Cherry Barbs

[Pixie25]

Hi i have a 5.5g tank and would like a small group of fish for it.

i have been told that 3 cherry barbs, 1 male and 2 females would work nicely. however, i if i keep just 3 cherry barbs in one tank is it likely that they will have fry? if they do lay eggs will the parents eat them all before they have chance to hatch and how often are they likely to lay their eggs?

i dont really want any cherry barb babies as i dont have the room to keep them!

any advice please?

 

[Lateral Line]

If the water conditions are right, they may spawn, although that is quite a small tank. The parents will, however, eat any eggs they find, and any they don't that hatch will be quickly taken care of. I doubt you are heading for a population explosion!

Under ideal conditions, most barbs will spawn almost continuously, a few eggs here, a few there. That is why to get a decent brood, you need to keep the sexes apart to allow the females to get really filled with eggs.

 

[Pixie25]

oh ok cool thats great news - i was dreading them to be like guppies! but i guess egg layers always tend to eat their own eggs huh.

do you think my tank will be ok for some cherry barbs? it has some caves shaped like a castle and two clumps of natural fern that i bought from the store. i heard they like hiding so i tried to make it comfortable for them whilst also leaving the top area open for them to swim.

the other fish that were suggested to me where endlers, could i keep a group of males together?

which would be better in your opinion?

 

[Lateral Line]

As a fan of cyprinids, I'm slightly biased! Endlers are quite nice though, as long as you are sure you have all males...

Your tank sounds okay for those 3.

>>> i guess egg layers always tend to eat their own eggs

There are many egg layers which carefully brood their eggs and young actually. Many cichlids, catfish, etc. Not all are lay and forget. Barbs however, are renowned egg eaters. Other Cyprinids, many Rasbora's for example, tend to ignore eggs after laying.

As a general guideline, (many exceptions!), egg scatterers will eat them, fish that carefully place their eggs, tend not to.

 

[Pixie25]

well i learned something new today, so thankyou for your help i really appreciate it.

i like both so i will chose by which is most suited to my water quality and ph and whichever takes my fancy at the LFS! i hope my tank cycles soon

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> water quality and ph

The barbs will prefer softer more acidic water, but todays farm bred fish are highly adaptable, and will do well in ordinary tap water. Endlers are from a naturally more esturine environment, not salty, but more mineral rich, a harder more alkali water will not be bad for them.

In short, anything 6-7.8pH the barbs, anything over 7pH the Endlers.

For either, water quality should always be good, no excuse for poor water quality.

A small tank in particular is difficult to keep stable. Good fishkeeping practices and hygiene will be well rewarded. A healthy, happy fish is a colourful, active, disease free fish that will be a friend for years, (pedant points for suggesting certain Killies which only live a few months anyway!).

 

[Pixie25]

my current PH is about 7.6 i have been browsing the forum and a lot of people seem to be saying dont mess with the PH unless it is absolutely necessary so i would like to know that the fish i choose will be able to cope with the normal PH of the tap water once my tank is settled.

do you think i will need to do my water changes more than once a week as my tank is small? and is there a way to tell from the water testing when it is time to syphon it? im guessing that 10-20% water changes will be ok for a 5g, otherwise the tank could fluctuate?

i think im starting to understand a lot more now - its all starting to make sense as i can see the over all picture.

 

[Lateral Line]

At 7.6pH, either species will be fine.

>>> dont mess with the PH unless it is absolutely necessary

Absolute, cast in gold, diamond encrusted advice. Adjusting your water parameters takes either a lot of faith, (often misplaced), or a sound grounding in inorganic chemistry. If it ain't broke - don't fix it.

>>> do my water changes more than once a week

Not necessarily. Remember, (simplification alert!!),...

... in the tank...

You -> Food -> Fish -> Ammonia

... in the filter...

Ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate -> You

... thus, good food is converted by your fish into toxic ammonia. Your filter converts that back to nitrates, which are less toxic, but still bad. You complete the cycle, you added the food, you take out the nitrates, that is water changes.

In a small tank, if you stock light, and feed light, you will need to change light.

In small tanks, overstocking and overfeeding are the killers. Stock light and keep 'em keen.

 

[Pixie25]

thankyou for being such a great help! it all makes sense.

by feeding lightly - would once a day be ok, maybe skip one day a week?