[Melissa]

no sharks are good for a tank your size, they will quikly out grow it.

 

[DanaJ]

I must have taken the advice on getting a couple of danios too literally. I realized they needed a group, but I thought with cycling it could have been too many.
So I got the 2 zebra danios before heading to work. I saw the post before I left for work saying I should have at least 5, even for the cycling. On my way home I stopped by the pet store and picked up 4 more danios. So there are a total of 6 now. Very active, beautiful things!
My pet store will order anything I ask for. They get shipments in every tuesday also. Sundays they have 20% off all fish due to their upcoming new arrivals every tuesday. Their reputation for healthy good fish is out of this world. My friend/coworker used to work there so she knows who cleans it and takes care of everything in that dept. Talk about passionate and knowledgeable!
Thanks everyone for all the help so far. I know I'll be asking more questions and all in a matter of time!

 

[musho3210]

Great job but make sure you dont add in any more fish whatsoever until your tank is cycled. Good luck!

 

[DanaJ]

Oh I know not to add any more until it's properly cycled and tested. I have a nice test kit, and I understand the importance of ensuring everything is okay

 

[musho3210]

ok, i hope you have a great time with your danios, i love thos fish, i need to get like 2 more though, 5 isnt enough

 

[musho3210]

Oh, i read this book and it tells you good things to keep in an average comunity tank for a 29 gallon, here it is

Here they are (here is the layout, 3-5= 3=easier magangment, 5=do more water changes)

2-3 Platies to cycle. Since its only 3 you should get 3 males and no females
7-8 danios added next or can be used to cycle
5-6 lemon tetras added after cycling
3-4 cory cats last fish to add

We can have a big long talk about what fish you want to keep in the chat room

 

[DanaJ]

All 6 danios are swimming around, active as can be. I tested the water just now and here are my results:
Ammonia=0ppm
pH=7.4
Nitrite=0ppm
Nitrate=10ppm

Thanks for the suggestions musho. I'll take you up on your offer for that discussion in chat room sometime!

 

[musho3210]

hmm, how long have you had the tank, im not used to seeing nitrate levels that high that early. You should test your normal tap water without dechlorinating it to see if there are any nitrates or nitrites or ammonia being added to your tap water. If there is a high amount, forget the fish, immediatly contact your water company and warn them, ammonia is toxic to humans too!! If your tap water contains chloramines you will see some ammonia but if you use a good water conditioner it wont matter.

 

[DanaJ]

Oh geez, wonderful. Just wonderful!
The tank was set up on New Years Day.

 

[musho3210]

well sometimes waterways add nitrates, if you have been drinking that water for a while dont worry about what i said.

go to this website to see what is added in your tap water

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/findings.php

i gtg now, sorry

 

[DanaJ]

Well I moved here almost 2 years ago. It's notorious for having less than ideal water. A lot of people don't drink the water(well not a lot per se, but it's not unheard of for some to refuse to drink it).
I'll keep testing the water of course, and keep my fingers crossed.
I should test my water though, regardless.

 

[Lupin]

DO NOT GET A RED TAIL SHARK, THEY NEED LIKE 1000 GALLON TANKS!!!

Red tail sharks arent peacefull and they grow very very very big. Do not get these for a 29 gallon tank. I dont think a 29 gallon can fit any sharks....

I was positive you're referring to Red-tailed catfish, rather than Red-tailed black shark.
29 gallons is ok as long as there are lots of hiding places provided for it to stake a territory but I will warn you that with a labeo, it limits your choices of fish as they get quite aggressive.:shake:

 

[DanaJ]

The danios are doing well and seem very active and healthy still.
Once everything is properly cycled, I'd like to add some bigger fish(bigger than danios, but not huge of course). I like neon tetras, but again they're pretty small.
What are some good compatible fish to add into a tank with danios, tetras and bottom dwellers? I prefer colorful fish, but of course am open to any and all suggestions and colored species. Also, how many tetras should I add? Do they do better in groups of odd or even numbers(5 opposed to 6 etc)?
Other than the tetras and danios, I'm curious about fish that don't need a school, and can do well either alone or as a pair of their own type.
Hope that made sense.

 

[musho3210]

Well platies are very hardy and colorful, plus they dont need to be in schools. It matters what tetra you want, some tetras need to be in schools of at least 8 while others only need to school in groups of 4. What tetra are you interested in

 

[DanaJ]

As far as tetras, I like the neons. I still want to see what other tetras are out there and would work though.

 

[musho3210]

Neons are nice but they arent so hardy. They are very sensitive to water conditions so make sure you check their water occaisonally. They are also prone to neon tetra disease which is incurable.

Try using the chat room again.

 

[DanaJ]

Still no access.
I originally thought about cardinal tetras, but someone here recommended going with the neons instead.

 

[Lupin]

Neons should be fine. Don't worry about NTD. It rarely occurs. As long as you maintain the tank well, you don't have to worry about diseases, etc.

Try lemon tetras, diamond tetras and beacon tetras. Nice fish. :thumbsup:

 

[DanaJ]

I'll look into those types of tetras, Blue. Do you think they are better than the cardinal and neons? I just really find them pleasing to the eye, but I don't want to base everything solely on that.

 

[tophat665]

Neons should be fine. Don't worry about NTD. It rarely occurs. As long as you maintain the tank well, you don't have to worry about diseases, etc.

Try lemon tetras, diamond tetras and beacon tetras. Nice fish. :thumbsup:

I lost 3 of my last 10 neons to NTD. They just have to be isloated IMMEDIATELY when you suspect they have it, and it won't spread. Not a big deal in a 99 cent schooling fish (sucks to be the fish, mind you).