New Tank With Tiger Barbs

[saratogaslim]

Hello! First time posting here, and finding forums so far the best resource!

I am "adopting" a 20 gallon tank with 5 barbs that already live in it. Very excited to bring it home tomorrow! I have things sorted to bring most of their water with them, and will hopefully be doing only about a 10% water change with water from my own place. My place is on the same county water system though, so hopefully not too terribly different. I've read that having water sitting in buckets for a couple of days, and not right out of the tap is ideal, so I do have 5 gallons "fermenting." Any advice in all that is appreciated, though! Anything special I should do to help them acclimate well?

There are 2 tiger barbs and 3 albino barbs...the previous owner didn't state that they are albino tigers, but I'm guessing yes and it's just another color variation? Will these 5 fish school together, or do they all need to be the same kind of barbs? And if they *do* school together, I should purchase another 1-2 fish for their school so that it is 6+ from what I have read?

I am also interested in finding out if I can add another fish or two down the road when the dust has settled in the tank, so to speak, and the fish are comfortable. I like gourami and used to keep them...they lived for years and were beautiful and interesting to watch. Would a gourami do okay with the barbs? Are gourami okay alone, or is there room for more than one? I've also read that the corys do well with barbs. I have not had barbs in the past, but I do know they can be nippy...

Thanks for any advice! I'm very excited to have a tank again.

ETA: Forgot to add, I purchased a lot of plants as additions to the tank (there were only a couple, plus a rock). I've read planting will also aid in keeping the bickering down.

 

[fshinggrl]

to Tropical Fish Forums!!!

That is awesome that you are getting a tank from a friend. I just wanted to welcome you to the boards!

 

[saratogaslim]

to Tropical Fish Forums!!!

That is awesome that you are getting a tank from a friend. I just wanted to welcome you to the boards!

Thanks so much! I'm pretty thrilled! And this place looks like a great and friendly resource.

 

[aly_starh]

Welcome to TFF

If you leave water to settle overnight, you are just removing the Chlorine not Chloramine. I personally say this is fine, but others may beg to differ an advice you on using a dechlorinator. Another method you could use is boiling the water, this once again will just remove the chlorines.

If the 'Albino Barbs' look exactly the same as the Tigers except for the fact that they are Albino, then they are more than likely to be Tiger Barbs too. So yes they should shoal.

1 Dwarf Gourami will fit fine in that tank, you might have aggression issues with 2, regarding territory etc.

I have never kept Tiger Barbs before, due to the fact of them being nippy, i stuck to Tetras for my community tank, so i dont really know what type of fish they get along with.

Hope that helps

 

[saratogaslim]

Welcome to TFF

If you leave water to settle overnight, you are just removing the Chlorine not Chloramine. I personally say this is fine, but others may beg to differ an advice you on using a dechlorinator. Another method you could use is boiling the water, this once again will just remove the chlorines.

If the 'Albino Barbs' look exactly the same as the Tigers except for the fact that they are Albino, then they are more than likely to be Tiger Barbs too. So yes they should shoal.

1 Dwarf Gourami will fit fine in that tank, you might have aggression issues with 2, regarding territory etc.

I have never kept Tiger Barbs before, due to the fact of them being nippy, i stuck to Tetras for my community tank, so i dont really know what type of fish they get along with.

Hope that helps

Thank you for the tips! I purchased some of the Seachem Prime, so I will give that a go as well when prepping water for the move and future changes.

Do you think a Gourami besides a Dwarf would fit in that size tank as well (or instead of)? I worry that the Barbs might harass a DG, but I've read the Three-Spot and the Pearl might be better equipped to hold their own with the TBs? I love Dwarf Gouramis, though, I think they are beautiful! Thanks again! Picking up the tank and fish tonight and am very excited.

 

[LetsBeFriends]

be careful thou, a school of barbs will definitely nip and harass the Gourami, id suggest staying away from Gouramis all together. something like a few small bottom dwellers would be better suited.

 

[Mr Spoon]

be careful thou, a school of barbs will definitely nip and harass the Gourami, id suggest staying away from Gouramis all together. something like a few small bottom dwellers would be better suited.

Hi and welcome. I agree with letsbefriends - I keep pokadot loach and bristle nose pleco's with my tigers which works well. The different variaties of tigers will be fine together

 

[saratogaslim]

be careful thou, a school of barbs will definitely nip and harass the Gourami, id suggest staying away from Gouramis all together. something like a few small bottom dwellers would be better suited.

be careful thou, a school of barbs will definitely nip and harass the Gourami, id suggest staying away from Gouramis all together. something like a few small bottom dwellers would be better suited.

Hi and welcome. I agree with letsbefriends - I keep pokadot loach and bristle nose pleco's with my tigers which works well. The different variaties of tigers will be fine together

Thanks to both of you for your input. I'm bummed as I love Gouramis and they are all I kept before (and lived so long! 4 years for one and 5 for the other! I was very attached to them. ), but it will be fun to keep some new varieties. All the compatibility guides suggested Gouramis are good mates for TB, but a guide is a guide and I came here for actual experience. Would a loach or pleco be okay in a 20 gallon tank, do you think, or is that too small?

In regards to the number of Barbs, should I add more so they are happier? There are 5 of them.

What are some other fish that go well with Barbs and would do well in a 20 gallon tank?

Thanks again everyone for the kind welcome and suggestions!

ETA: Do loaches need buddies, or are they happy as 1-2 fish? And would TB pick on Corys? They seem like I could fit more if they like friends, and are bottom dwellers...

 

[Mr Spoon]

If your tank is 20 imperial gallons you could have 3 pokadot or similar type loach, (Not clown loach as they get big) a group of 3+ is normally recommended for loach so that's ok. . As for increasing the tiger barb numbers I would say your tank is too small for any more as they are active fish. Not sure about mixing cory's and tigers. My TB and loach tank is my favourite, I can watch it for ages.

 

[drobbyb]

Seachem Prime is one of the best water conditioners on the market. 1 ml treats 10 gallons, so a little goes a long way! Not only does it remove chlorine and chloramine, but also detoxifies ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. It's god to have around for an emergency situation.

 

[saratogaslim]

If your tank is 20 imperial gallons you could have 3 pokadot or similar type loach, (Not clown loach as they get big) a group of 3+ is normally recommended for loach so that's ok. . As for increasing the tiger barb numbers I would say your tank is too small for any more as they are active fish. Not sure about mixing cory's and tigers. My TB and loach tank is my favourite, I can watch it for ages.

It's 20 US gallons, though that's not a whole lot more, and watching the fish now that I have brought them home, I do agree! I just feel bad because aren't they supposed to have 6+? There are 5, and I guess that there were once upon a time more, but several didn't make it. I don't think the tank is adequately filtered (looking for suggestions for a new kind of filter for it) so I'm sure that didn't help. I will look into the loaches! I saw some at the LFS this afternoon when I stopped by this afternoon. Thank you very much for your advice!

Seachem Prime is one of the best water conditioners on the market. 1 ml treats 10 gallons, so a little goes a long way! Not only does it remove chlorine and chloramine, but also detoxifies ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. It's god to have around for an emergency situation.

Thanks for the info, Robby! I used some on the 50% of the water that I pulled from my tap, since I couldn't get more than about 10 gallons from their tank when I brought them home tonight. Hopefully that plus the filter being the original will get them through the move, poor little fish. And unrelated, but I keep looking at Rainbow fish (and see your posts)...what are they like? Would they get on okay in a 20 gallon and with Barbs?

I see how this could become very addictive very quickly, with multiple tanks!

 

[drobbyb]

The larger rainbows need at last 30 gallons, but the "blue eyes" can be kept in a tank as small as 10 gallons. The Pseudomuguil species found here are suitable. I've never tried them with tiger barbs though, so I'm not sure what would happen.

 

[saratogaslim]

Hi all, appreciate all the advice so far. The TB are doing well, though one did not survive the move, unfortunately. He didn't look well when I went to pick them up, though.

So now there are four TB. They are very, very active, and pick on each other a lot. Is this tank big enough for them? 20 US gallons long, I've put lots of plants and a couple of ornaments (cave and a big rock) in for them. I know they are supposed to have at least 6 total. They came with the tank, but I am concerned about the space when they get bigger? Also, the infighting is not so great...the "big one" is frequently picking on one little one in particular...she (I think) seems stressed.

Any ideas or thoughts?

 

[chesterscot]

hi welcome to tff
t/b's are great active fish and putting plants and decor in will help to give any fish that is stressed a place for time out
ive found cory catfish and b/n plecs work well with them
good luck scot

 

[grumpysteve]

Hi all, appreciate all the advice so far. The TB are doing well, though one did not survive the move, unfortunately. He didn't look well when I went to pick them up, though.

So now there are four TB. They are very, very active, and pick on each other a lot. Is this tank big enough for them? 20 US gallons long, I've put lots of plants and a couple of ornaments (cave and a big rock) in for them. I know they are supposed to have at least 6 total. They came with the tank, but I am concerned about the space when they get bigger? Also, the infighting is not so great...the "big one" is frequently picking on one little one in particular...she (I think) seems stressed.

Any ideas or thoughts?

you could happily fit a few more tiger barbs in there, and if you did they'd stop harassing each other. as for working out how many fish you can fit in there all together its easier to work out with tank dimensions rather than volume. but you could roughly fit 60cm of adult fish in there, the TB's would come to about 42ish cm when adult (if you have 6), which would leave you 18cm, the choice isn't massive tbh, but if you're over filtering and keep an eye on water quality you could get away with going over that. personally with that tank and those fish i'd set up a species tank, maybe even a small biotope