Pentazona Barbs....

[ddmcg]

i am in the process of cycling my first tank and while i am waiting i have been giving some thought to who is going to live there! i read a profile of pentazona barbs which made it seem like they look a lot like tiger barbs but dont come with the nipping tendencies - is this a reasonably fair assessment of them?

i would like to have tiger barbs but i also want guppies and i realise that they wont get on too well so i thought that pentazonas may be a good compromise, are there any tankmates that they wont mix with?

thanks!

 

[Lateral Line]

Pentazona are very docile. They are more delicate then Tiger Barbs, and don't tolerate pollution well. Be sure your tank is well cycled before adding them. Lovely fish.

 

[ddmcg]

thanks for that - i saw a picture of them and thought they were great looking fish but was a bit worried about their behaviour! you think they will be fine with guppies or platys or similar? also are they as easily available as tiger barbs?

thanks again for your help

 

[Piltdownpaul]

I keep 6 in my tank with platies mollies and other small stuff- i have never had any fin nipping - they seem very peaceful but i agree you need good water quality but they lovely when they get to adult size. They seem as available as tigers in my area.

 

[ddmcg]

thanks guys- i am thinking of eventually having 4 pentazonas with 4 guppies and 6 tetras of some description it should be a nice colourful mix! i am glad to see you have a high opinion of the pentazonas!

 

[stang1]

Try going with 6 Pentazona barbs as they do better in bigger groups. I've had mine for about a year now and kept them with many different fish with no problems whatsoever. They really are a beautiful fish and a great addition to any tank.

 

[ddmcg]

thats good to know i thought that 4 might be a big enough group for them.

can i get an idea what other fish you have in with them? as i said i am still trying to get some ideas for what to put in as this is my first tank.

am i right in thinking that they should be among the last fish i add so that the tank is well established since they are sensitive to water quality?

 

[stang1]

I would add them last as other members have suggested.
At the moment they are kept with Ticto Barbs, Bleeding Heart Tetras, Congo Tetras, Keyhole Cichlids, Pictus catfish and an assortment of Plecos.
In the past I have kept them with Guppies, Neon Tetras, Minnows, Ricefish, Rummy Nose tetras, German Rams and Harlequin Rasboras.

 

[GazinSussex]

Hi guys - I have 6 Pentazona Barbs in my 90Gal Community tank along with Zebra Danio's, Red Eye tetras, Silver Tip Tetras, Cory's, Khuli loaches and algae shrimps. They are very attractive, although down here in Sussex, very hard to find - I had to special order mine. I always wanted Tiger Barbs but hate aggression so went for the Pentazona Barbs. My tank is heavily planted and to be honest they are so shy I only ever see them at feeding time! Im not sure if this is always the case? The tank is mature and water quality pretty much perfect, the tank is peaceful and in a quiet room so I'm pretty sure they are not spooked - they just seem to like being in the plants until food is in the water then they are darting around eating, once the food is gone they disappear back into the plants. I must admit to being a little dissapointed as I had hoped to see more of them! I am sure if you had a less densly planted tank then you might actually get to see them