Stocking a 29FW Community

[AmazingH]

I have my 29G FW upstaires, (along with all but one tank)..
good bye fishroom..
And I've just had it going for 1.5 - 2Months
The tank was emptied out until all the gravel & 10% of the water remained before it was carried up our staires to the dining/living room.
I had it running for a month (even though it was already cycled.. I was scared) and for the past month I've had 4 guppy fry in it.
Question
I think 2 are endlers.. they look like this (this is NOT my fish)
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While the other two look like my normal guppy fry (This is NOT my fish)
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So now I want to start it off again.
I REALLY wish I could do a big bunch of neon tetras, cherry barbs, guppies, mollies, and plattie.
BUT obviously it's never going to happen.. !

So I have a question (Really your opinion)
Should I go the way of my usual guppy, mollie, & plattie FW Community
OR
A nice planted tank with neons and a few other odd fish.?

Either way I hope to get some java moss at the spring auction.. in the spring to cover spots of the bottom & maybe driftwood.

Question 3
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What should I go with for tank maitenance?
We usually get the plecos for $5.00 Cdn that only ever get 4-5 Inches, but I once had 3, 3 inch long thin guys who we never knew the name of. They we very skittish and never ate algae (the tank was COVERED) and I hated them with a passion.
I was thinking of a few ottos?


Bright colors are a +
Must be around the size or smaller of a mollie.

[Northernguy]

I would go with guppys and cardinal tetra.Get some corys for the bottom.Mollies are usually mean to guppys and will eat the fry!IMO

[JimTheBetta]

As for cleaning alage, none of my plecos ever did much in the way of cleaning the tank. Mine all usually loved zuchini. Otos on the other hand, ive seen turn an alage ridden tank into crystal clear (with a bit of help) in no time.

[AmazingH]

Mollies are usually mean to guppys and will eat the fry!IMO


I've never experienced that. My mollies always seemed to stick to themselves.

Q- Would it be possible to use ottos instead of corys?

Q- Looking at the price of the cardinal tetras.. (5-10$/fish) could I use neons with guppies? Just wondering

Q- Could I do a total tetra tank with different varities?
Like neons, black skirted, black neon.. ect?

Sorry for asking so many questions.. I've never been into tetras.. only livebearers.. (At one point I had around 500 guppy, platty, and mollie fry.

[NickFish]

I've never experienced that. My mollies always seemed to stick to themselves.

Q- Would it be possible to use ottos instead of corys?

Q- Looking at the price of the cardinal tetras.. (5-10$/fish) could I use neons with guppies? Just wondering

Q- Could I do a total tetra tank with different varities?
Like neons, black skirted, black neon.. ect?

Sorry for asking so many questions.. I've never been into tetras.. only livebearers.. (At one point I had around 500 guppy, platty, and mollie fry.

Otos are not like cories at all. They can't be compared, they do two completely different things. Otos eat algae, and only algae. Cories will NOT eat algae, they won't touch it. Cories will only eat fallen food, so if you're looking at cories for algae control you should keep looking.

You could use neons with guppies, just that neons are succeptible to NTD, IMO the most deadly disease in the aquarium hobby. Its a one in a million disease though, but you do see it every now and then. When you are buying the fish, take a very close look at the tank. If you see even one fish that is white in color, has a slightly bent back, or cysts on their body, do not buy any of the fish in that tank. Chances are one of the fish you buy will be infected, and there is no cure.

Yes, you could, but IMO lots of little schools doesn't look as nice as one big school. I would pick the one you like best, and get lots of that one, and you could get a complementary school of something else, 1/3 the size of the main school. Nothing is nicer than a large school of tetra in a well planted tank.

[AmazingH]

Otos are not like cories at all. They can't be compared, they do two completely different things. Otos eat algae, and only algae. Cories will NOT eat algae, they won't touch it. Cories will only eat fallen food, so if you're looking at cories for algae control you should keep looking.

You could use neons with guppies, just that neons are succeptible to NTD, IMO the most deadly disease in the aquarium hobby. Its a one in a million disease though, but you do see it every now and then. When you are buying the fish, take a very close look at the tank. If you see even one fish that is white in color, has a slightly bent back, or cysts on their body, do not buy any of the fish in that tank. Chances are one of the fish you buy will be infected, and there is no cure.

Yes, you could, but IMO lots of little schools doesn't look as nice as one big school. I would pick the one you like best, and get lots of that one, and you could get a complementary school of something else, 1/3 the size of the main school. Nothing is nicer than a large school of tetra in a well planted tank.


Thank you for the info!
I think I may try neons and guppies..
I really do need algae control as it is near a window (although no severe algae)

[Northernguy]

Thank you for the info!
I think I may try neons and guppies..
I really do need algae control as it is near a window (although no severe algae)

I have heard that the only tetras that do not nip at guppys are cardinals.I have heard many people have mixed mollies and neons with guppys and have not had any troubles but I do not recommend it.The guppys long colorful fins are very tempting to other fish.
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[schoolbus]

A tank of Tetras and Corys is great.
Check My sig.
Lady Hobbs, has a link to fish compatibility charts. It's in the beginner forum. Type in Your favorite Tetra choice and it will list a number of other Tetra and Cory that are compatible. Great link.
IMO, Tetra and Cory are great together and make a really stunning Aquarium.

Don

[bushwhacker]

I've never experienced that. My mollies always seemed to stick to themselves.

Q- Would it be possible to use ottos instead of corys?

Q- Looking at the price of the cardinal tetras.. (5-10$/fish) could I use neons with guppies? Just wondering

Q- Could I do a total tetra tank with different varities?
Like neons, black skirted, black neon.. ect?

Sorry for asking so many questions.. I've never been into tetras.. only livebearers.. (At one point I had around 500 guppy, platty, and mollie fry.

you can make a beautiful tank with tetras my wifes 55 gallon has serpaes ,blackskirts, glolights, fruit tetras and red eye tetras along with 2 GBR and a cple plecos

[Northernguy]

you can make a beautiful tank with tetras my wifes 55 gallon has serpaes ,blackskirts, glolights, fruit tetras and red eye tetras along with 2 GBR and a cple plecos

lol Now you gotta post a few pics!
Thats a sweet mix :19:

[AmazingH]

Back from my lfs.
I decided to put my 1o (or so) guppies, a platty (My last remaining), and 6 mollies that I have kept in a smaller tank for a while in my 29G. I just purchased two lovely yellow leopard/snakeskin and very pregnant ladies aswell as 2 very small (1 inch) ottos.

I figure if I need more ottos I can get more.

I only got two guppies as I've got a nice steady supply coming from all of mine. (I have a 5.5G and an extra 5.5 G if need be to use as grow outs)
As fathers I have about 4 lovely orange semi snakeskins ..

[AmazingH]

Edit:
Took a look at my guppies, platty, and molly and decided I wasn't positive they were looking 100% healthy.. Found 2 newborn guppies floating in tank dead.
:(

Am still in the process on introducing my 2 guppies and 2 ottos to the tank..
another hour? (I'm very careful)

[AmazingH]

Edit.. AGAIN!

Went over to tank.. looks like my father already released them.

One of the two guppies has already popped 2-3 fry already... ! I'm leaving them in there to fend for themelves.

Only can find one otto... ? He must be hiding.
I am VERY impressed by the looks and buisness of the otto.. may throw an algae wafer in there sometime tonight as there's not much algae.

[Northernguy]

Good luck with your new fish!Have you any floating plants?The fry will have a much better chance of survival.
Got any pics yet?:19:

[AmazingH]

I'll go downstaires to our computer and post some of the very crappy pics I have taken. (Im on my laptop)

There is a little forest of plastic plants I keep there, and they're hiding out in it.
Will try and take a pic of the tank right now.. it is very empty with only a few plastic plants and a rock.

[AmazingH]

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I apoligize for the really crappy pics.. !

[AmazingH]

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Yep, I need a background ... and some more plants..
I'm hopefully going to get java moss soon.. if now this month probably at the spring auction.

[AmazingH]

Oh, I'll post a pic of it all... just a minute...

[AmazingH]

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[Northernguy]

Its a nice tank,give it time! Thanks for the pics!
You can get a bristol board background in any color you want for a buck.Kids project paper.Black is best for looking at your fish.
Read this it helped out a lot of us around here:[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[wolf_eyes]

may throw an algae wafer in there sometime tonight as there's not much algae.

Dave wrote an article on this, but those wafers are actually not good for ottos. They don't actually have algae in them so it starves them over time. You could grow your own algae in a small container with some rounded rocks, just sprinkle a little bit of fish food in there, set it up near your window, and there you go. You can also feed them blanched vegetables, zuchini and cucumber being their favorite.

The guppies look really nice! If you want to keep the babies you could get some breeding grass (fake or real) and maybe some other bushier fake plants to float at the top or anchor in the sand.

[AmazingH]

Hmm.. I'll try the algae thing and I always have cucumber in the house for my guinea pig.. :)