29-Gallon Stocking Plans: 4 Tanks From Community to Angelfish

Percentages from our bioload calculator, adult sizes, standard filtration. A 29-gallon is 30″ long and 18″ tall — the height is what unlocks this size's signature fish, the angelfish.

Twenty-nine gallons is a sweet spot: enough height for an angelfish, enough length for real schools, and enough water volume to forgive the occasional late water change. Here are four very different ways to fill it — all checked for adult size, group needs, and one shared temperature.

Plan 1 — The Layered Community

Stocking level: 85% — comfortable. Set temperature: 75–77 °F. The pearl gourami is the gentle giant of the gourami family — a 4-inch fish with a placid temperament that suits community life far better than most centrepiece fish. Give it floating plants to drift under and it will reward you with constant, calm exploration while the tetras school beneath.

Plan 2 — The Angelfish Tank

Stocking level: 80% — comfortable. Set temperature: 78–79 °F. A 29-gallon's 18-inch height is the minimum that suits an angelfish's tall fins. The corydoras are chosen deliberately: bottom-dwelling, armoured, and far too big and busy to be angelfish prey. What you must not add is small tetras — an adult angel hunts neon-sized fish, which is why none appear here. Keep the angel as a single specimen; pairs in this size of tank often turn territorial.

Plan 3 — The South American Stream

Stocking level: 79% — comfortable. Set temperature: 73–79 °F. Bolivian rams are the forgiving dwarf cichlid — hardier and more tolerant than the German blue ram, with real personality and subtle colour. Cardinal tetras give you the neon look with a fuller red stripe. Add the otocinclus last, once the tank is a few months old: they graze biofilm and do poorly in brand-new setups (our calculator flags exactly this if you build the plan there).

Plan 4 — The Barb Tank

Stocking level: 78% — comfortable. Set temperature: 72–79 °F. Tiger barbs have a reputation as troublemakers, and in a group of three with long-finned tankmates, they earn it. In a group of ten, on their own, the squabbling stays inside the group and what you see instead is one of the most active, interactive schools in the hobby. The rule is absolute, though: never mix them with bettas, gouramis or angelfish — our calculator will refuse to bless that combination, and so should you.

Stocking any 29-gallon

• Cycle first — fishless, 2–6 weeks: nitrogen cycle guide.
• Add one group per week, testing ammonia and nitrite before each addition.
• Tweaking a plan? Verify your version in the calculator and keep a first tank at or below 90%.
• Other sizes: 10-gallon · 20-gallon · 55-gallon plans.