barb size compatibility?

[myfriendpeter]

right now i have two barbs in a tank (i used to have a smaller one, but i got a larger tank and theyre looking lonely). one is a green barb and one is a tiger barb. the tiger has always been smaller and has picked on the bigger green barb, biting the ventral fins right off sometimes. i have a feeling that the poor big guy is on his way to fishy heaven unless i get some more barbs to make him less of a target, as i hear they are happier in a school.
id like to get 3 more barbs so i can have a large species tank, or maybe a tank with a couple compatible fish.

my real question is, will it be alright if i buy 3 more tiger (or golden, green, etc.) barbs, to add with these two, even if theyre pretty big already, and the new barbs will be quite a bit smaller?
im just wondering if the big ones will pick on the small or if they should all get along.

thanks, these forums have been super helpful already and theres none of that bull like in some of the other forums.

 

[snowyangel]

Tiger barbs can be very nippy to other fish species, especially in smaller groups because of their insecurity. When you buy tigers in a larger group they will tend to argue amongst themselves for authority instead of picking on others, but their group number should be 6 and over for this to happen.
If you can, I would bring back the one tiger barb and increase your green barb group cus if you do increase only your tiger numbers then they will probably pick on eachother and the lone green barb. Might as well go for the less aggressive species(the green) so you can add more fish in with it later without as many problems. In my experience Rosey barbs are another less aggressive barb that you could probably add with your greens with no problems. I even had roseys in with male guppies. There's the Long finned rosey barb and the regular finned and sexes are easy to tell apart(males show much more red/roseycolour (with more black on the dorsal fin) .
Just a suggestion

 

[myfriendpeter]

thanks, i dotn think ill bring back the tiger barb...i have a feeling the store wouldn't let me. but i will get more green barbs if they are available, and maybe another tiger barb or two...who knows.
ill just think about it, thanks a lot for your suggestions and experience, it was very helpful.