't big, but they don't look like normal fish. A member of the Peckoltia group of Plecos would be a good choice, too. They're bigger than the fish you have in there (they usually top out at around 4", but have bigger bodies).

The one error I see in the setup of your tank is that you have one male and one female molly. This presents too problems. First, male mollies will mate with a single female molly way too much, and this is bad for the female. Second, having mixed genders in that tank is asking for a brood. If there's anywhere for the fry to hide, you have the potential of overstocking your tank, even if there were only the two mollies in it. (Kudos on getting two male guppies, though).

Gozer_1

I like that catfish Sirdarksol. Now I want one lol.

Cody

well we got you some solid info..but think long and hard..and good luck and ask ?s

sirdarksol

Aren't they awesome? I will eventually get one.

Cody's right. Spend time thinking about it. Just because I listed two different types of fish doesn't mean those are your only two options. They are just two of many options. Really, what you're looking for is something that appeals to you, that you can afford, that is peaceful, and, in my opinion, you'd want a bottom-dweller since the others are mid to top dwellers.

Cody

i agree...i mean when i was planing my 55 gallon i was so stress i had so many more options now with the size.and i was hard to manage sometimes...i wasnt ever really sure what i wanted but im in love wiht my tank but the best way to find out is research and find out whats avalible and what you can make work..dont rush thats the biggest thing

COBettaCouple

Welcome to Fishlore!

Oscars are great fish, but it's good to have at least a 75g & 2-3 of them. They would love the little fish (for dinner) and in a tank that size probably bash their brains in from running into the glass.

Dowtie

Thanks for all the replies, this place is really helpful. So we decided all those larger fish arent the best idea and have given up on that, but we would still like something mid range.We have decided to get another female molly too, as the male seems to chase one one we have around constantly and it might give her a little break if there was another one in there.

Some kind of bottom feeder would be nice too, but since the tank has only been running a few days I dont know if they would have enough to eat; I feel like it might be too soon. I'm thinking one or two corys or some other kind of suckerfish-type. The one posted earlier looks awesome, we just dont have the money for one like that. How long should we wait for enough algae to build up before we get a bottom feeder?

Also, given the mix we have, how would an angelfish work out? They grow to 6 inches which would be perfect and sound like a good addition but I've heard they can be a little aggressive. I was also originally considering a gourami (not sure which kind) but the lady at the petstore said they have a tendency to mess with other fish so she didnt recommend them. If one of those could live with the others without being too much of an jerk I wouldnt mind one of those either. Lastly, to round it off I was thinking about getting a ghost shrimp or something small like that- thats not really necessary, but its a thought.

Thanks for all the help so far. The mollies seem pretty interesting and the guppies add some much needed color to the tank and seem to have some personality to boot. The tetras seem pretty boring to me though, I honestly dont see why they are so popular...

jack11

the gourami can bocker amongsth themselves but they are fine with most community fish. however do not put the in with angel fish. for the angel fish it depends on how tall your tank is, because due to their shape they prefer tall tanks.

Jack

jsalemi

Corys are shoaling fish, so you should have at least 3 (more is better -- they're so cute! ). They don't eat algae (otos are the small algae eaters); corys eat leftover food that hits the bottom, so they're a great part of the cleanup crew. You can add them as soon as the water is stable, though do a bit of research on the species, as some can be a little more sensitive to water chemistry than others.

Dowtie

My tank is about 2ftx1ftx2ft so its more tall than it is wide- not sure if thats big enough but if it is I just thought one would sound cool. The gouramis are definitely a thought though. Anything else around the 6 inch range that can make it in my tank comfortably?

Cody

angels woudnt be a good idea..maybe that can be a thing for the future...corydoras.. (corys) as a bottom feeder and many a medium sizes pleco or a otto

Cody

i didnt see the second page..but....really gouramis are proubably your best bet...but..with those types of fish its not as easy i would worry most about the tetras.. but really your just getting started...if you end up getting into this hobby like alot of people do when they get started.. you will have along time to keep bigger and better fishhes

Kevin

pearl gouramis are the least aggressive gourami...and they are beautiful (click on the camera under my name to see some in my gallery)

for bottomfeeders, i would get 3-4 angelicus botia -or- 3-4 yoyo loaches
and make sure to leave some room for an algae eater...you shouldn't need one for at least 4 months

Dowtie

Ended up getting neon blue dwarf gourami and another female molly of a different color to see if I get any cool crossbreeds. The gourami looks very cool and assuming all goes well should make a very interesting addition to the tank. Thanks for all the help, I feel like I'm starting to get the concept of all this a little better. We still have about 8" of space left but I think we will give it a rest for now and either get a medium size suckerfish or a handful of corys in a month or so when the tank is more settled in.