12 Gallon Setup and 29 Gallon Setup. Think it will work?

[it4lian]

Well I bought a 12 gallon Eclipse System 12 which I just started to cycle tonight and will add in my CT and a few zebra danios in a week or two and I am going to add my CT betta and a small school of probaly 6 or 7 zebra danios. I'm also thinking of adding a few amano shrimp, some snails and freshwater clams to keep the nitrates down. What do yall think? Overstocking it or just right?

I'm also going to setup my 29 gallon that I've had sitting empty for the last few months. I'm thinking of either a planted community tank with 1 Angelfish, 1 Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami, 7 Royal Black Emperor Tetras, 6 Emerald Corys, and a Tiger pleco(L-02) or Gypsy King pleco(L-66). Another setup I was considering for this tank is 6 or 7 small Tanganyikan Cichlids. What do yall think of these setups as well?

These are my first two fish tanks and I wanna set them up right so I can minimize future problems now and all the help I can get would be appreciated. Thanks.

[CarterNichols]

well nevermind.

[it4lian]

Those two plecos only grow to about 5 1/2 inches at the most and are ok in a 29 gallon i've heard. If not what should I get to replace the pleco's?

[trashion]

Yeah, not all plecos get huge, several do just fine in a 29 gallon. Butterfly plecs, bristlenoses, etc.

Don't put danios in a 12g Eclipse. Those tanks are too tall for active back-and-forth swimmers like zebra danios.

[it4lian]

Hmm... My friend has 8 of em in a 10 gallon tank and they seem to do fine, but what would you recommend instead of danios?

[JustOneMore20]

She means the shape of the Eclipse 12g aren't right for fast swimmers. There isn't really anything I can think of that would be fine in there that schools and with a Betta. Are you set on adding your Betta to the 12g? What is he in now?

What about having some female bettas in there instead (without the CT)? Or maybe some fancy male guppies and some type of shrimp? Or some Sparkling gouramis and shrimp. If you could find some Microrasboras (Boraras species), they might be ok, but I still wouldn't put them in a Eclipse 12 myself. They need as much room as other tetras and rasboras that are larger.

Originally Posted by it4lian

I'm also thinking of adding a few amano shrimp, some snails and freshwater clams to keep the nitrates down

I'm not sure why you think these keep nitrates down, but they don't. They will add to your nitrates actually. Only thing to keep nitrates down are water changes and plants. Plus, a Betta will most likely eat shrimp.

Your plan for the 29g looks good. You may have some issues with the Angel and Gourami. IMO I'd choose either an Angel or a pair of Honey Gouramis and not an Angel and DG.

If you went with Tanganyikan Cichlids, you'd be limited to shell dwellers and a pair of small Julidochromis or a Calvus maybe. An depending on the shell dwellers you choose, you may be limited to a pair or 2 pair.

[it4lian]

I've taken care of a neighbors betta tank which was a 10 gallon with a school of rummynose tetra's in it and it was fine with them and I've seen plenty of tanks with them mixed with other non-fin nipping tetras and danios. The males are only aggressive with their own kind and gourami's and such usually. Some betta's are more aggressive than others though, but mines pretty passive. Right now he's in the 12 gallon which I added him into today. I'm slowly bringing him up to a temperature of about 77 cause his old tank was at about 70 or 71. Also, my neighbor has freshwater clams in his tanks, and he says they keep the nitrates down, and I've read they keep them down. I know the shrimp and snails don't do anything for it though except help with algae and stuff. And I've kept a betta with ghost shrimp for about 4 months before I gave them to a friend, because I didn't like em a lot and the betta didn't bother em at all. But thinks for the ideas I'll consider them.

[JustOneMore20]

I know Bettas can be kept with other fish. That's not what we're talking about. We're saying that the dimensions of the tank aren't good for schooling fish. Maybe the Rummies were ok in a 10g, but I've found they need more room than that. When I had mine in my 55g, the swam back and forth the whole 4ft of length......a 10g doesn't allow them must swimming room. Same with Danios. For both of those, I wouldn't put them in anything less than a 20g, preferably a 20 long.

Some Bettas eat shrimp, some don't. You won't know until you try it.

[trashion]

I agree with JOM20. She knows what she's talking about! It's not the size of the fish, it's the amount of room they have to swim in.

[it4lian]

[quote=JustOneMore20] There isn't really anything I can think of that would be fine in there that schools and with a Betta.

My bad I thought you were saying that nothing really would go well with a betta. I see what yall mean, but I'm still gonna try it. It's 21 inches long at the front and about 17 at the back, so I'd think thats good enough for them considering what I've seen them be kept in. Might backfire on me though I don't know. I'll consider all this, thanks for the help.

[karazy]

actualy if you went with shellies for the 29 gallon and got multis like JOM, you could have a nice litle colony going.

[it4lian]

Ok at the moment the 12 gal has 1 CT betta in it and 4 zebra danios in it. All are doing well and the zebras are schooling and swimming fine. Going to add a few more zebras to the tank in a few weeks once its done cycling. Then i'm gonna add a few shrimp to help with algae and stuff. Once thats done its time to start up the 29 gal. Thanks for ya'lls help.