Stocking Compatibility Help 29 Gallon Tank

Hey everyone! First post here, just ordered my first "real" aquarium with the plan to get some bright schooling fish. I say real as I had goldfish as a kid but it was a bowl and tiny tank kind of situation.

I ordered a 29g, 30.25" x 12.5" x 18.75" and currently looking at a Marineland Penguin Power Filter 150.

For now, I am looking at the following, I am not sure how many of each but hopefully some of you have some input.

• Green Dwarf Rasbora (100% want these guys)
• Yellow Tiger Endler
• X-Ray Pristella Tetra
• Neon Tetra (I think these guys are super cool too)
• Salt and Pepper Cory
• Sparkling Gourami
• A small growing pleco (I saw a listing for a beautiful albino looking longfin blue eye)

I also want to take a shot at some live plants

• Taiwan Moss
• Pearlweed
• Amazon Frogbit (really want this one)
• java fern

In the future, something a little larger to hang out might be cool but of course, won't see the little guys as a snack. I do like the discus and the wide variety of colours but from what I've read, their needs to match up with the rest and I would for sure want more experience in general.

Aesthetically, I am thinking a black substrate with some pink coral looking decorations and a stone column ruin and a little buddha statue that I found on Amazon (not purchased yet, currently hypothetical). The aquarium will be kept on a bright red shelving unit.

Sorry for the novel, but some opinions would be great!

 

Hello! For your stocking, be sure to put the tetras in schools of 6+. Unfortunately, I'm not quite good at putting stocking lists together, but all those fish are great! As for discus, they need tanks around 75 gallons, and they are very particular about water parameters and dieting. I wouldn't recommend them for beginners. I've always loved black substrate best, and the buddha statue looks cool. I like natural looking tanks, so I usually just live plants and old/ancient looking decorations (if that makes sense haha). But if you like the pink coral you should totally go for it! Frogbit is a great plant, and I have to warn you about duckweed. It's very similar but it has smaller leaves, and it sticks to everything and grows wayyy too fast. I also recommend the monte carlo plant, it looks great and can be used as a carpeting plant as well.
Welcome to Fishlore and good luck on your tank!

 

I’d advise against Marineland filters, especially a small one like that. I’d get something like an Aquaclear 50 or 70. I’m sure someone will chime in on the stocking soon.

 

I have 6 peppered corydoras and 6 panda corydoras, I just love them. They also need to be in schools of at least 5 or 6 to feel safe and have their personalities really shine. Keep in mind they can get about 3 inches, my guys started off soooo tiny and now are big and chunky. It's so fun watching them! Pics for attention lol

 

The BIGGEST thing to remember is, TEMPERATURE COMPATIBILITY! When you find info on a fish and it says, "Temps from 72-80" that usually means 76 is ideal. Lots of people think keeping Neon Tetras (70-80) with Bettas (76-80) is fine when in fact Neon Tetras prefer low to mid 70's and Betta prefer 80-82. This is where GOOD research comes in. You can keep fish on the extreme end of their temp range, but it wont thrive, it will have health issues and a shortened life span.

Looking over your list, most of it are temp compatible except for the Gourami. They are a tropical fish and really prefer low 80's. They dont really go with the others you have listed.

The S&P Cory is pushing it too. Theyre one of the few Corys that like upper 70's. There are plenty of other Corys that would love low to mid 70's, which is the temp all the other fish on your list would prefer.

The Emerald Rasbora, Tetras, Endler and Pleco would all prefer low to mid 70's.

If youre set on the Rasboras and youre stocking a 29, Id do this:
15-20 Rasboras as theyre a small fish.
8-10 Corys that prefer low to mid 70's (Julii, False Julii, Peppered, Melini, Leopard, etc.)
Then a single, small, Pleco species that likes low to mid 70's (Clown?)

Definitely some live plants, the easier the better. I prefer sand substrate as its easier to clean since you only run the vacuum close to is and debris is sucked up easily. I LOATH black substrate (person preference) as it looks as fake as blue gravel to me. The majority of fish live in a brown/tan sandy substrate or gravel and I really think it looks the best. And since you want Corys, they LOVE sand as they sift through it looking for food.

Id recommend an AquaClear HOB too. Theyre the only HOB I use.

You have a lot of think about but I think you could make a really nice looking tank with the fish youre looking at. Theyre ALL schooling fish (except the Pleco and Gourami) and youll want at least 6-8 of each species you choose (the more the better though) and since your tank is only a 29 Id stick with 1 large school of mid dwellers instead of doing 6 Neons, 6 Endlers, 6 Rasbora. They get lost and jumbled up like that and I dont care for the way it looks. In a HUGE tank you could do that and theyd school together, but in a smaller tank theyll all mix and be darting around trying to avoid one another.

Good luck!

 

Sorry to interject, but are Salt and Pepper corys not the same thing as Peppered corys? I've always heard they were just different names for the same fish

 

Thank you everyone for your feedback! I was specifically loking at the salt and pepper cory but the peppered cory is super cute too!

For some reason, when I was looking at temperature parameters before, I didn't consider the average would be the ideal measurement, not that they are ideal within that range. Not sure how I didn't figure that out on my own lol. Thanks for clarifying that!

From what you have all said, I think I'm going to go with Green Rasboras, clown pleco, and the julii corys.

Would mixing sand and gravel be a good idea? Maybe having one side more sandy and then raising to the other with more gravel?

Once I get things rolling I will for sure post some pictures with all of you to share! This is probably one of the nicest forums I have ever been on.

 

You could mix the two, but eventually theyll become MIXED, and you wont have clean sand or clear gravel, just a combination of the 2. And down the road when you want JUST sand or JUST gravel, youll have to remove it all and run it through a classifier. A pain in the butt. Especially with Corys as they love to shovel sand around.

 

In that case, I might just go with black sand and maybe some larger pieces of black lava rock. I am pretty set on black because I think it will be a contrast between the bright red shelf and bright green rasboras and plants. My mom is also from the Azores and I loved the superfine black sandy beaches there.

All of this is super exciting! I can't wait to get my tank in lol.