29 gallon stocking advice?

[Fishies4Ever]

Working on setting up the tank. My plan is to get…

-15 toucan tetras (Tucanoichthys)
-15 Heterocharax virgulatus
-12-15 panda Cory’s
-6 tiger otocinclus (Otocinclus cocama)

Do those sound good? Is it too much, any advice would be appreciated. I am putting in a few random tetras from my 10 gallon for now. I am planning on re homing them possibly. I need to get them out of there though because I plan on giving the 10 gallon tank to my sister for a hermit crab or whatever she wants for Christmas!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I haven't kept those tetra species, but assuming they act like most peaceful tetra species, that should be fine. Toucan tetras look amazing--I've never seen those! Numbers for ottos and pandas should be fine.

Are the pics your current 10g, or your 29g? It would look great with some plants, and having some leaves to hide behind will make your fish feel more secure.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

I haven't kept those tetra species, but assuming they act like most peaceful tetra species, that should be fine. Toucan tetras look amazing--I've never seen those! Numbers for ottos and pandas should be fine.

Are the pics your current 10g, or your 29g? It would look great with some plants, and having some leaves to hide behind will make your fish feel more secure.

Thanks! I found the toucan tetras on a rare tetra website called aquadiction I believe, I found a lot of cool fish that I’d never seen before. Glad all the numbers are good. That picture is of the 29 gallon. I need to add plants for sure!!! I’m thinking some tall ones in the back to cover the heater. I have Java fern and a plant called golden creeping Jenny and I’ll get some more for that corner as well. I want to get some floating plants. Lots of Anubias! I want to get some white Anubias just for something a bit different. I want to add lots of color. So here of some of the more special plants I was thinking of getting as time goes on.

-Alternanthera lilacina
-Rotala Rotundifolia
-Lobelia Cardinalis
-Bucephalandra

These are just a few of the more special ones I guess. Are there any ideas you have for some more foreground plants for the tank?

 

[MuddyWaters]

I have never seen toucan tetras or the other ones- those blue ones look like they have little teeth- cool!

I have read that it's best to wait until the tank is well-established to add the otocinclus due to them being a bit sensitive and you want to make sure it has algae necessary to support them. Maybe add the others first and then the otos after a few months?

Great list of fish, though- hope it turns out just like you want it!

 

[MuddyWaters]

Thanks! I found the toucan tetras on a rare tetra website called aquadiction I believe, I found a lot of cool fish that I’d never seen before. Glad all the numbers are good. That picture is of the 29 gallon. I need to add plants for sure!!! I’m thinking some tall ones in the back to cover the heater. I have Java fern and a plant called golden creeping Jenny and I’ll get some more for that corner as well. I want to get some floating plants. Lots of Anubias! I want to get some white Anubias just for something a bit different. I want to add lots of color. So here of some of the more special plants I was thinking of getting as time goes on.

-Alternanthera lilacina
-Rotala Rotundifolia
-Lobelia Cardinalis
-Bucephalandra

These are just a few of the more special ones I guess. Are there any ideas you have for some more foreground plants for the tank?

These look great- especially that Alternathera lilacina- capable of amazing red! You might need CO2 to get the vibrant red from them, though. I have never seen white anubias- looks great! I found one on Etsy that is pure white, but looks very small. I wonder if they keep that whitish-green color immersed?

On the red plants- one that I want to get for a tank I'm cycling is that red floater- it's topwater- not what I want for the most part, but the roots are beautiful! I think I'll keep it in a ring or something...

 

[Fishies4Ever]

Thanks for all the advice! I hope it turns out well too. I was researching more on the 2 kinds of tetras and found them to be quite expensive so we’ll see if I am able to get them. I might have to change my fish ideas I would get them but I would just be worried about them dying. So any pretty small fish ideas would be great!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Check out melon swords for a nice amazonian feel and some interesting color, without taking over your whole tank like a regular sword will.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

Check out melon swords for a nice amazonian feel and some interesting color, without taking over your whole tank like a regular sword will.

Wow I’ve never seen those they are beautiful!!!
Would it be good to add a co2 booster or diffuser for some of the plants to really bring out some color?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Wow I’ve never seen those they are beautiful!!!
Would it be good to add a co2 booster or diffuser for some of the plants to really bring out some color?

Not necessary. I've never used CO2 in any of my tanks. Some do, but it's too complicated for me. My understanding is that CO2 is great for plants (if you have the right light) but not great for fish, as it lowers the pH. Melon swords will develop some interesting colors under strong light.

It also might be worth looking into crypts. I have some crypt wendtii and c. walkerii that have developed some nice red color under relatively low light.

 

[Mikeyboy123]

ludwigia palustris "super red" is an easy to grow red plant.

I attach a pic of one that has been in my tank about two weeks. It's starting to grow quite strongly now and is colouring up nicely. I don't use CO2, just some root tabs and TNC lite liquid ferts. The M Keisak to the left isn't doing so well!

 

[Beastije]

Ambitious stocking, all wild caught except the panda corydoras I assume
I wish you best of luck!

 

[anewbie]

This is only a 29 - unless very mature aquarium (at least 3 month old with dense planting); i'd drop the otto and i'd reduce the panda to at most 10. While they are smaller there really isn't enough bottom space for them. Also as others noted you really want wild caught panda cory; they have been heavily inbred in various farms and frequently not that hearty; though it depends on the source.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

This is only a 29 - unless very mature aquarium (at least 3 month old with dense planting); i'd drop the otto and i'd reduce the panda to at most 10. While they are smaller there really isn't enough bottom space for them. Also as others noted you really want wild caught panda cory; they have been heavily inbred in various farms and frequently not that hearty; though it depends on the source.

Thank you I hadn’t realized. I was planning on waiting quite a while to get the ottos because I know they are quite sensitive. I will reduce the pandas to 10, I felt like a lot of the numbers were high. Am I still allowed to get the ottos but I’ll just wait awhile until my tank is cycled and mature with lots of plants? What would be the best way to cycle the tank I’m just moving some plants from the other tank and a few random tetras until I figure out what I should do with them.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

Any ideas for what website would be good for the Cory’s where it’s pretty cheap. I live in North America.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Any ideas for what website would be good for the Cory’s where it’s pretty cheap. I live in North America.

It is a sad truth that you can get cheap fish, or good fish. Seldom both. I usually order from either Dan's Fish (in Wyoming) or The Wet Spot (in Oregon). I'm sure there are some good fish stores in New York, but I don't know what they are.