29 gallon stocking suggestions

[user_name]

I had a friend that was short on cash and I picked up a complete 29 gallon setup for $40. I would like to do a simple Malawi tank, but I don't really know what would work well in it.

I currently have a 72gallon with 3 small redear sunfish and a albino channel cat. I plan to be moving next year into a house and will be picking up a larger tank for them, and then the cichlids would get the 72gal.

 

[Alton]

A 29 gallon is actually a touch small for Chiclids to thrive. Most all chiclids do better with a 4 foot tank. The Dwarf chiclids are a good choice and there is some very colorful ones. Check out some small Victorians, some of them have some wild colors. But if your moving them next year you probably would be safe with juvies and then moving them to the bigger tank would be about the right timing.

 

[Motoxer777]

GBRs, cardinal tetra, loach, danios

 

[Mokujin22]

If you really want to Malawi cichlids in a 29, the only real thing that may work (long term) would be something like a quad of small peacocks - A. maylandi or A. kandeense. You could try a group of Pseudotropheus saulosi, but that may still be small for them. Either of these would require a ton of tall sight-breaks and hiding spaces and may not work long term.

If you just want rift lakes in general, I would personally go with Tangs and start with a pair of smaller Julidochromis or a Neolamprologus. A pair of Neolamp brichardi will breed in the tank and you can watch some great behavior as they do not predate their young. Same could be said about N. leleupi. A group of smaller shellies is always fun (multis, occes, brevis). Lots of possibilities with smaller rock/shell dwellers from Lake Tang.

 

[exoticreef]

A 29 is a bit too small for a malawi tank. You might try a Tang tank. Species like Cyprochromis, Lamps, and Altos will do very nicely in a smaller aquarium

 

[Mokujin22]

Cyps need a 4' tank. Even the little ones.

 

[MC.Arowana]

did you guys read he said when he moves the cichlids will get the 72 gallon

 

[mike dunagan]

A lot of people post that they will upgrade later, and often it does not happen. We are trying to give him the best advice with the tank he currently has. Plus it will be a year before he can upgrade, many cichlids would out grow the 29 way before a year

 

[ExpertBreeder]

Only thing you could do with a 29 really is breed. 1m/2f group of peacocks would be fine like that but nothing more really. Maybe some mbuna like demasoni or yellow labs if you want more fish for that size tank. I generally go by 1" of fish to 2 gallons of water when i am deciding how to stock a tank.

 

[jpierce3]

Peacocks like more swimming space. I don't think a 29 would be great for them even at a small stage and it's not always easy to find females. I used to do 2m/6f with Aulonocara sp. in a 4-6' tank.

I would suggest labidochromis sp either caeruleus or "perlmutts," 1m/3f. Hongi are more colorful, but when I bred them they seemed a bit more aggro so I kept a wild group of 3m/8f in a 75. You could try the "super red tops" but I never tried them.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/member.php?61144-Mokujin22
Otherwise, I would have to agree with Mokujin and a short x tall tank is better suited to smaller Tangs. When you move them, you can add in a couple larger species possibly. Besides, shellies are awesome.