Newbie here (with questions)

Tracy

Ditto what musho said. I worked at a PetSmart (part-time); they do not provide training to their employees re: what the fishes needs are. And it's very hard to tell someone they cannot keep Goldfish in a small tank, when the store sells 3 gallon tanks called "Goldfish starter kits".

I had a horrible, personal experience with a TopFin heater. The thermostat quit within four months. I came home from work one day and all six fish and one snail in the aquarium had died because the water was as hot as a bath tub

GalaxyGirl

My advice, would to not get a snail, unless you know that its a male or female (you cant do that right?) and thats its not pregnant. Which I still don't think you can do. Haha, anyways but I got a snail from my live plants I got, and it laid eggs, and now i'm finding snails all over the place, which they go directly to my chickens. But they can crawl out and get all over, and populate, and its just not nice.

As for filters, if money is an issue, go with an Aqua Clear 50, maybe 70. If its not an issue, then go with Penguin brand bio wheel.

Tracy

Galaxygirl: the snails you got from your plants are not the same as the Mystery snails or other large snails you can buy for your tank. They clean the algae. I know the pond snails reproduce at an unfortunate rate. Some fish, like clown loaches and dwarf puffers, will eat those tiny snails.

I've had a blue Mystery Snail (named "Blue" of course ) for a few months now. It has left those 'egg' things in the aquarium twice, but I still only have the one large blue mystery snail. :)

musho3210

If possible, i wouldnt go with the penguin models, go with the emperor models, they both use bio-wheels but the emperor's are much more effecient. They are both from marineland and if you cant afford the emperor, penguin is fine.

JackBauer

Man, I am getting more confused than I was before. So much conflicting information!

So, some people say I should get a power head, others not. If I did get one, where would it go? My brother-in-law said I should put it near the bottom, opposite the filter (long ways) so that it could push water along the tank towards the filter tube thing, to help water circulate better. But some of the stuff I've been reading for power heads say it is supposed to go near the top to help aerate the water.

Also, some people say that some fish might not appreciate the extra current. How do I know which would and which wouldn't? I haven't seen a listing for fish with an "Appreciates power head?" category.

Tracy

It's true, some fish do not appreciate the current. Fancy-tailed Goldfish do not like the current, as well as other 'long-finned' fishes such as angels and fancy guppies.

musho3210

Heres what to do, go to your lfs or wherever you buy fish. Bring a pencil and a paper and look around at the tanks, every time you see a fish you like just write the name down. When you come home tell us all the names and we'll tell you if there compatable, if they like fast or slow current. Once youve found out what fish you want, then choose whether or not to use a powerhead. Hope that helps

Lupin

Lots of people you meet will always have different opinions. We have different experiences.:)
Add to that the fact that angelfish came from still waters in Amazon along with Discus. Any fish originating from still waters will definitely not appreciate the currents. Any fish from bodies of waters where currents are always present especially with river rapids will appreciate it.

Take note that places where there are lots of currents have very high oxygen level brought by too much surface agitation. Still waters have lower oxygen levels as there is barely any currents to allow production of oxygen.

Jack, the combination of white clouds and giant danios is fine but the giant danios living in a 29 gallons is not. As shoaling fish, they often travel in long distances so, IMO, a 29 gallons will not be appreciated. Being 10 cm in length, a tank of 4 feet or more is the best option for them.

JackBauer

So I took your advice, and went and made a list!

Here it is (in no particular order):

Sunset variatus
Red Multicolored Guppy
Red Delta Guppy
Sunset or Sunburst Platy
Lemon Tetra
Neon Tetra
Glo-lite Tetra
Rainbow Shark
Red-tailed Black Shark
Tiger Barb
Cherry Barb
Marble Angelfish
Emperor Angelfish (just kidding, I wish)

My wife said she would like I guess mostly smaller fish, but with one bigger fish that would really stand out, so long as the bigger one wouldn't eat the smaller ones.

I really look forward to hearing some input from you guys.

Lupin

Here's the list of fish species that will fit in a 29 gallons tank.:) Try narrowing it down to your favorites.
Sunset variatus
Red Multicolored Guppy
Red Delta Guppy
Sunset or Sunburst Platy
Lemon Tetra
Neon Tetra
Glo-lite Tetra
Cherry Barb