Aquabarb got Tigerbarbed🤦

Ive only gone and brought Tiger barbs!!

Plan was to buy a nice big group of schooling fish for one of my 5ft tanks. I did order a group of Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris) But the scare of TB with Rainbowfish was to much of a risk for me to take so i cancelled them and planned a trip to my lfs today.

Big Tetras was on my radar
Bleeding hearts,Buenos aires, Red eyes etc.There was some nice African Tetra's which took my fancy but me being a stucker for a barb fell in love with the Tigers and i couldnt resist they are truly stunning fish in a big group.

I have always wanted tiger barbs at some point tbf but ive given myself a dilemma now.

They have currently got my 29g forest tank to them themselves while i check all is well but would love them in my south amercian cichlid tank eventually.

I could keep them where they are as a single species tank (might have to slim the group down once fully grown tho) or put them in the south tank?? Need to do some research. Think group size i have would keep any fin nipping away but not sure if their too active for the cichlids. (Severums, Blue acara, Geo's) my Loaches/Pictus/Tetras i have in other tanks dont seem to bother my other cichlids tho

Anyone else had 's with medium non aggressive cichlids. Any issues?

Cheers

Tank size and numbers factor in, and a 29g assuming it is 30 inches/75cm length is the accepted minimum for this species, with a number of 12 to 15. Not fewer, ever. And no other upper fish.

Cichlids are sedate, and this is not a good tankmate.

The TB is indeed a nice looking fish. I usually suggest Black Ruby Barbs for a very similar (but even more attractive) and certainly better behaved barb.

Byron said:

Tank size and numbers factor in, and a 29g assuming it is 30 inches/75cm length is the accepted minimum for this species, with a number of 12 to 15. Not fewer, ever. And no other upper fish.

Cichlids are sedate, and this is not a good tankmate.

The TB is indeed a nice looking fish. I usually suggest Black Ruby Barbs for a very similar (but even more attractive) and certainly better behaved barb.

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I have had the black Ruby barbs before along with quite a few others barbs in my bigger tanks. They are lovely barbs for sure.

I would need to upgrade the 29g or slim my group down if i was to keep the tigers in a single species tank. I have 21.

AquaBarb said:

I have had the black Ruby barbs before along with quite a few others barbs in my bigger tanks. They are lovely barbs for sure.

I would need to upgrade the 29g or slim my group down if i was to keep the tigers in a single species tank. I have 21.

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That's OK. Better that that have them chewing everybody else. With plants and water changes, fine.

I should be clear, in case someone decides to attack me for my suggestion to leave them in the 29. This is something I would not normally suggest, but when one is in a difficult situation one has to provide the best solution under the circumstances. Maybe return some of them? Of course, if there are no sedate fish in a larger tank, they can work well, there are enough of them.

Numbers make a real difference. This happens to be one of the shoaling species studied by five or six biologists with respect to how numbers of the species affect them. And the study put three, five and ten in separate tanks. The effect of the small numbers in the groups of three and five was within hours--the barbs began tearing into each other. The biologists removed them from the study as they said having them in such small numbers was clearly inhumane. The group of 10 remained, but they too had aggression [all species studied did in small numbers] but not quite so bad.

Yep, keep the big group and keep it a species tank. Numbers should be fine if you keep up on your water changes. In a group this big, my guess is they'd be OK with some robust/active bottom feeders, but not sure. And of course, you'd be getting a bit overstocked if you added loaches or catfish. Byron, any experience on how tigers do with bottom feeders?

Also: Pictures! We want pictures!

WhistlingBadger said:

Yep, keep the big group and keep it a species tank. Numbers should be fine if you keep up on your water changes. In a group this big, my guess is they'd be OK with some robust/active bottom feeders, but not sure. And of course, you'd be getting a bit overstocked if you added loaches or catfish. Byron, any experience on how tigers do with bottom feeders?

Also: Pictures! We want pictures!

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Wont be adding any bottom dwellers, it will just be the Tigers if i keep them in the 29g.
Wouldnt need any tbh, the tigers are so entertaining even with me having the lights off while i let them settle in theyve been awesome to watch.

Ive read they are like wolfs with their hierarchy and the top dogs will eat first etc. Pretty cool fish


Ill take some pictures when settled in

just hanging around...waiting for those photos ...

IME they are species tank candidates and a 29 is not really big enough for the number required for peace t

WhistlingBadger said:

any experience on how tigers do with bottom feeders?

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I tried this with cories and ended up having to buy another tank sharpish. The tigers were biting the cories dorsal fins, sometimes 2 tigers attacking 1 cory. This was a 125litre so a similar size to @AquaBarb 's. The tiger's were the most beautiful fish, but they died one by one and the shoal got too small.

All is well in the tiger tank. Settled in nicely and showing some lovely colours. They are so enjoyable to watch with their activity (feeding times are awesome) beautiful fish they really are

Not fully decided on their permanent home yet. Still researching on other fishkeepers experiences with them. I have been looking at bigger tanks this week, id probaby go for something in a 50/55g size range for an upgrade.

Tried to get you some pictures but its a terrible room for glare. Tiled floor, white walls and sunshines a bad mix for taking pictures

I will take some better shots for you but heres a few to look at
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You need a big enough group. You have that. The rest is all about tank size. With enough space (in their opinion) they become totally peaceful.

The thing they want most (after food) is space. I kept them very early on in a similar sized tank to yours and they were nippy and ‘bothersome’. Mind you, the tank was full of other fish aswell. I’ve since kept them a few times in a 6x2x2 and they’re totally different. With lots of space (and 20-30 of them) they become their own little society, and ignore other fish. They will often get themselves all into a ball about a foot wide, and roll down the tank and back again sorting their issues out. They don’t harm each other, it’s more like puppies playing. It’s an amazing sight, a ball of barbs drifting down the tank in mid water.
The bigger the tank, the more peaceful they are towards other fish. When they’re ‘happy’ (plenty of space) they become too self absorbed to be concerned about other fish. A 50 (UK) might be big enough for that

Ichthys said:

If you get a 50 put them in that, but with not too much decor. The thing they want most (after food) is space. I kept them very early on in a similar sized tank to yours and they were nippy and ‘bothersome’. Mind you, the tank was full of other fish aswell. I’ve since kept them a few times in a 6x2x2 and they’re totally different. With lots of space (and 20-30 of them) they become their own little society, and ignore other fish. They will often get themselves all into a ball about a foot wide, and roll down the tank and back again sorting their issues out. They don’t harm each other, it’s more like puppies playing. It’s an amazing sight, a ball of barbs drifting down the tank in mid water.
The bigger the tank, the more peaceful they are towards other fish. When they’re ‘happy’ (plenty of space) they become too self absorbed to be concerned about other fish. A 50 (UK) might be big enough for that.

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Thanks @Ichthys, appreciate your insight on your experince with them.

Could i ask what fish youve kept them with in your 6x2x2? Ive seen this week on several sites and forums that fishkeepers have kept them successfully with other fish. Numbers and space do seem to be key to that success.

Ive had Odessa's, Rosy's, Black ruby's, Denison's etc with my cichlids before with no issues but Tigers seem to come with extra warning and rep.

Options are to have them in a tank of their own, probably a 50+ or put them in one of my 125's.

AquaBarb said:

Ive had Odessa's, Rosy's, Black ruby's, Denison's etc with my cichlids before with no issues but Tigers seem to come with extra warning and rep.

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None of those barbs behave like tigers. Tigers are hyperactive and often (want to) school tightly and just wander about and chase each other. In smaller tanks fish get in the way, and there’s not enough room to do that anyway, so they can’t ‘be themselves’. So they’re nippy because of that, I think.

I’ve kept them once with 8 Satanoperca leucosticta, which are no threat and stick to the bottom. And I’ve kept them with cardinals, Glowlight tetras, lemon tetras (about 30 of each) and Brochis I think, all fish that stay down amongst the decor and plants in a 2’ high tank. In both cases the tigers were the only fish in open water, which meant the whole tank in mid water was theirs. That’s the key.

I wouldn’t keep tigers with cichlids at all. It can kinda work if the cichlids are peaceful and ignore them and stay near the bottom, in a big enough and tall enough tank. I wouldn’t mix them with any cichlids that wanted the mid levels at all, or the barbs won’t be free to roam, so they might be nippy.

Feeding time in the forest tank


Just brought a 200 litre/55g gallon for them so they will have a bigger home soon. Collect the tank today

Beautiful! Fishies look happy and healthy. Plants and scape look great too!