Recommendation for Semi-Aggresive Community

[Good Wolf]

We are getting a 29 gallon 'tall' tank from my brother this weekend and want to get a semi-aggressive tank started.

This is the list of semi-aggressive fish that I've found that I like.

Rosy Barb qty 1 or 2

Red Tailed Shark qty 5 ? I know they need to be in groups but not sure what the min. should be.

Tiger Barb qty 5

Bumble Bee Catfish (I'm not sure how common they are, I don't remember ever seeing one. I've always heard that they spend most of their time in hiding which I wouldn't care for. I can't find anything regarding their care either.)

I can't find any smaller aggressive fish to fill out the tank, but I'm not sure that is necessary.

Your advice is appreciated.

[fishbguy]

For starters, redtail sharks don't need to be in groups. If they are kept in groups, they will eventually kill eachother. Get one, or none.

I"m not 100% positive about the buble bee cats, but I think they'll get too large for your tank.

Tiger barbs are good, but I would suggest 6-8 of them.

Rosey barbs are also need to be in a larger school.

[FishHead]

tiger's need more than a 30. They do well in groups of 6-8, but are fin nippers. If you wanted barbs, get smaller ones like cherry or maybethe rosies.A larger tetra like the buenos aires would be ok in a 30.. RTS are too large for a 30. I had to move mine because he stayed hidden the entire time. I wouldn't put a RTS in a 30.

If I were you, I would look into various tetras, or smaller gouramis or rainbows.
Most rainbows grow to 6" and require a minimum of 55. I have 6 in my 55 and they require a TON of space and water movement. They are extremely active, as well as the barbs.

[Good Wolf]

That is disappointing. I'm completely conflicted now.

I misread the info on the Shark, so I'm glad I asked.

I am looking into getting a bigger tank but am trying to decide right now what two communities I want so that I don't end up regretting the set up on the new 29g.

[FishHead]

I'm not too familiar with many cichlids, but I believe some smaller ones can be fine in a 30.

[emc7]

First off, is this a 30" x 12" tank? That gives you more choices than a 24" extra high tank.

[Good Wolf]

I will have to get back to you on that. I've seen it but it was quite some time ago. I wll be picking it up this weekend.

I'll have several weeks to decide what to get while it cycles but I'm starting my research now.

I'm starting to get the impression that most aggresive fish get too big for this tank and I might be better off with a regular community tank.

[trashion]

You could keep a pair of kribs and then a school of tetras or rasboras

The kribs are fascinating to watch, not to mention beautiful.

[Gourami Swami]

Most truly agressive fish would need a bigger tank, or would beed to be kept in the 29 solo. But there are things that would work great that aren't particularly aggressive. I would look into some types of dwarf gourami, small cichlids (Like kribs or Bolivian Rams), Or if you dont mind having a small number of fish, you could get a pair of convicts. They get pretty large and are a truly aggressive fish, but with enough hiding spots for the female, It will work.

[Good Wolf]

Wow the Kribs are awesome looking. I haven't come across them in my searches yet. That is a real possibility there. The rasboras are also cool.

Right now I have a 8 Tetra and was told they need a larger tank to be happy so I'll probably hold off on getting more until I get the larger tank.

I checked into convicts and don't think I want anything super mean. I just like the the look of the more predatory fish but will most likely stick with semi-aggresive.

The gouramis and cichlids are also a possibility. I like the two that we have now, and there are several others that interest me.

[karazy]

columbian tetras look almost like little red blue and silver pirahnas in my opinion which makes them look kinda agressive

[COM]

Tiger barbs are fun but you need a few to keep them from terrorizing the other fish. Tinfoil barbs are great when they are small but they get way too big for a 29g. There are some small varieties of sharks that don't get too big for a 29g but they're a bit hard to find. Most stores seem to just have the ones that get over 6" or the rainbows which, IMO, seem to get beat up a lot and don't always stay pretty unless they are in a huge tank with their own territory.

[Buggy]

You don't want the bumble bee catfish, you would never see it. I have one and teh ONLY time I see it is when I completely dimantle the tank for a redecorating job. That little booger can hide in some of the darndest places and they don't like the light either. I never even know if he's still in there until I accidentally startle him from his hiding spot.

[emc7]

A single pair of dwarf or small cichlids would be interesting and colorful. You'd have to be careful choosing other tank mates. Or a single gourami. I wouldn't do both gouramis and cichlids in a tank that small.

[welchrock]

Definitely agreed with a lot of people here about the red-tailed shark. You wouldn't want more than one anyways, they get pretty big fast and cover a lot of ground.

As for the 29G, an 'outside of the box' approach might be to sell the tank on Craigslist and get something bigger. A larger tank will give you a lot more options and likely be a lot more fun!

Just a thought.