29 Gallon Tank Stocking Options Guide

Our 29 gallon tank stocking options guide gives you five tested blueprints for a 110 L aquarium — from peaceful community to South American biotope to single-species breeder tanks. Gensou Aquascaping at 5 Everton Park runs live demo tanks on all five plans so you can see behaviour before purchase, every Saturday 2-6 PM.

Stocking Math for 110 L

Classic “1 inch per gallon” undercounts bioload for plump species and overcounts for slim tetras. Use adult length x species factor: slim tetras 0.6 L per cm, corydoras 1.0 L per cm, gouramis 1.2 L per cm. A 110 L tank comfortably holds 90-100 cm total adult fish length in a well-filtered, weekly-serviced setup.

Blueprint 1: Classic Community

15 neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi), 8 Corydoras sterbai, 1 pair dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius), 6 Otocinclus vittatus, 10 Amano shrimp. Peaceful, visually layered — top/mid/bottom occupation. All species tolerant of PUB tap pH 6.8-7.2.

Blueprint 2: South American Biotope

10 cardinal tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi), 2 pairs Apistogramma cacatuoides, 8 sterbai cories, 1 pair Bolivian ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus). Blackwater with almond leaves, pH 6.2-6.6. Aquascape with tangled driftwood from Iwarna Aquafarm (SGD 15-45 per piece).

Blueprint 3: Southeast Asian Biotope

20 chili rasboras (Boraras brigittae), 8 Pangio kuhlii, 1 pair sparkling gourami (Trichopsis pumila), 10 red cherry shrimp. Peat-filtered, dim lighting, Indian almond leaves. Lowest maintenance of the five blueprints.

Blueprint 4: African Tanganyikan Shellies

12 Neolamprologus multifasciatus shellies plus 15 Escargot snail shells scattered. Species-only because shellies defend territory aggressively. Hard PUB tap boosted with crushed coral (SGD 12/kg Polyart) to pH 8.2, GH 12+. Watch the 110 L carefully — each shellie claims 15 x 15 cm.

Why Not Mbuna in 29 Gallons

Yellow labs and rusties grow to 10 cm with high aggression. They need 125 cm tanks minimum. Shellies are the only rift-lake group suited to 29 gallons.

Blueprint 5: Centerpiece + Schoolers

1 pair honey gourami, 12 ember tetras, 8 Corydoras habrosus, 8 Amano shrimp. Lower-biomass plan that suits heavily planted scapes where fish are secondary to plants. Ideal for our planted aquarium setup scaled to 110 L.

Species to Avoid

Common plecos (40 cm adult), bala sharks (30 cm), silver dollars, tiger barbs under 10 (nippy), goldfish (cold water, high bioload), angelfish (tank too short at 46 cm height), discus (need 114 L minimum per pair plus perfect water).

Acclimation and Quarantine

Drip-acclimate 45-60 min to match pH and TDS. Quarantine all new fish 14 days in a 20 L hospital tank with prazipro. Iwarna Aquafarm pre-quarantines — lower risk. LFS mixed-tank fish always need your own QT. See quarantine setup.

Feeding Rotation

Hikari Micro Pellets daily, Fluval Bug Bites 1 mm every other day, frozen bloodworms 2x weekly, live blackworms weekly (SGD 3/cup at Y618). One fast day per week. Apistogrammas and gouramis benefit from vitamin-boosted foods weekly.

Water Change Discipline

25% weekly with temperature-matched dechlorinated water. Python water changer (SGD 85 Shopee) saves buckets. Track nitrate — under 20 ppm for cichlids, under 30 ppm for community. Rising TDS signals overdue change.

Singapore Sourcing Summary

Y618 Aquatic Serangoon North for neon tetras (SGD 1.20), cardinal tetras (SGD 2.50), chili rasboras (SGD 2.80), sterbai cories (SGD 8), kuhli loaches (SGD 4.50). C328 Clementi for sparkling gourami (SGD 8/pair), honey gourami (SGD 12/pair) and ember tetras (SGD 2.50). Iwarna Aquafarm for quarantined Bolivian rams (SGD 28-35), apistogramma (SGD 45/pair) and shellies (SGD 18-25 each). Green Chapter Jurong West for dwarf gourami (SGD 18/pair) and plants. Nature Aquarium Gallery Thomson Road for Amano shrimp (SGD 3) and tissue culture plants. Polyart for crushed coral and hardscape. Shopee for frozen foods, Python changers; Carousell for hobbyist shrimp colonies (SGD 30-80 starter packs).

Related Reading

• 29 Gallon Fish Tank Setup Guide
• Community Fish Compatibility Chart
• Apistogramma Cacatuoides Care Guide
• Quarantine Tank Setup Guide
• Shellie Cichlid Care Guide