29 gallon fish tank: dimensions and equipment

The 20-long footprint with a taller water column.

Its length matches the 20 long, but the extra height changes your reach, heater placement and how much light reaches the plants. Don’t assume a light that grows plants in the 20 long will do as well here just because it spans both.

30¼ in long12½ in deep18¾ in high
See front view

PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20 shown for scale. Positions and waterline are approximate; the checks below still apply.

Plan equipment for this tank →

Outside size of the Aqueon Standard 29 gallon. For the water it holds, measure inside the glass.

What lives in a 29 gallon

150 fish and invertebrates in our guide fit a 29 gallon tank as adults. Here is an example group drawn to scale, then the most popular choices.

All fish for a 29 gallon →
To scale: 8 neon tetras, 6 panda corydoras and a honey gourami at adult size. An example group; check your own fish in this tank.

This tank, its lid and its stand

Tank format
Aqueon Standard 29 gallon; 30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outside
Empty tank weight
40 lb
Matching lid or top
100129030
Lid fit
30 × 12 in; one top
Matching stand
Aqueon Classic Pine Black, item 100151030

These sizes are for the Aqueon Standard 29 gallon; another brand’s 29 gallon can differ. Lids fit a tank model, not a gallon number.

Box sizes won’t tell you if a lid fits: measure the ledges the lid rests on, the openings either side of the center brace and the space for the strip at the back. Check the lid is the one made for this tank before you fit it.

Aqueon’s 2025 catalog lists this stand for this tank, which tells you they fit, not that it is in stock. Follow the stand’s assembly instructions. Aqueon doesn’t publish the stand’s weight, so the filled weight calculator leaves it blank.

Work out the filled weight → Add your substrate, rock, equipment and stand to see the total on the floor.

Sold as a kit

Aqueon and Tetra sell this size as a starter kit. Here is what is in each box, in the maker’s own list, and what you still need before fish go in.

Aqueon Rectangle LED Kit, 29 gallon

Item 100117865.

In the box: glass aquarium, low profile LED hood, QuietFlow power filter, filter cartridge, submersible preset heater, premium fish food sample, water conditioner sample, fish net, thermometer, setup guide.

The heater is preset to 78 °F with no dial: right for most tropical fish, too warm for goldfish and other cool-water fish. Aqueon doesn’t give its watts; for 29 gallons in a 70 °F room its chart gives 100 W, so check the heater’s label against that.

Its filter takes the Large Aqueon replacement cartridge, so budget for replacements.

Aqueon’s page for this kit, read .

Tetra Complete LED Aquarium Kit, 29 gallon

Item NV33834. Tetra lists it at about 30 × 12 × 18 in.

In the box: glass aquarium, low-profile hinged hood with white LEDs, Tetra Whisper PF 30 Power Filter, Tetra Large Bio-Bag filter cartridge, 200-watt heater, thermometer, fish net, Tetra AquaSafe water conditioner sample, TetraMin food sample, setup guide.

Its 200 W heater is more than the 150 W the makers’ charts give for 29 gallons in a 70 °F room, so it has heat to spare in a cold room. Tetra doesn’t say whether it is preset or has a dial: check the box, and the water with the kit’s thermometer.

Its filter takes the Tetra Large Bio-Bag cartridge, so budget for replacements.

Tetra’s page for this kit, read .

Still to buy with either kit: a water test kit, a full bottle of water conditioner (each kit’s is a sample), gravel or sand, and plants and decor.

What to buy, in order

  • Buy the lid made for this tank (see below) and a stand built to carry it full, with room to open the cabinet and reach your equipment.

    Check stand and lid fit →
  • Choose gravel or soil and how deep you want it, then work out how much to buy from the inside size of the tank. Bags of different substrates weigh differently, so a pounds-per-gallon rule is only a rough guide.

    Work out how much substrate →
  • Check the filter is rated for 29 gallons and that its intake and outflow reach down the taller tank.

    Compare filters →
  • A sponge filter needs an air pump, airline and a check valve; choose a pump strong enough for your water depth. A hang-on-back or canister filter doesn’t need one, though a battery air pump makes a good backup in a power cut.

    Set up an air pump →
  • Decide the water temperature your fish need and how cold the room gets. Size the heater from the maker’s chart and your actual water volume, and check it with a separate thermometer.

    Size a heater →
  • Check the light spans your tank and how it mounts. For plants, compare PAR at your water depth where the maker publishes it; watts alone don’t tell you how much light reaches the bottom.

    Check light fit →
  • Get a kit that tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH; most master kits leave out GH and KH, so add those if your fish need them. Dose conditioner for new water by the bottle’s label.

    How to test your water →
  • Choose a siphon that lets you reach the bottom without stretching, and check the route to the sink or drain before filling.

    Choose water-change tools →
  • Keep plugs dry and labeled, with a drip loop on every cord as the manuals show. If you add a battery backup air pump, test it before you need it.

    Set up the power safely →

Then set it all up, step by step, and cycle the tank before you add fish.

Checkmarks aren’t saved when you leave the page; print it to keep them.

Measure before you buy

Outside arrows include glass and trim. Measure between the inside glass faces for water volume.
The water stops below the rim, and gravel and decor take up some of the space, so your tank holds less than its size suggests.
  • The tank’s outside size and the stand it needs.
  • The inside size up to the waterline, and how much room gravel and rock take, for your actual water volume.
  • The rim trim, the gap to the wall, the lid openings and where the light mounts.
  • The cabinet opening, the hose route and room to lift out filter media.
  • How you’ll carry water, the bucket size and where the outlets are.

With those numbers, use the water volume calculator and the electricity cost calculator. The first-year cost calculator keeps a line for every supply, even before you know its price.

Filters rated for this tank size

The smallest filters their makers rate for a 29 gallon, one of each kind. Compare the space they need and the upkeep, then choose for the fish and plants you plan to keep.

Every filter for a 29 gallon, in or out →

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Drawing of an aquarium filter (not a photo of the Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20)

Aqueon’s catalog rates this item for aquariums up to 30 gallons.

Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20

Aqueon’s five-stage hang-on-back filter: a NoDrip floss cartridge with carbon, a Bio-Holster and Bio-Media grid for bacteria, and a slot for a specialty pad (ammonia reducer, carbon or phosphate remover). Its pump needs no priming and starts again by itself after a power cut.

Consider: Aqueon doesn’t publish the flow or the power for this filter. If running cost matters, choose a model that lists them.

Drawing of an aquarium filter (not a photo of the Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal)

Aqueon rates it for aquariums of 15–30 US gal; uses a Medium EcoRenew cartridge.

Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal

Aqueon’s internal filter, which hangs inside the tank from clips on a framed tank or suction cups on a rimless one. Its flow is adjustable, its pump starts without priming and restarts by itself when the power comes back after a cut, and SmartClean makes water changes quicker. It runs on an EcoRenew cartridge of carbon-infused fiber, held in a Bio-Holster where beneficial bacteria grow.

Consider: Small, and its flow turns down for small fish, but it takes room inside the tank. Aqueon doesn’t publish the power; if running cost matters, choose a model that lists it.

Drawing of an aquarium filter (not a photo of the Fluval 107)

Manufacturer-rated for 10–30 US gal aquariums.

Fluval 107

Compact external filter with separate maker ratings for pump output and filter circulation.

Consider: Allow room to lift out and service the canister. Measure its 13.7-inch height plus the hose route before choosing it for a cabinet.

Photo credits

Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.