So I discovered NANFA a few days ago while doing research for a native species tank I've wanted to do for some time. I live just north of Birmingham and through my fisheries science classes learned of the diversity my state has and that's what has set me off on my journey. I am curious about what a proper stocking density would be for a 29 gallon long tank and if anyone could help recommend some species to consider for my aquarium. Also I would like to take a second and say how nice it is to find others so interested in fish species that often aren't given the same light as some game fish species!

Welcome.  You certainly do have some great fish to select from right in your own backyard.  Everybody has their own favorites of course, but depending on your fish keeping experience I might start of recommending a mixed shiner tank... maybe with a few of the more hardy darters.

You live in the range of one of the most colorful minnows in the world, the Rainbow shiner!  This is an easy to maintain species that would do great in a 29 long.  With a proper filter, you could easily have a 6-8 of these guys and then maybe 2-3 Mobile logperch (not colorful, but you have that cover with the darters, and logperch have a ton of personality and interesting behaviors).  With just a little bit of current across the front of the tank and some frozen mysis shrimp, you would have a great set up that would show off your local fish!

Michael offered a nice plan.

Next year be sure and attend the Darter Festival at the Good People's Brewery downtown B'Ham.

Welcome to NANFA. I'm in Tuscaloosa, and I frequent the Birmingham area. Happy to get out sometime and show you around the local fauna!

Have to agree with both Michael and Casper. That would be a fun tank for a beginner or a more advanced native enthusiast. Other than logperch, there are several other fairly hardy darter species down your way. Trouble with some darters is getting food past the shiners and down to the darters. Percina as a rule are a bit more competitive during feeding time in a tank with minnows or shiners than Etheostoma. Logperch are pretty good at getting up in the water column and grabbing their share of food.

Take Dr. Sandel up on his offer. Fun guy, and you will learn a lot from him.

Welcome to the forum. Check out the website. Maybe one of our grants may be worth applying for down the road, and by all means tell your classmates about us. Good luck. Matt

The rainbow shiners were my first thought too, but locally you also have a couple of super Cyprinella, the Alabama shiner and the tricolor shiner. And you have SRBD and scarlet shiners in the north, and several wonderful Pteronotropis in the south.

Alabama really has a fabulous assortment of fish that are as nice as most anything you could find in a fish store. But much more interesting when you catch them yourself, know where they came from and their life history. 

Given its height, I'd consider a 29Long to be a nice minnow tank.

But Alabama has some fabulous darters too. Rainbow darters (Tenn River drainages) are wonderful aquarium fish and have done well in mixed community tanks when I've tried that. I also love the redline, fantail and black (Eth. duryi) darters from the same areas. In the midstate area for darters you have the greenbreast, Alabama, redfin, and bronze, plus the mobile logperch.

And way too many other fish to list out.

Good luck stopping at one aquarium !

Scouter, this is a must-have for you....

Your close enough to come over here around Atlanta and join us on some trips.  You are more than welcome.  I post about a couple of trips every year usually.