drudometkin

I'm new to the hobby, and this is my first real tank. I'm in the process of cycling my new 29 gallon tank, and I'm still trying to decide what kind of fish to get. I'm thinking of getting a bunch of tiger barbs(about 7 or 8) since I love the way they look, and I think they are a good size for my tank. Any other suggestions?

sirdarksol

7 tiger barbs would make up about 21" worth of grown fish, really good for the tank. You can also get different colors, according to others on the forums here, as the presence and pattern of color, rather than the specific color itself, is what triggers the schooling instinct.

So this leaves you with about 8" of fish left.
If you want something that will help keep the tank clean, go for a couple of otos (otocynclus catfish). They're really small (and a bit difficult to acclimate, but I think they're worth the trouble). If not, don't worry about it.
Another set of good helpers would be corydora catfish. Cories need to be kept in groups, but you could get three dwarf cories to top the tank off.
If you're looking for something other than bottom feeders, avoid anything with long fins or that is slow moving. Most other things should work well.

drudometkin

Thanks for the tips. Some bottom feeders are definitely something I need to look into.

sirdarksol

In my opinion, two dwarf cories and two otos would not be too much overloaded (yes, it would put the tank beyond the inch per gallon guideline, but not horribly so, and cories tend to make up for a bit of their bioload by eating excess food that sinks to the bottom).

COBettaCouple

sounds like you've got a good plan going for your tank and hope you'll have pics of it to post when you've stocked it. you might want to stock it a few fish at a time to not upset the cycle.

welcome to fishlore!