Getting back into it - planning a tank, have some questions

[j.edi]

I had a few small freshwater tanks in my past that weren't very well-planned or thought out, but now I want to get back into the hobby, and I want to bounce my ideas off some of you good folks:

There is a 34" wall section in my study - out of direct sunlight - where I have enough space for a 29 gallon Aqueon set-up that is carried at my LFS. I want to keep the scaping simple; sand substrate, a piece of driftwood and 2-3 plant specimens.

My thoughts for fish are rather simple as well, I was interested in Harlequin Rasboras and Gold Barb. Is 29 gallons enough space for 5 of each of those fish, plus an algae eater maybe?

Since my fish choices are Asian, I suppose plants in that biotope would be appropriate: what about Java Fern, Tape Grass and a Crypt (lucens) for a planted tank beginner? Would I need CO2 for this plan? What about substrate options that would work well with sand? I read somewhere that Rasboras like peat in their environment. How best to provide that?

Eh, I've got many more questions, but I'll just leave it at that... lemme know if I'm headed in the right direction.

Thanks,
Jack in Durham NC

 

[littletankbigworld]

It really depends on the algae eater. Otocinclus catfish do well in 29 gallons. They should ideally be kept in groups of at least 4. Chinese Algae eaters and common plecos grow way too big for a 29 gallon tank. However, it is best not to add ANY algae eater for 6-8 months, or they will starve from lack of food even if you provide wafers and pellets.

As for CO2...It is not always necessary. If you stock your fish correctly, you might have enough natural CO2 produced by the fish to help with happy plants. There is a DIY CO2 method with yeast and water that would work well with a 29 gallon tank. The link is in the DIY forum. (Keep reading for more information on CO2.) For plants, you can purchase a couple bags of nutrient-rich substrate. This is generally very expensive, depending on the substrate you chose. Peat has some nutrients, but doesn't provide the same kind of benefits as the substrates mentioned before. Peat is also much cheaper and can be used with sand. Nutrients in the soil are not the most important thing for plants. They are especially beneficial to plants like swords and hygrophila that grow large root systems. They are not, however, necessary. Dosing liquid fertilizers is very important and not terribly inexpensive. You can dose Excel Carbon and that will eliminate the need for a CO2 system, for the most part. Excel has a great line of plant fertilizers. If you just want a couple plants, you can buy root tablets, which are about 15 dollars for a box of 10 tablets. Although root tablets are not always immediately effective, this is a much cheaper solution. I'd recommend root tablets and liquid fertilizer to start.

I'm not experienced on the specific plants you listed, other than java fern, which needs subdued light. I'm new to plants as well, and I hope more people post and correct or add to what I've said. This is a great forum. Welcome to MyFishTank!

 

[tropicalcrazy]

i believe crypts require cO2, java fern does not and the other idk.

ive never kept either of those fish. i know barbs though can get kinda aggressive tho they say semi aggressive. idk about a gold barb though. ive only kept tiger barbs. soil rich with nutrients will help growth and making your plants a little greener. ive done both ways with and without. i failed miserably without soil. i use flourish by seachem twice a week for liquid fertilizer and it works great. also you will probably want to get a bulb with around a 6700k spectrum providing around 1.5-2wpg. that is good lighting and sufficient lighting for those plants

never used cO2 but it helps A LOT

 

[ValRasbora]

may I reccomend Java moss? When I was just starting out, I had tried many plant species. None with much success until I got java moss! It thrived and grew and grew.

 

[tropicalcrazy]

yes java moss is good. i second val on that one. very easy to take care off and no CO2 required

 

[OrangeCones]

Since my fish choices are Asian, I suppose plants in that biotope would be appropriate: what about Java Fern, Tape Grass and a Crypt (lucens) for a planted tank beginner? Would I need CO2 for this plan? What about substrate options that would work well with sand? I read somewhere that Rasboras like peat in their environment. How best to provide that?

Hiya Jack!

None of the plants you mentioned will need CO2 injection, but all will grow faster if you added a source of carbon (either DIY CO2 or usine Excel). The fern will do better attached to rock or wood instead of buried in the sand. The others can grow directly in the sand.

Some have luck with putting some peat under their sand when setting up their tank to make the water softer, but in my experience, its not really necessary. Fish will adapt to most any water hardness. Mine breed in very hard water. When you add peat under the sand, you could cause the water to be too acidic and its hard to take it out once its set up.

Although not in your list, the 29 is a tall tank and the African Fern looks nice in it because it gets tall too and is a darker green than the others. Nice contrast. Its treated the same as Jave Fern.

What light will you have over this tank (watts and type of light)?

 

[AndiH]

A couple of otos would be nice eventually, but as said they need an established tank. If you simply want bottom dwellers, try one of the cory cats to go in with your others. They'd work well with both the species you'd mention and are peaceful as well as fun to watch. You would need a school of them, maybe 4-5.

The AqAdvisor is a great tool to see what is compatible and how heavily you are stocking your tank. AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

 

[j.edi]

Thanks for the advice, all - and thanks AndiH for the "aqadvisor" link - that's a great resource.