29G advice

I’m getting a 29 gallon soon and I’m thinking of making it a “red tank.” The plan is to have black gravel, dark and bright green plants, and small red fish. I’m thinking of having 6 Kuhli Loaches, 6 Scarlet Badis, 6 Cherry Barbs, 6 Chili Rasboras, 4 Albino Red Male Guppies, and 4 Killifish (two pairs). I would like to have 6 Ruby Red Pencilfish, but I doubt I can get them.

Are these all compatible?

I’m thinking of Eco-Complete Black or Black Sand Flourite. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? Would the sand or small pebbles be better for the Kuhli Loaches?

Does anyone have Scarlet Badis, Chili Rasboras, Killifish, or Ruby Red Pencilfish they would sell me when the weather is better?

Any suggestions for (mostly) red Killifish?

Any suggestions for other small red fish?

Thank you!

 

Okay, because half the fish on the list probably won’t get any food, I’ve reconsidered. I like the look of the Tahitian Moon - CaribSea Instant Aquarium Substrate (at least from pictures), so I figured I could use that with Seachem Flourish. I figured the Scarlet Badis would be too hard and picky to feed, so I’ll get four for a five gallon and leave them out of the Red Tank. I’m also hearing that most Killifish are fin-nippers. I had Galaxy Rasboras before that were really slow to eat, so I’m wondering if the Chili Rasboras will be, too. My new fish list is…

6 Black Kuhli Loaches
6 Cherry Barbs
6 Red or Albino Red male Guppies or Endlers
6 Red Phantom Tetra
1 Red Fire Dwarf Gourami
Maybe a pair of German Blue Rams to add a little color.

I’m not sure about the Red Phantom Tetra because when I Google-imaged them, some didn’t look very red. I had a Serpea Tetra once that relentlessly attacked all my fish. The Red Phantom Tetra looks to be nicer.

I’m also wondering if I should have a bigger pack of Black Kuhli Loaches.

Does anyone have any experience with Chili Rasboras? I worry they’ll be too slow to get to the food.

 

Thank you for the replies, only now I doubt I should have a red tank. Everything just keeps getting crossed off the list. I love my cherry barbs and want them and maybe more in a 29 gallon. I want a bigger school of black kuhli loaches, too. I’ve never had a pleco before, so I would like to get one, but it’s not a must-have.

Can someone suggest small (or very nice), supper colorful and exotic (but not horribly expensive) fish that would look awesome in a 29G stuffed with plants? I don’t want neon, glowlight, serape, bleeding heart, black phantom, or red phantom tetras, harlequin rasboras, or any others that I can get for $1 at Petco.

Can someone suggest a pleco that looks great but doesn’t cost a fortune, won’t hurt my plants or fish, and will forever live happily in a 29 gallon?

Or maybe I should leave my cherries where they’re at and put something else in the tank, but that leaves me at back to nowhere. So can someone suggest fish that will fit in a 29 gallon and look supper awesome, especially with black sand gravel and lots of plants?

 

I love the idea of having an angelfish, I didn’t realize a 29 gallon was large enough. New list:
2 Angelfish (either one platinum blue and one double dark black OR two platinum blue)
6 Cherry barbs
6 Black kuhli loaches
1 Long-finned albino bristlenose plecostomus (If I can afford one. Regular albino bristlenose if I can’t)
Maybe a Double Full Red Agassizi, but I would have to give up something else because it would be overstocked.

1) Where do I get the angelfish? I’ve found the platinums on Angelfish USA, Angelsplus.com, Blackwater Aquatics. I don’t know if they’re reliable. I want to get young ones and all Aquabid has of little ones that I can find are of big groups.

2) Same question for the plecos, Aquabid has them in fours and pairs, I would just want a little male.

3) According to Aqadvisor.com, these fish are all compatible, but has anyone had a bad experience with one of these combinations? In particular, is there any chance the angels would make a snack out of my cherries when they grow into adults? Or will the pleco and loaches bother each other?

4) The food I plan to feed them: NLS Small Fish, Lotsoffish mix#2, algae wafers, and bloodworms. What about a vegetable? Are canned green beans good? And maybe thawed daphnia and mysis shrimp?

5) Can I use any type of wood for the pleco or is there a favourite for them?

 

Those purple passion danios look awesome under google images! Are they really that blue or do they need special lighting? I looked them up but didn’t find much other than that they’re also called rose danios. Do they eat well or are they slow? I assume they school or shoal? And since the AqAdvisor doesn’t say they’re incompatible with angels, I’m guessing angels are really peaceful. But I keep hearing that a breeding pair of angels are very aggressive.

Newest list:
1 Angelfish
2 German blue rams (1 pair)
2 Long-finned albino bristlenose plecostomus (young as I can get)
2 Dwarf gourami OR 5 purple passion danios OR some other small blue schooling fish
6 Cherry barbs

The angelfish can’t get aggressive during mating if he doesn’t have a mate. I know where I can get the danios online, but they like cooler temperatures than the rams. Plus the rams add blue to the tank, and I don’t know if the danios are really that blue. I could even add a school of neon tetras instead, but I’d worry the angel would eat them.

Will the dwarf gouramis fight if I get two males? I figure a 29 gallon with lots of plants should give them space, but I've never had them, so I don't know.

Will the plecos help keep my sand clean of uneaten food?

Will the rams be hard to feed down there on the bottom?

Is a 39% water change every week too much of a shock?

Is the Tahitian Moon sand hard to clean with a siphon?

 

Well, I read that the plecos don't like the high temperature that the rams need, and heard that the gouramis might attack the angel. That list is also overstocked. So how about this?

1 Platinum Blue Angelfish
2 Long-finned albino bristlenose plecostomus OR 2 German blue rams (1 pair)
6 Cherry barbs

 

For 1 Platinum Blue Angelfish, 6 Cherry Barbs, and 2 Albino Longfin Bristlenose Plecos, I plan to feed them New Life Spectrum - Small Fish formula, lotsoffish mix # 2, frozen bloodworms, daphnia, mysis shrimp, Hikari Algae Wafers, and canned french cut green beans with no sodium/salt.

This is just a rough guess…

Monday: NLS, Algae Wafer, Green beans
Tuesday: Bloodworms, Algae Wafer
Wednesday: Lotsoffish mix # 2, Algae Wafer
Thursday: Daphnia, Algae Wafer
Friday: NLS, Algae Wafer, Green beans
Saturday: Mysis shrimp, Algae Wafer
Sunday: Lotsoffish mix # 2, Algae Wafer

1) How much of an algae wafer do I need to feed for two little plecos, and how much when they get bigger?

2) How many green beans for two little plecos, and how many for when they get bigger?

3) How long will the green beans last when I open the can?

4) If I feed them zucchini (if my grocery store ever gets any) do I need to cook it first? How much do I feed them?

5) Should I not feed the plecos an algae wafer if I feed them green beans or zucchini?

6) Is meat three days a week too much/little?

7) Please tell me if I need to feed anything on this list more or less often, or not at all.

Thank you!

 

I got my tank set up and my Plecos!