okay, so i know little to nothing about tiger barbs. Anyone wanna inform me? These are my questions..
How you can you tell whether one is a male or female?
males will generally have more red on their fins and red on the nose. Females tend to be rounder in shape. Both may not become noticeable till they mature some.
are they hardy?
yes ... They are good fish to cycle a tank with, very hardy with a wide temp and ph range. One of the few tropical fish that do fine at room temp.
how many can be an a 55 gallon tank with live barriers?
generally stay away from slow swimming fish with large fins as tb's are notorious fin-nippers. You could do them with live bearers if you keep them in a shoal of at least 7 minimum, but more is better. In a 55 you could do 10tb's no problem.
what type of decor do they like the most? Or does it matter?
plants, plants and more plants along the back and sides ... Oh some dw and rocks also helps! But!!! Leave plenty of swimming room in the middle areas since tb's are very active fish that constantly chase, nip and fight with each other. Nature of the beast, the male constantly jockey for the alpha spot of the shoal. Which means low tb (usually the smallest) on the totem pole may get bullied.
please & thanks.