Val's 29 Gallon

I figured it was about time to start a build thread. So here goes nothing lol. My tank is processing ammonia within two days so I should be able to add fish soon, I hope.

My stocking plan is:
2 Honey Gouramis
15-20 Exclamation point (least) or ChilI Rasboras
8-10 Panda Cories
A bn pleco
A mystery snails
2 Nerite snails
MTS

Here's what the tank started as and how it looks now:




The little rocks are just kind of thrown in there at the moment, I'll have to try to see how they look best.

This week I will be getting new plants. I currently have brownie phantom buce, java fern and crypt wendtii. The java fern and crypt are looking kind of rough, I'm hoping they pull through but I'm doubting the java fern will. I'm adding ludwigia repens and deep red, dwarf sag and hornwort.

 

I love your plan! My vote is for chilI rasboras! Pandas are my favorite cory. Good luck with the tank, and keep us posted! What substrate are you using?

 

Looking very nice! I need to do a bunch of work to my own 29 gal. I like the rock formation with the wood on it, is that Dragonstone?

 

I love your plan! My vote is for chilI rasboras! Pandas are my favorite cory. Good luck with the tank, and keep us posted! What substrate are you using?

Thanks! I really really want the exclamations because they're even smaller than the chili's, but they're also really expensive lol. Originally I had a mix of CaribSea Eco Complete Planted and Carib Sea Sand, but this weekend I took a strainer with super small holes and filtered out all the sand from the eco complete, added more sand and some of the very small pieces of eco complete came threw with the sand.

Looking very nice! I need to do a bunch of work to my own 29 gal. I like the rock formation with the wood on it, is that Dragonstone?

Thank you! It is dragon stone

 

It looks beautiful! I love your set-up! My vote is for the ChilI rasboras as well but the least rasboras look cool too. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

My plants came in today! Thanks to MD_Plants! I’m hoping the hornwort grows fast because it needs a little more to fill out the right side. I think I’m also going to get another red crypt wendtiI to go with the brown one on the right to help fill it out

 

Very nice tank. I do not have the scape eye I guess.

 

Very nice tank. I do not have the scape eye I guess.

Thank you! What do you mean you don’t have the scape eye?

 

Thank you! What do you mean you don’t have the scape eye?

I don't know. I am a very even person, meaning things have to look even, if you know what I mean. If there is a plant on this side, there has to be on on the other side, so everything looks purposely put there. Plus I have crypts that look horrible and today with my water change am going to take them out and throw them away. I have a mix of fake and real plants but the real plants are minimal. Am getting more but still. The fake plants look pathetic. Your scape looks real like it could be in an ocean or lake, mine looks fake.

 

I don't know. I am a very even person, meaning things have to look even, if you know what I mean. If there is a plant on this side, there has to be on on the other side, so everything looks purposely put there. Plus I have crypts that look horrible and today with my water change am going to take them out and throw them away. I have a mix of fake and real plants but the real plants are minimal. Am getting more but still. The fake plants look pathetic. Your scape looks real like it could be in an ocean or lake, mine looks fake.

Don’t throw away your crypts! Most of them melt and lose all their leaves before bouncing back. Make a thread with pictures of your tank and I’m sure people will help! If you have an Instagram, check mine out. (@ValerieAdamsss) I have a post of how far this tank has come, it took me 3 months to get it like this! I just looked at a lot of pictures and tried to work with what I had

Keeping my fingers crossed tonight! If everything goes right, I should be able to add fish tomorrow! Eeeeeek!!

Yesterday, I was figuring out how to dose my new ammonia, I think I only dozed about 1 ppm last night before I went to bed. I checked when I got home from work today and it was back to 0,0,40. I dosed ammonia back up to 2 ppm tonight so as long as it’s 0 when I get home tomorrow, I’ll be adding my bn pleco and maybe a few cories! (Opinions on that?)

I’ve been cycling for 3 months! I really hope this is the end lol

 

Keeping my fingers crossed tonight! If everything goes right, I should be able to add fish tomorrow! Eeeeeek!!

Yesterday, I was figuring out how to dose my new ammonia, I think I only dozed about 1 ppm last night before I went to bed. I checked when I got home from work today and it was back to 0,0,40. I dosed ammonia back up to 2 ppm tonight so as long as it’s 0 when I get home tomorrow, I’ll be adding my bn pleco and maybe a few cories! (Opinions on that?)

I’ve been cycling for 3 months! I really hope this is the end lol

Contrats! I just got my eco complete in the mail today (-finally!-) and am hoping that mine cycles pretty quickly! I heard densely planted tanks cycle quicker...? Good luck with your tank! Keep us posted as you add fish

 

Yayyy! I’m cycled. Guess who’s acclimated right now?

Right now my tank is staying at about 74F, should I try to get it to 72?

BottomDweller for my plan, what do you think temperature wise?

 

Right now my tank is staying at about 74F, should I try to get it to 72?

BottomDweller for my plan, what do you think temperature wise?

Anywhere from 72-75f should be fine.

I actually try to vary my tank temperature through the year, I think it's more natural for the fish. If you want you could keep it at 75f for a couple of months in summer and at 72f for a couple of months in winter and keep it at 73-74f for the rest of the year. Obviously it's not what most people do and it's not necessary but it's what I do.

 

Anywhere from 72-75f should be fine.

I actually try to vary my tank temperature through the year, I think it's more natural for the fish. If you want you could keep it at 75f for a couple of months in summer and at 72f for a couple of months in winter and keep it at 73-74f for the rest of the year. Obviously it's not what most people do and it's not necessary but it's what I do.

I'm going to try to get the pandas today, how many do you think I should add?

 

I'd say 5ish. How many do you plan on adding total?

 

I think 8? is a good number. Maybe 10, I'm not completely sure. If it turns out that my bn is stunted (I think she may be, she's over a year and only 2-3 inches), then maybe more

 

That sounds great! 8-10 seems perfect

 

The only honey gourami I've ever kept practically tore several hatchetfish apart and I can't help wondering... are you sure it'll be ok with the tetras?

 

The only honey gourami I've ever kept practically tore several hatchetfish apart and I can't help wondering... are you sure it'll be ok with the tetras?

Are you sure it was a honey gourami? That's so strange! They're supposed to peaceful gouramis and most people keep them in groups of their own kind along with other fish

 

The only honey gourami I've ever kept practically tore several hatchetfish apart and I can't help wondering... are you sure it'll be ok with the tetras?

That doesn't sound right..... are you sure it was a honey? They are sometimes mistaken for thicklipped gouramis. Red honeys can be mixed up with dwarfs sometimes. Honey gouramis are totally peaceful and sociable.

 

I’m in a predicament, none of my lfs have any of the fish I’m wanting. So do I risk it and see if Walmart has any? Or do I wait until next week and hope my bacteria doesn’t die?
Sarah73 tagging you cause I see you’re online and I need answers

Well, I went against my better judgement and got the only two pandas that Walmart had. Surprisingly, Walmart’s tanks were crystal clear, all the fish looked healthy and there were no dead fish, which is the only reason I decided to get these guys. There is one other store that has 1 panda Cory and I’m going to go get it tomorrow, but it was 20 minutes from this store & 30 minutes from my house. They have ordered more for me though and are going to order chilI rasboras if they can.

I’m so freaking obsessed with these two already! They found each other super quick and the littler, whiter one follows the bigger one around. Adorable. They immediately started digging in the sand and once they found each other they haven’t left each other’s sides. I’m so excited to get a full school of them!

Also, I need a name for my bn pleco, suggestions?





I guess it’s my lucky day! She decided to come out of hiding for a split second lol

Here's some videos of the babies. Only slightly obsessed lol

I still need suggestions for names for the bn if anyone is still watching this lol

 

Your little pandas are so cute!

 

Just saw this! Cute cories!

As for the pleco, what about Banana lol

 

Just saw this! Cute cories!

As for the pleco, what about Banana lol

Hmm I don't know about that lol. I thought about Lucille or Lawanda but I'm not sure if either fits. Someone suggested Star as well, but I don't love that either lol

 

Hmm I don't know about that lol. I thought about Lucille or Lawanda but I'm not sure if either fits. Someone suggested Star as well, but I don't love that either lol

Leila?

 

Leila?

I like that but I don't know lol. I'm so indecisive

 

I like that but I don't know lol. I'm so indecisive

Well, it’s your choice pick whatever name suits you.

 

Well, it’s your choice pick whatever name suits you.

She'll probably just go unnamed forever

I’ve got the next little guy aclimating! He’s TINY!





Here’s the new one! He’s like half the size of the other two lol & I thought they were small.

It was so cute when he was acclimating, the other two kept trying to get to him! And as soon as he was put in, the biggest one came over and sat with him until he was ready to swim. Now they’re all interacting and digging through the sand

 

I hope everything goes well in your tank Valerie!!!!

 

My dog is OBSESSED with my cories lol. He literally sat for hours and watched them. I had to put the chairs around the tank so he couldn’t continue to touch the glass lol. If you look close enough in all the pictures you can see the cories

 

For the pleco, Pepper?

 

For the pleco, Pepper?

My hamsters name was pepper lol. If not it’d be cute!

 

What about Zypheria for the pleco?

 

What about Zypheria for the pleco?

I think I like it but how do you say it lol

 

Zy-Fear-IA lol

 

Zy-Fear-IA lol

I really like like that! I think it fits

 

I really like like that! I think it fits

I messed with spellings of the name before. I sometimes spell it Xypheria but its pernounced differently. Xy-fer-ia. I am glad you like it!

 

Sadly, my bn girl passed away. RIP little girl

 

Sadly, my bn girl passed away. RIP little girl

Oh no! Do you know what happened?

 

Oh no! Do you know what happened?

No, no idea. I posted a thread with pictures asking about it but I didn’t really get any responses

 

No, no idea. I posted a thread with pictures asking about it but I didn’t really get any responses

Wow! That's sudden! I'm so sorry. I wonder what could've happened to her

 

Wow! That's sudden! I'm so sorry. I wonder what could've happened to her

It was sudden, she was fine this morning and then tonight she was gone. I have no idea what happened. All the cories seem to be fine still and the water parameters were fine too

 

I am sorry for your loss Val.

 

Since I lost my bn girl, what do you all think I should do? Get more cories? Another bn? Add some kuhlis?

 

Another bn would be cool

 

Opinions? Should I get a red marble bn from Mcasella on here? Or try to find a bn at my local pet stores? The only trouble with a bn at my local store is I don't know how to differentiate between them and all the other types of plecos. But I also hate the idea of shipping fish. What do you all think I should do?

 

Opinions? Should I get a red marble bn from Mcasella on here? Or try to find a bn at my local pet stores? The only trouble with a bn at my local store is I don't know how to differentiate between them and all the other types of plecos. But I also hate the idea of shipping fish. What do you all think I should do?

No keepers / breeders in your neighbourhood. Bn's are almost for free here.

 

No keepers / breeders in your neighbourhood. Bn's are almost for free here.

No, every fish/pet store is 30 minutes away from me and the closest people with a fish tank are probably 2 hours away lol. There's nothing around me.

 

AWWWWW the lonely fishkeeper !

No, every fish/pet store is 30 minutes away from me and the closest people with a fish tank are probably 2 hours away lol. There's nothing around me.

 

AWWWWW the lonely fishkeeper !

It's the truth though! Lol

Do you have any advice on how to identify a bn in a store?