Firemouths and Tiger Barbs?

[cichlid.lover]

hi. i'm new to fish keeping and i want a cichlid tank. right now i'm cycling it with 5 zebra danios and some ghost shrimp (which will be eaten, thats the plan), and i don't want just cichlids. I'd like some tiger barbs and a rainbow shark..but i'm not sure theyll fit in my tank.

29g tank (ik ik i cant get a bigger one.)

Heres what i plan on getting:
-2 firemouth cichlids (m f pair)
-5-6 tiger barbs (dithers)
-rainbow shark or some type of catfish. (if catfish what kind would work best??)

I seriously cant get a bigger tank so dont say "welllllllll if you get a 55g it would be betterrrrr.." kay? Also would giant danios work better as dithers? thank youu!

 

[HUKIT]

Well you already know what the responsible answer is so I'll just say welcome to the site and hope you learn something about stocking a aquarium.

 

[Somethingclever]

Well you already know what the responsible answer is so I'll just say welcome to the site and hope you learn something about stocking a aquarium.

Agreed.

 

[Sparky74]

IMO, sharks/catfish need at least a 55gal and in most cases bigger....

Have you considered Rams?

How about this?

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor


I've found 8 to be the magic number for my Barb school. They don't bother another fish in the tank.

 

[cichlid.lover]

so would 8 tiger barbs and 2 firemouths be ok?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Well you should know the answer from the responses on this forum, but if you don't the answer is no, firemouths need a bigger tank if you want to keep the barbs too and if you can't provide one you should not get some. It should just be firemouths in the 29 gal.

 

[HN1]

IMO, sharks/catfish need at least a 55gal and in most cases bigger....

Have you considered Rams?

How about this?

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor


I've found 8 to be the magic number for my Barb school. They don't bother another fish in the tank.

No offense, but this is a wonderful example of the pitfalls of aqadvisor. Rams and tiger barbs should never be kept together IMO/E. You need to remember that the vast majority of the fish sold are young, immature and smaller than their potential sizes. Behaviors change with maturity. There are also many options for catfish in a 29 and IME a single rainbow shark is fine for life in one, but only if the tank is thoughtfully stocked..

so would 8 tiger barbs and 2 firemouths be ok?

Simply, no. I'd recommend choosing one or the other and stocking around them. Giant danios absolutely need more length to the tank than you can offer unfortunately.

 

[cichlid.lover]

No offense, but this is a wonderful example of the pitfalls of aqadvisor. Rams and tiger barbs should never be kept together IMO/E. You need to remember that the vast majority of the fish sold are young, immature and smaller than their potential sizes. Behaviors change with maturity. There are also many options for catfish in a 29 and IME a single rainbow shark is fine for life in one, but only if the tank is thoughtfully stocked..



Simply, no. I'd recommend choosing one or the other and stocking around them. Giant danios absolutely need more length to the tank than you can offer unfortunately.

okay well i was thinking about it some more and I'll probably be able to get a
55g when the cichlids get to 3-4 in. will they be okay in there as youngins? and how long will it take for them to get to that size? I just didnt want a 55g because i dont know what to do with the 29g. i guess ill have two tanks. haha. hmm..do you think a 29g is too big for a hospital or fry tank?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

As younglings they should be fine in 29 gal, when they grow bigger them in 55 gals of water should be good also. I don't see why a 29 gal as a breeder or hospital tank is too big, you can't have too big of a tank when it comes to this hobby.

 

[cichlid.lover]

haha okay thank you!

 

[HN1]

I agree, they will be fine temporarily. Don't go by the size of the fish as an indicator though (google "fish stunting").