Cherry Barbs & Platys

[cutechic]

I've got a 4 gallon tank, and I'd really likes to put in a couple of swordtails and cherry barbs. are the compatible, or would the cherry barbs be too agressive? if i get them, i'll buy them when they're fry, so they can grow up together


* oops sorry i wrote "platys" in the topic, instead of "swordtails"

 

[mrV]

No, they arent. Cherry barbs lives in slighly acidic/soft water unlike platies. Platy needs basic/hard water.

Ah, ok.. Swordtails... Neither them, they need basic/hard water and you tank is too small for them, especially male swordtail with his long fin is quite big fish (male 10cm and female even 12cm long). It's recommended that they should be kept in at least 80-100cm long aquarium. It's better to buy 1 male and 3 female always.

If you look fishbase, it gives even bigger size for them: http/www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSum...ary.cfm?id=3231

 

[Pufferpack]

One other thing to mention, I'm not sure about the Cherry barbs, but if they are like other barbs they do better in larger groups(I think 5 or more is the usual recomendation) and I don't think a 4 gal tank would be big enough to house a school of 5...sorry. .....4 gal might be nice for a little Shrimp tank maybe

 

[mrV]

Cherry barbs are shoal fishes too - it isn't so dependent on shoal and it gets along well in pairs too. However, probably the best way is to keep them in shoal in small tank (e.g. ~15gal, 2male 4 female). Male cherries form small territories, females are calmer. They can be kept in with other fishes too because they are peaceful to others.

 

[cutechic]

hmm ok thx for the advice guys thats kind of disappointing about the barbs, i think they're so adorable! i guess i'll just have to save for a bigger tank. . .

 

[Jamnog]

apparently they are quite timmid as apposed to tiger barbs

 

[Pufferpack]

If as Mr.V says the Cherry Barbs are good in pairs you may be ok with a pair of them in the 4 gal...but that would probably max you out on the 1 inch of fish per gallon guideline

 

[Alia]

I've read that the cherry barbs are much less disposed to being in a group and I believe that one pair (a male and a female) would do fine in your small tank, possibly even breed, but as Pufferpack said, that would pretty much max you out.

They are a bit shy, and tend to go off on their own much more than other barbs. They are also totally non-aggressive, as far as I can tell. I have often read that they prefer other types of fish to their own species, making them ideal for a (bit larger) community aquarium. So, if you bought a pair now and later set up a community tank, you could probably add them to that.

They are pretty, aren't they?

 

[cutechic]

hmm. . . ya i think i'll try having 2 barbs i nthe tank then. but theres one problem. . . my lfs wont take fish, so if the barbs breed, where would i send the fry? what are the chances of the barbs breeding in the 4 gallon?

 

[Alia]

They do not seem to require any special circumstances in order to breed, so they probably will. According to this, they are likely to eat the eggs, though, so you might be ok.

Cherry Barb

Cherry Barb 2

 

[cutechic]

thx alia and everyone else