US-gallon tank guide
What can you keep in a 29 US-gallon tank?
A 29 US-gallon tank adds bristlenose plecos, German blue rams, rummy-nose tetras, kribensis and pearl gouramis. Tiger barbs meet the volume, but they nip the fins of guppies, bettas, and pearl, dwarf and honey gouramis. Aqueon's 29 has a 76.8 cm outer base, shorter than the length Seriously Fish asks for mollies and swordtails. A longer 29-gallon tank is not ruled out.
US gallons. About 109.8 litres, for anyone comparing with a litre tank.
Plan your 29-gallon tank
Add your species and the numbers you plan to keep. The builder starts empty, at 29 US gallons.
The main decision
Use the height for fish that use it, such as a pearl gourami, and check the length before you choose active swimmers.
Check the tank’s shape
Aqueon's published 29-gallon tank has the same 30¼ × 12½ in outer base (76.8 × 31.8 cm) as its 20 Long. It is 18¾ in tall instead of 12¾ in, so the extra water is height, not length. Seriously Fish asks for about 90 cm of length for mollies and about 120 cm for swordtails. This base is shorter than both, even on the outside of the glass. The tank builder checks volume only.
Manufacturer’s size and dimension guide →Compare species for 29 US gallons
Each species here meets this tank on volume. The smaller line is the litre minimum, rounded up into US gallons. It does not measure length or width.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
20 litres (5.29 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
Show all 65 species in this shortlist
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
20 litres (5.29 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
- Celebes Rainbowfish →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Celestial Pearl Danio →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
30 litres (7.93 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
20 litres (5.29 US gal)
Planning minimum
20 litres (5.29 US gal)
Planning minimum
20 litres (5.29 US gal)
- Columbian Tetra →
Fish · beginner care · peaceful · fin-nipping risk
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
- Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish →
Fish · beginner care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
Planning minimum
45 litres (11.89 US gal)
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
Planning minimum
70 litres (18.5 US gal)
- Lambchop / Espei rasbora →
Fish · beginner care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
- Malaysian Trumpet Snail →
Snail · beginner care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
20 litres (5.29 US gal)
- Marbled Hatchetfish →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
Planning minimum
54 litres (14.27 US gal)
Planning minimum
20 litres (5.29 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
30 litres (7.93 US gal)
- Rosy Tetra →
Fish · beginner care · peaceful · fin-nipping risk
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Salt and pepper cory / dwarf cory →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- Silver Tip Tetra →
Fish · beginner care · peaceful · fin-nipping risk
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
- Sparkling Gourami →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
- Sterba's Corydoras →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Threadfin rainbowfish →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- Upside-down Catfish →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- White Cloud Mountain Minnow →
Fish · beginner care · peaceful
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
Planning minimum
81 litres (21.4 US gal)
Plans worth checking on their own
Each idea is a separate plan, not a list to combine. Check the species and the numbers in the tank builder before you buy.
A pearl gourami centrepiece
One pearl gourami with a calm school and floating plants. A 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume. A pearl gourami also needs surface length and real height. Keep tiger barbs out: they nip pearl gourami fins.
A bristlenose and a school
One bristlenose pleco with a peaceful midwater school such as harlequin rasboras or cherry barbs. A 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume. A bristlenose grows to about 15 cm, so count it as a fish in the plan, not a cleaner.
German blue rams
One German blue ram or a pair. They need 26–30 °C, too warm for neon tetras (20–26 °C) and many other community fish.
Other species need a closer look
These meet the volume minimum too, but fall outside the shortlist above because of their care needs, size or behaviour. A volume match does not make them suitable tank mates.
- Agassiz’s dwarf cichlid →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive · fin-nipping risk · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- American Flagfish →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive · fin-nipping risk
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
- Apistogramma Borellii →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Apistogramma Macmasteri →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
See all 21 species and their requirements
- Apistogramma Trifasciata →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Assassin Snail →
Snail · beginner care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
30 litres (7.93 US gal)
- Brown / hockey-stick pencilfish →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- Checkerboard cichlid →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- Chocolate gourami →
Fish · advanced care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Cockatoo / crested Apistogramma →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive · fin-nipping risk · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- Croaking gourami →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Dwarf pencilfish →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
60 litres (15.86 US gal)
- Ghost Shrimp →
Shrimp · beginner care · semi-aggressive · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
- Golden / Beckford's pencilfish →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara) →
Fish · intermediate care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
50 litres (13.21 US gal)
- Golden Wonder Killifish →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- Pea Puffer →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive · fin-nipping risk · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
40 litres (10.57 US gal)
- Serpae Tetra →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive · fin-nipping risk
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
100 litres (26.42 US gal)
- Splash tetra →
Fish · advanced care · peaceful · may eat smaller animals
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
- Tiger Barb →
Fish · intermediate care · semi-aggressive · fin-nipping risk
This 29-gallon tank is large enough on volume.
Planning minimum
80 litres (21.14 US gal)
Species that need a larger tank
A 29-gallon tank is too small for a clown pleco, zebra loaches, sailfin mollies, odessa barbs and angelfish.
Each of these needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons. Buying a small juvenile does not change that.
- Clown Pleco →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 110 litres (29.06 US gal).
- Diamond Tetra →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 120 litres (31.71 US gal).
- Emerald catfish (Brochis) →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 120 litres (31.71 US gal).
- Gold / Chinese barb →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 120 litres (31.71 US gal).
- Odessa Barb →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 120 litres (31.71 US gal).
- Paradise fish →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 120 litres (31.71 US gal).
- Sailfin Molly →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 120 litres (31.71 US gal).
- Zebra Loach →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 120 litres (31.71 US gal).
- African freshwater butterflyfish →
Needs a larger tank than 29 US gallons.
Planning minimum 150 litres (39.63 US gal).
Common mistakes at this size
- Treating a 29 as a longer 20. It has the 20 Long's base, so fish that need length, such as zebra danios and mollies, gain no swimming room.
- Adding tiger barbs to a gourami tank. Tiger barbs nip the fins of pearl, dwarf and honey gouramis.
Have a few species in mind?
Check them together, with the numbers you plan to keep. The builder checks group sizes, water ranges and every pair, with a stocking estimate.
Build a 29 US-gallon planExplore another tank size
The gallon figure beside a planning minimum is the litre figure, rounded up. A tank at that gallon figure meets the litre minimum. It is not a separate biological limit. The lists use the tank’s nominal volume. Read how the checks work and their limitations.