What size tank

[New Boy]

What size tank would people generally recommend for 5 tiger barbs, 5 rosy barbs and 2 raphael (white spotted talking catfish)

Would a recatangular 20 gallon tank be ok? or is that not big enough. Water changes 10-15% per week (really high phosphates and nitrates in my water so not keen to do more than that as it seems to stress fish more). and I was thinking about putting an internal fluval filter in the tank.

Thanks

 

[platypus]

Hiya Newb,

The general advice seems to be 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water in the tank. The only thing to watch out for is that you make your calculations based on the fully grown size of the fish otherwise you could be caught short! Sites like this will give you the fully grown size of the fish you're after.

really high phosphates and nitrates in my water so not keen to do more than that as it seems to stress fish more

Do you mean in your tap water or in your tank water?

Good luck!

 

[Alien Anna]

What size tank would people generally recommend for 5 tiger barbs, 5 rosy barbs and 2 raphael (white spotted talking catfish)

Would a recatangular 20 gallon tank be ok? or is that not big enough. Water changes 10-15% per week (really high phosphates and nitrates in my water so not keen to do more than that as it seems to stress fish more). and I was thinking about putting an internal fluval filter in the tank.

I recommend you go for the biggest tank you can afford/fit in, but I'd reckon a 30 gal long (that's a 3 ft tank) would be the smallest you can practically get away with with those fish -rosy barbs partcularly get pretty large, plus you'd need some plants, bogwood etc.

It is unlikely that the phosphates and nitrates in your water stress out your fish - I have pencilfish and rummy-nosed tetras who are extremely sensitive to nitrates, and tap water that is very high in nitrates, and yet I've never noticed any problems at all with water changes. If your fish are having problems, I'd look to something else, most likely temperature changes or pH. However, it is also possible you are misinterpreting their behaviour - tiger barbs are pretty skittish and it may simply be that they don't like their territory being messed around with. However, 15% per week, in a well-cycled tank shouldn't be a problem.

I am assuming you will cycle your new tank before moving your fish into it? I would not recommend cycling with the fish you have. Yours is a strong case for fishless cycling.

Live plants can be incredibly helpful for keeping down nitrates and phosphates, since they use it all up as fertiliser. They also keep the water clean and give off oxygen during the day.

As for a Fluval filter, that should be fine. You'd need a Fluval 3 for a 30 gal, assuming you have live plants. Don't forget the lighting - if you have good lighting you have more choice regards plants and they grow better.

 

[New Boy]

Thanks folks

Yep I do mean my tap water with regard to nitrate and phosphates. I spend about £15 on mail order every 3 months on live plants to put in my current tank (although they never last because my light isn't strong enough and I have cichlids who like to 'play'!!).

I'm probably being over sensitive as my fish are all pretty aggressive (see my sig) and do have territories so they hate water changes. But I also test using dip strips every week before and after water change and the only change is nitrate (20 ppm before change and double that after), just worries me as I know people say nitrate is not that bad but I can imagine they said the same about nitrite 50 years ago.

The reason I asked spec. about the 20 gallon is because I'm planning to get a new tank in March (300 or 400 L) to put all the fish in my sig in. I've been told that they'll all be happy in the current tank until then by a few people on this and other forums. But some of them are going pretty fast (the labs and barbs have nearly all doubled in size in two months) so I want a contingency and I happen to have a 20 gallon tank in my garage and have always wanted to add more barbs to get a bigger shoal and like rosy's so thought I could put them in there for a little while.

Alien Anna, no need to worry i'll be doing a fishless cycle I don't need any convincing on that score. I'll also use some filter pads and gravel from my existing tank to help the process.