# tiger barb stocking



## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

Alright so my aunt wants me to stock her tank. Ive already put in albino tiger barbs and regular tiger barbs (6 of each). She wanted neon tetras but i said they are a no no with tigers but she wanted me to get them anyway. I did and sure enough she went from 10 to 3. Told ya. 
Anyway she wants another group of fish to put into her tank. I told her if she does get another group it will be maxed out. NO MORE FISH!

She wants something that gets larger (not neon tetra size) because she wants to be able to see the fish from her couch. Tiger barbs were the perfect size. She wants something that swims around a lot and it needs to be colourful. Her tank has a blue background so the fish cant be blue or green or grey.
Orange, albino, yellow, etc contrasting colours would work best.

Any suggestions? All i can think of is getting 1 or 2 cichlids like a yellow lab (but she wants a group of something) or Danios but they would be hard to see.

Im going to the lfs on saturday. She has given me a budget of $30 so im looking for cheap fish. Typical fish at the lfs are around $5 each

Help?


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

Errr.. you planning to keep the Tiger barbs and the neons? Anything you get will have to deal with the aggressive nature of the barbs.

If not I would just say gold fish. They are pretty, colourful, can get big, and not a lot of work..... 

or you can get a fish tank screen saver! They can be over stocked, pretty, and no water concerns! (sorry for the sarcasm, but I must admit the criteria there is pretty specific).


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Might wanna throw out the tank dimension so we can try to figure this one out! Or even how many gallons?


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## FED (Apr 25, 2010)

I have white cloud minnows with my tiger barbs.. they get along fine.

I would suggest another types of barb, or a cleanup crew consisting of a bristlenose, ottos, and/or cories.

Whats your tank size?


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

Its not my tank its my aunts tank. Im having a difficult time with her requirements for fish.
The neons she wanted are almost gone. I told her to put them in her 5 gal since there are only a couple left.

The tank is an odd size. I think its a 25 long?? its in the high 20's anyway and long. No i dont have the dimensions.

She had white clouds before but they are too small for her liking. She wants something she can see from her couch.
She doesnt want any kinds of plecos. She saw the ones i had once upon a time ago and she didnt like the poop party streamers they made. Ottos are too small for her plus she has no algae they would starve. She doesnt like corydoras or anything on the bottom of the tank. She wants something lively that can swim around.

Yes i am looking at other barbs but the cheapest one i found in the lfs was $12 something besides the tiger barbs which were $5 something for the regular tigers and $6 something for the albinos.

She had goldfish before and found them borring. She has a pond for them now.

I know she is very specific. Thats why im having a hard time. Shes like fish-zilla (taken from bridezilla) or something


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

angels?
giant danios?
bleeding heart tetras?

theres tonnes out there


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

i take back the angel part... 
for got there fin nippers


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

TCR said:


> angels?
> giant danios?
> bleeding heart tetras?
> 
> theres tonnes out there


Giant Danios agreed on!

But you're very limited since you've already have barbs and it's only a 20 gallon or something...
Anyone know if Long Fin Serpae Tetras will work? I luv those things!
Dwarf Neon Blue Rainbows?


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

Oooo.... I have 3 gold barbs (3" long) that I'm trying to get rid of! They are super active, pretty, and large. Free if you come and pick them up.... err.. your location says Kitimat...is you Aunt in Kitimat too?

However, 12 tiger barbs and 3 large gold barbs are a lot of fish. Your tank would have to be big enough to accommodate them...


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## RDonald (Apr 25, 2010)

Are you sure the neons died out due to the barbs? Neons can be really delicate. With a school of 12 the barbs should spend more time picking on each other than anything else (usually) I have a school of 8 tiger barbs in my 25g and they don't even bother with my school of neons (7 of them) because they are too busy picking on their own kind establishing a heirarchy.

Harlequin Raspbora's are colourful, can hold their own in a tank of barbs and look really pretty in a school, don't be fooled by the babies you see at the lfs all the time, when they grow out they are really something!

Ryan in Richmond


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## KevinPR (Aug 6, 2010)

If you have 12 tiger barbs in a 20 something gallon tank I would say you're pretty stocked. Those Tiger Barbs will get to like 2 or 3 inches so I don't think you want to put anything else in it. I do think a small school of cories would be good but if she isn't into that I have no idea....


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## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

the biggest problem with tiger barbs, is they are pretty aggressive. I never had much problem when I had tiger barbs in my tank. I had them with. 

golden barbs, fruit skirts, albino danios, odessa barbs, even black skirt tetras, 

dwarf gourami? 

do some research, because some cichlids will work, such as fire mouth, even yellow lab, but then again you have to keep in mind you have a double problem, small tank and aggressive fish. its a tough one.


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

This is hard eh?
Ive convinced her to move the neons. She also told me 4 of her barbs have died over the last 3 months.

Danios sound good, as do the gold barbs. I never thought about the serpaes. I will show her pics of these and see what she says.

I dunno about a gourami. They are pretty docile. I did however have a gold gourami that was a bastard.
No firemouth those guys need room. I had one before too (in my 100gal) and he went everywhere. They get big too.

I wont allow her to get anything over 3 inches. I told her those barbs are going to grow but she wants the full look. sheesh. I will just get her a small group of something (dont know what) and say thats all your tank can handle. If she wants anything else she can get it herself and suffer the consequences when all the fish die from the aftermath of overstocking. Silly lady.

The tank is in the high 20's definitely over 25 gals and its long. The barbs pretty much stay to one side of the tank. weird eh? 

She doesnt like harlequins. I have some in my tank now and she doesnt like them. Not colourful enough for her. Shes the kind of person that likes the super bright colourful fish. I swear if she saw dyed fish she would want those just because they are all highlighter colours.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Tell her to get a 55gallon and get some cichlids instead~


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

How about some orange glo zebra danios?


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

If tiger barbs are dieing she should definately be changinf more of her water, they are a very hardy fish in my experience.
Seriously though she should have some bottom feeders in the tank for uneaten food.
I back the cory cat suggestions previously mentioned, a school for sure.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

TomC said:


> How about some orange glo zebra danios?


Somehow I got a feeling that she'll say it's too small, can't see it~


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## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

gourami.. docile. Mine bit chunks out of my golden barb, it was yellow with pink spots from all the scars. 

has she ever thought of goldfish? lol big, bright. easy.


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

she says goldfish are for the pond. None in her tanks. 
She has no room for a 55 gal tank. She has a small house.
She doesnt want any bottom feeders. So corys are out. Plus they arent colourful enough for her.

She doesnt have a lot of luck with any fish. She actually over cleans the tanks and thus ends up killing the bacteria and causing a new cycle. This is the first time she has had fish that have done so well in her tank. I was expecting all of them to die within a couple of weeks. Mind you we told her how to clean the tank... like a man. Sorry for the sexist comment. but we told her not to take the ornaments and gravel out to scrub them and only change 20-30% of water at a time. 50% if she wants to do a good cleaning. She used to take all the fish out of the tank, put them in a bowl or bucket and scrub down the whole tank including filter.
She has come a long way and is still learning although she is very very stubborn and wants what she wants.
She originally wanted a group of male betta in there with the barbs.

But yes im thinking either the giant danios, gold barbs or serpaes... maybe i will look at a gold gourami. Yes they can hold their own lol


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## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

what about mollies?


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## KevinPR (Aug 6, 2010)

cichlid said:


> what about mollies?


I don't think mollies would work seeing as they need some salt and Tiger Barbs aren't that tolerant of salt.

You really got your work cut out for ya there, I am stumped and don't even know what to suggest now


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## cichlid (Jul 30, 2010)

KevinPR said:


> I don't think mollies would work seeing as they need some salt and Tiger Barbs aren't that tolerant of salt.


Really? I didnt know they needed salt, the things stores dont tell you. 
My fiance loves mollies, so this is good info to know. Thanks.

I have no idea man. 
as far as big fish in that tank size 2-3" is max. There isnt many I can think of.


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

I know this is killing me. Ive been researching for a while now. She asked for some almost immediately after the barbs were added.
Ok so the list now includes
giant danio
serpae
gold barbs
gold gourami (I would need to convince her on this because its not a "group")


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

skabooya said:


> I know this is killing me. Ive been researching for a while now. She asked for some almost immediately after the barbs were added.
> Ok so the list now includes
> giant danio
> serpae
> ...


I'm sure you've already figured this out, but any of those you just listed will either cost more than $5 for large ones, or less if you stick with small ones... Your aunts going to have to increase her budget if she wants lots of big pretty ones, or wait a few months/years for them to grow up...


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/canadian-aquatics-36/jumbo-cardinal-back-4542/
rummy nose r great too. they r actually a great fish to have as their noses fade when water quality not so good anymore.


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## couch (Apr 22, 2010)

cherry barbs have been overlooked and are colourful, hold their own with other barbs and I have seen some pretty big ones. They are also cheap.


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

PLATYS?
SWORDTAILS?

both hardy in my opinion


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

couch said:


> cherry barbs have been overlooked and are colourful, hold their own with other barbs and I have seen some pretty big ones. They are also cheap.


ah yes, these r a cool fish


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

I have rummies and she really likes them but at our lfs they are $$$$ now that we only have one lfs. boooo

Cherry barbs *strokes chin* I wonder if she would like them...hmmmmmm

She said something before about swordtails...dont remember what i should ask and see if it was "yes i like or No they suck" 

shes had platys before and no luck. she now despises them because of how fast they drop in her tank.... mind you that was a couple of years ago.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

charles in the link i gave you will ship. he has both probably

http://www.canadianaquatics.com/stock/stock.htm he has rummynose $2


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

i had rummy nose and red barbs together..looked pretty colorful


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

green barbs r cool too...but i thin the red she wold be able to see from a distance better. the cardinals and rummy nose like to be in a least a group of 6


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

Alright done. So i picked up a small gold gourami and 3 serpae's. She said she will put the serpaes in her other tank because they are "pretty".
Hehehe I cant wait until that gourami grows up. Then she wont be complaining about not seeing it in the tank 

I had another good look at her tank... Its gotta be high twenties/low thirties. I have a 28 and a 32 and its between those sizes. Pretty similar to my 28 long.

In any case she is now cut off from fish. NO MORE!!!!


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## couch (Apr 22, 2010)

skabooya said:


> In any case she is now cut off from fish. NO MORE!!!!


Only if you teach her about proper tank maintenance.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

long finned rosy barbs or odessa barbs. they are both shiny and busy..and bright.


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

I was looking at the rosy barbs and odessa barbs but the lfs wants $12 and $16 per fish for them.

This is why i want to open up my own private fish shop in my house. I know i could do better and i wont be in it to make a profit.


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## skabooya (Jun 15, 2010)

PS
Ive been trying to teach this woman for years about tank matinance. It took her until last year to learn not to remove everything for a cleaning and not to scrub it all down.
She has a little 5 gal tank that is doing AMAZING because she never cleans it. Just tops off and cleans the filter when its not running properly. There are a few plants in there from my tank and they are thriving. Go figure. She just needs to apply that to her big tank.


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

I didn't read through the whole thread; you could try Rosy Barbs. They have bright color and are big enough to deal with tigers and they get big.


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