Tank mates for tiger barbs?

[ColdKoi]

So I did a thing today... lol

Price was right so I picked up a 75gal tank. Got it set up and partially scaped till I figure out exactly what I’m going to do. It’s going to be planted.

While I was in the city I went and browsed what was available for stocking the tank. As usual it was slim pickings!

I grabbed the last 7 tiger barbs, 4 corydora catfish and a red tail shark. That’s about all they had that I thought would work out ok.

As things progress with the tank And as fish become available I’m thinking I should add some more tiger barbs so I’ll have maybe a school of 15 or so? I was thinking about maybe having another school of different fish in there, maybe some zebra danios?

Would the tank be getting crowded with a school of barbs and danios? More so concerned about the red tail getting aggressive

 

[Aiken Drum]

I would be more concerned with the red tailed shark getting aggressive towards the corys as they will occupy the same space. See how that goes.

Cant see an issue elsewhere though if you where to add some danios and more barbs.

 

[ColdKoi]

Yea seems to be mixed reviews on the red tail. Pretty much every guide says they’re compatible but there’s more than one horror story about the red tail cleaning out the tank once they get a little bigger. He might have to get his own piece of property if that happens

I’m hoping to create a bit of a division of plants and whatnot in the middle so hopefully the red tail sticks to one end and stakes his claim and doesn’t bother the corys if they hang out at the other end. I’ve read that can work

 

[Aiken Drum]

Never kept one but understand the tactic for them is to create a route around the substrate for them to be able to patrol. Like a figure 8 track.

 

[ColdKoi]

It’ll be a learning curve for sure. So far I’ve hardly ever seen him near the bottom of the tank, he’s usually hanging out mid tank with the barbs but they’re all pretty small. The barbs are only 3/4” at the most and the red tail is a little over an inch.

 

[ColdKoi]

got them into the 75gal tonight since the cloudiness in the tank has mostly cleared up (now I know why lots of people like to cover the fluorite with gravel haha) and they are scouting things out.

The corys are schooling with the barbs and they’re scouting out the place corner to corner. The red tail immediately went and backed himself into the corner in the moneywort, after a few minutes he went across the tank to the eucalyptus root and has been hanging out there checking out every square inch of the root lol

One thing slightly concerning is ive noticed some white specs starting to form on the substrate. This was with only the plants and substrate in the tank for 24h. Everything looked good when I filled the tank and tonight I see some specs. Even deep into the substrate (along the glass). Not sure what that’s all about but it must be something that’s in the substrate

 

[ColdKoi]

Had to go to the city today again so I checked out the stock at petsmart again. They had a whopping 4 more green tiger barbs so i scooped up those guys. Grabbed a dozen danios also (they had a bazillion, I should have maybe got a few more!)

Ran into a local that has a bunch of bristlenose plecos for sale, says her adult bristlenose always seem to mate in the colder months and she still had some yearlings from last winter. I really don’t ‘need’ or have the tank space for them at the moment but I’ve wanted a bristlenose from day one and they aren’t available at the lfs. Anyways. Long story short I have 3 small bristlenose plecos now lol

Due to the plecos size, and my comets I’m growing out in the 29g are getting quite big already. I think the plecos will have to go in the 75g for now or they might be turned into comet food! As of now the red tail isn’t bothering the corydoras in there, hopefully he can get along with the plecos for 6 months or so too, then I can move them to the 29g when the comets go to the pond (or maybe move the red tail to the 29g if he turns into a nuisance, though that would be a bit small for him)

 

[ColdKoi]

Well, so far all is good.

Surprisingly the rts isn’t bothering anyone yet, even though the bristlenose have encroached on his root. The danios seem to be all over the place, I thought they would spend more time at the upper end of the tank, but I’ve read they tend to act a bit out of character in a new tank.

The barbs have a tendency to hide in the corner with all the red Ludwigia. I’m still trying to figure out if they’re using the plants for cover or if the water temp is a little low for them (the heater is also in that corner, I’m trying to hide it in the ludwigia!). I bumped up the temp a couple more degrees today, see if that changes anything, from what I read the barbs are typically happier in water that’s warmer than their tank mates thrive in, so just trying to find that happy balance!

 

[gilpi]

Not sure if this can relate...The only fish I have at the moment are Tiger Barbs. I started with about 5 and the were acting crazy with one bully taking control of the tank, added about 6 more and its a beautiful thing. No more pecking or chasing and they all school together, this was about two years ago and still going (40 gallon). These fish are super fast eaters so Im hoping your Danios are as fast. Im actually thinking of getting 4 or 5 more.

 

[ColdKoi]

So far everything seems to be civil in the tank. The barbs don’t really pick at each other, the first week you’d see them trying to figure out their hierarchy nipping at each other every now and then, I haven’t seen them pick at each other in the last week


The rts is still being civil, if the barbs all end up down in his territory he will usually just flinch and the barbs move out lol. Every once in a while a barb doesn’t get the hint and he just chases them for maybe 6” to get them out of his area and he turns back, he doesn’t seem to be interested in chasing them to harass them. He doesn’t bother the Cory or bristlenose, they’ll all hang out at the same algae wafer and eat