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We're setting up a 29gl for our 7 year old son. I was thinking a cleaning crew (may corys & ottos), and nothing else but tetras. I currently have no tetras in any of my tanks and would like suggestions on amounts needed for schools and compatability.

Barb

Most tetras get along well. I would suggest a school of 6 lemon tetras and a school of 6 cardinal tetras. Exact numbers would depend on how many corys and ottos you plan to have.

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Tetras are peaceful little fish that keep well in schools of about eight, and do well with many other species. Be advised however, that they are not especially hardy little guys. What you plan should work out well, I'd suggest cardinals and maybe lemons or neons. Do research on them, look in the fish profiles section of this site for a great host of information on the tetras as well as many other species.
Do you have the tank yet? Is it set up and running or still in the planning? A carfully planned tank will do well. Many of the fish you mentioned will not fare well during the cycling process, and tetras will usually not make it. I'd wait till the tank was fully cycled and well established, running perhaps a few months before introducing them.
Are you new to the fish hobby or have you some experience with them? Read thru the getting started section of this site for some great info on getting started.
And welcome, best wishes for your new tank

One of the first things to think about is do you want one very large school, or two smaller schools. That's really a matter of personal preference.

Kids tend to like bright, colorful, and/or unusual (I have five of my own ) Some quick suggestions would be neons, black neons, glowlights, cardinals, diamonds, rummynoses.

Maybe a browsing trip thru your lfs is in order

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

In response, no the tank is not set up. It's in the garage waiting for mom to get off her butt and pocketbook to set it up.

Yes, we have other tanks. Have been doing this for awhile, but always end up with cichlids and oddballs. Ex: the son's bichir is in with my angels.

I thought the tetras would be a good start as they are colorful and fast moving. For a 29gl for the cleaning crew what do you guys suggest? I don't have any ottos, but everyone on the site seems to love them and brag what a good job they do with algae. Also, the ever popular corys. I think the idea of one large school on one type of tetra would be neat and eye catching???

Barb

If you want one school - go with the Neons or Cardinals- kids love them. Ottos have been great at keeping Algae off of everything and the corys really keep the bottom neat- just get extra sinking food for them too.

Last edited by BM at 27-Sep-2005 14:04

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I have a dwarf pleco, also known as the bulldog, rubbernose, etc. He is a good size for the tank as he will only get about four or so inches. Cories are great, as well as ottos. In my mind the 29 is a bit small for a large school to swarm about, although I've given it some thought for my tank.

I personally prefer one large school over two. Something else to think about is what type of aquascaping you'd like. For example, I have a big school of neons in a 30g that look fantastic with black gravel and a foil background. Lemons are another tetra that look good in a darker themed tank.

Otos can be a bit sensitive, you might want to read [link=this article]http://www.fishprofiles.com/articles/freshwater/oto.asp" style="COLOR: #993333[/link] if you've never kept them before. Another choice for an algae eater would be a BN plec. My kids think they're great and love to watch them eat veggies like broccoli, zucchini, etc.

The main thing with cories is to keep them in a group of at least 5 or 6.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I really liked my school of black neons I had in the 29g. They are slightly bigger than neons or cardinals and seem to stand out better from a distance instead of just being a mix of colors. They are also quite hardy and the only reason I don't have them was because something wiped out all my tetra schools in less than a week with no symptoms. I think any tetra much bigger than a black neon looks out of place in a tank that size. It just doesn't have the length for larger tetras to swim completely normal.

Hi bmcel, the tetra setup sounds cool. 29G is a good size. A large school of cardinals would look awesome.

Emperors are another great tetra but they dont school. A schools of rummynoses would be nice too but they are fussy with their water.

I think we're going to try the sand instead of gravel, go with the foil background a small pleco, corys and the cardinal tetras. Let you know how it looks...

Barb

Best tetras ever in my experience:
If you like larger tetras- Buenos Aires. My absolute favorite tetra. Keep 6 in a 29g with 6-8 corys and a small pleco.
Rummynose Tetra- Keep a larger school of 12 again with 6-8 corys.
Hatchetfish- Marbles are awesome, keep 8-12.
Neons
Cardinals
Glowlights
Pristellas
Pencilfish- yes a tetra, very very interesting, like little submarines or humming birds that never stop moving. Seem to be very popular with all the kids Ive known.


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Rummynose, Lemon, Black Neons & Pristella Tetra's all go together without any problems.
In a 29 gal. tank you can have two schools of 8 each of Tetra's & a school of 8 Corydoras.


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