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this is my 29 gallon tank, it is a VERY tall tank, 20" tall to be exact.

http://home.comcast.net/~fitzworld/twentynine.JPG

The tank is currently home to:

1 Bolivian Ram
5 Lemon Tetras
2 Female Cherry Barbs
1 Male Cherry Barb

I am going to add a few more lemon tetras, recently 3 died, I think it may have been due to disease, but they all appeared healthy and were dead the next morning, no time to even find out what was wrong with them...

I am doing some switching of fish I have currently but intend to keep the above mentioned fish.

The tank I have is very tall, so I use two Aquaclear 50 over the back filters(each a 50 gallon filter) and two airstones to help with gas exchange. I do a gravel vac each week and change 30% of the water when I do. the temp stays at 78, PH of 7.0 flat, and the water is slightly soft.

I would like some fish that surface on occasion, as the ram stays to the bottom, and the cherry barbs and tetras stay to the middle.

I had a dwarf gourami in the tank when the ram and the gourami were little, but after they both got over 2 inches fighting became a issue with them both, and with the gourami in there, the tetras never moved, they stayed in a 6" circle in the middle of the tank,lol.

I tried putting the beta I have from his 2 gallon into the 29 gallon tank, but he tried to kill the the tetras as soon as he was released from the bag after floating him.

so, should i go with alot more lemon tetras and be happy, even though they are a little boring and not too colorfull, or should I try adding some other fish. Keep in mind I am worried about overloading this tank due to its height, and I want some peacefull fish that wont attack my current fish. Thanks in advance!

maybe some hatchetfish. they are faster swimming and they tend to swim around the surface. make sure you have a cover, they jump (so i have read)

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

Yeah, I should have specified I can't do hatchet fish...I have over-the-back filters, and no way really to secure the open area, hatchets will most likely get out. If I can't get any other suggestions I may have to see if i can rig a plastic shielding over the opening where the filters dump the water, that might work....hrmmmm...

Even if I decide to go with hatchets, I run into the problem of where to find them

The LFS in my area do not stock them...

a while back i had a bunch of crickets in a 5 gal, to seal the opening in the back i used an old window screen cut it in the shape of the opening. then you can secure with stick on velcro

*click *flash *click "whered he go???"

I am trying to decide between white cloud mountain minnows and neon tetras...I have heard that mountain minnows inhabit all regions of the tank and fover the upper level.

The reason I am thinking about neon tetras is because they are so colorfull, even if they inhabit the middle, the colors would be bright enough one would hardly notice none of the fish are at the top.

Any thoughts on this descision anyone?

EDIT: I love dwarf gouramis...do you think that if I purchased a small gourami now and the ram showed it who was boss from the start, it would leave the ram alone when it got bigger? The gourami I raised with the ram quickly realised it was the same size, and that it could be boss, and before I moved him out he would chase the ram all over the tank.

Hi there,
If you want a top water fish, White Clouds are the way to go. What these fish may lack in major color they make up for in very interesting behaviour. White clouds mating dances and male/male displays are impressive and beautiful to watch. They remind me of fan dancers!
They are mainly a top water only fish, may explore around the whole tank from time to time, but mostly stay near the surface.
Neons are more of a mid-bottom water tetra.

I think you could add another Bolivian Ram (your ram would thank you these are pretty social fish), and increase your lemons back up to 8.

Then you could add a school of 6-8 White Cloud Minnows.

I dont see why you couldnt also add a dwarf gourami.
Bolivian rams grow to be much much larger than DG's, so it shouldnt be an issue.
I have a 25g tank almost as tall as yours. Its 18 inches.
I like tall tanks myself.
Your tank is beautiful by the way. I love your designing it occupies the space nicely.





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First, thanks for the compliment on the tank!

Next, I am having a hard time finding the minnows, I have checked two of the local fish stores...I have 3 more I can check within half an hours drive of home.

It sounds like the minnows are the way to go, I have also been reading bad things about trying to keep neon and cardinal tetras alive and healthy, bad sign. not to mention, they are a bottom and mid water fish, don't need any more of those!

I am scared to add another DG, the reason is because the ram, while larger, is much more timid. As a experiment I floated then added my dwarf sunset gourami to the 29 gallon last night...the ram showed it who was boss, chasing him out of the lower water repeatedly. I thought to myself that this would work out perfect! the grourami would stay near the top and the ram only chased it out of its home turf...then 15 minutes passed and the gourami started poking its way around the tank...then it decided it was time to show everyone who was boss...he went straight for the ram and bit and chased it...I let it continue for a few minutes then pulled the gourami back out before any damage resulted to my ram.

So, I am scared to add another gourami, I fear the same will happen, and I have no more tanks left to put the gourami in if when her grows up he acts the same as the sunset did.

As far as the ram goes, the only rams the LFS keep around here are babies, and with as territorial as my ram is, I don't think it would be a good idea to put a 1" baby in with my full grown almost 3" ram...

I would love a gourami rather than another school of tetras or minnows, but I am really worried that it will grow up and bully my ram again.

There should be absolutely no problem puttin
younger rams in with an older one.
I had 2 mature adults (paired) in my tank and added
3 juveniles of 1.5 inches with no issues.

These are not aggressive territorial fish. These are
peaceful, social fish.


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well, I decided to add a powder blue dwarf gourami with the addition of a couple more lemon tetras.

the little gourami is very peacefull, he has not disturbed any of the tetras, and even shys away from the ram when it chases him out of his territory. he has been hanging out at the surface, complete opposite of my sunset DG, that wouldn't leave any of my fish alone.

so, everyone is happy and my final loadout is

8 lemon tetra
3 cherry barb
1 bolivian ram
1 blue dwarf gourami

thanks for all the input everyone!

you could add a betta

Yup. I'm that crazy Twilight/animal/music girl

Bettas and Gouramis should not be mixed.
I thought that was ok to mix them too until one day
I came home to find both my dwarf gourami and male betta
damaged to all ends and both died that same night.
Id not recommend it to anyone.


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You may want to check out some smaller varities of rainbowfish. I'm personally a huge fan of the threadfin rainbows. Just have to watch out for fin nippers because their tails are extra extra long.