LFS gave bad advice.

[Popsmer]

As I started my tank, LFS said get some damsels. The blue yellow tail is not aggressive. HA, that was a lie. So, time to remove them. This is my 29 gallon tank. Everything has been where it should be for the past six weeks.
Three things.
1. Is the power head ( LFS said its a hydor )too big for my tank?
2. I'm keeping the six line but, once I get the damsels out (got them to help cycle my tank) what non aggressive fish would you recommend.
3. What is the max amount of fish you would recommend for my tank?

 

[JPSika08]

Usually the rule to determine the amount of fish in a tank is 5 gallons per inch of fish, depending on the level of filtration you have you can push that a little, this is for the overall system's water volume.
You have to consider the fish max. adult size in the equation.

In a 29 Gallon it's around 5.8" inches of fish, if a sixline adult size is 3", you are only left with 2.8" so two fish would be ok in there. Just my 0.02 cents.

 

[RyanCSGO]

yeah i had two damsels in my first tank, started off great about a month in they clearly claims their spot in the tank and turned into little jerks.

power head should be fine depending on what corals you put in or how much movement you want,
and i agree with JPSola08 on the fish amount. unless your filtration is exceptional i wouldn't push beyond what was mentioned.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I personally find the above stocking estimates to be quite conservative. Having seen a few more fish than that stocked in comparable tanks.

I would also be wary of the sixline. Some have specimens that are fine in a community tank, the majority I have dealt with turned into real monsters especially toward new additions. As such, if you plan on keeping it, quite a few possibilities get ruled out too.

Some appropriate additions to a 29g that can coexist with a sixline include stigmatura blenny and clownfish. If you get rid of the sixline there a lot more possibilities.

 

[hybridazn]

I personally find the above stocking estimates to be quite conservative. Having seen a few more fish than that stocked in comparable tanks.

I would also be wary of the sixline. Some have specimens that are fine in a community tank, the majority I have dealt with turned into real monsters especially toward new additions. As such, if you plan on keeping it, quite a few possibilities get ruled out too.

Some appropriate additions to a 29g that can coexist with a sixline include stigmatura blenny and clownfish. If you get rid of the sixline there a lot more possibilities.

Agreed, the above comments are def on the conservative side, and I also agree with the six line. It's a beautiful fish but it becomes very territorial and being a smaller tank it will be tough to add new fish later down the road.

For a 29 gallon a couple firefish would be awesome I think. Just make sure you have a lid because they are known to jump.

 

[kk009]

agreed on six line, was fine when added to similar size tank as yours with two clowns already there, then added a firefish and yellow clown goby and it was a full on seek and destroy, six line ended up killing himself bashing into acclimation box 1 to many times trying to get the newbies...

 

[Salty1962]

A good recommendation is to determine the type of fish/coral you'd like in your tank. Look at the many posts on R2R on fish/coral and compatibility, read all you can about the fish/coral and ask for folks on the site for their recommendations. LFS stores are notorious for trying to sale what ever catches your eye with no regard for the time and $$ you've put into yours. There are exceptions to the rule but you must take things with a grain of salt. Just a suggestion from years of reefing and making the same mistakes

 

[Kershaw]

Some of the bad advice I heard from lfs recently. Was copper bands won't eat unless you fresh water dip them, sand sifting star will keep your sand spotless, and sand sifting gobys won't keep your sand clean. Just saying take all with a grain of salt

 

[BoneXriffic]

Six line being the reside t fish, adding new ones can be dangerous. They kill. I was always taught if you want a 6line put it in last

 

[AlexG]

In such a small tank you are going to get some aggression out of most fish. The yellow tail damsels are more well behaved than other damsels but in a small tank they can be aggressive. The domino damsel will also be aggressive. The sixline will be aggressive in that size tank. I would consider a watchman gobie, royal gamma, green chromis, or a clown fish pair would also be possible. I would also not recommend adding all of those fish to such a small tank. I would stick to 2-3 fish max in a 29. There is not a lot of room in that size tank so stocking options are limited.