How many Tiger Barbs in this tank?

[bradicaljh]

Hi all!

I have just bought a tank, 60cmL x 50cmH x 30cmW, has about 80 liters of water in it. I have 5 Tiger Barbs and two sucking catfish (Gyrinocheilus Aymonieri), all 5 barbs and both the catfish seem very happy in there.

My question is, how many tiger barbs can I have in this size tank? To be clear, I'm talking about adult size Tiger Barbs, in this tank permanently, what is a nice number? I know this question has been asked loads of times, but as my tank is higher than a standard 2 footer, I thought I'd ask just to make sure I know the right numbers for this tanks size.

Additionally, what sort of flow rate should I be getting (canister filter) for whatever number of barbs you recommend as a happy limit (currently have a small internal filter but am going to replace it with a canister).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Buckfins]

Sorry man...my math sux. That would be a 21 gallon tank? Right? With the amount of fish you already have, I would not have more than 7 to eight barbs and the suckers. What kinda filtration do u have?

 

[bradicaljh]

yeah, 21 gallons is 80 liters, which is about what is in the tank.

I grabbed an internal 350lph filter when I got the tank but I'm liking the idea of a small canister (800lph) because of the extra flow and more media capacity.

I'm happy with the two catfish, I just really love the barbs so want to know the best number to keep in this tank, maybe I'll just go with 6?

 

[Buckfins]

With the canister filter's extra flow and media there wouldn't be a problem with 8. Even up to 10. I gotta 55 with 20 barbs, 10 of them tigers and the other 10 black fins, 2 snakefin gouramis and a gold, 4 panda cats, 4 pepper cats and 3 bristlenose plecos. I have two bio wheel HOB that filter 700 gallons an hour and a lotta live plants. If ur filters are great then you will be safe.

 

[Aqualady40]

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

 

[bradicaljh]

With the canister filter's extra flow and media there wouldn't be a problem with 8. Even up to 10. I gotta 55 with 20 barbs, 10 of them tigers and the other 10 black fins, 2 snakefin gouramis and a gold, 4 panda cats, 4 pepper cats and 3 bristlenose plecos. I have two bio wheel HOB that filter 700 gallons an hour and a lotta live plants. If ur filters are great then you will be safe.

Sounds like an awesome tank! I put some Java Moss in there yesterday, I'm hoping it does well as having a live plant in there will be good.

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

Bookmarked! That's an awesome tool, thanks!

Another thing, would keeping more than one type of barb in this tank be a good idea? With the first type being the tigers, not sure on the second type yet, just thinking about it now reading about buckfins barb setup

 

[librarygirl]

How large are the CAE now? They can grow up to 11" and as they grow they can become very territorial and aggressive. You probably could do about 8 barbs max; a 20 gal is a bit on the small side for them as they are active, a 30 gal would be better in the long-run and then you could add a few more.

 

[bradicaljh]

My last reply is waiting moderation for some reason, may be that i did a multiquote.

The algae eaters are currently about 2.5 inches, two dudes at two different pet stores told me in this size tank they wouldn't get too big, I now have a feeling that was a douchey sales move.

 

[bradicaljh]

I like having fish at the bottom of the tank, so I did some reading and it looks like a good species would be the dwarf pleco (Otocinclus).

If so, I'm thinking 6 tiger barbs and 3 or 4 of the otos would be good for this tank, thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[Buckfins]

U can mix and match the barbs. Like I said I have 20...10 Tigers and 10 Black Fin. Oto's are GREAT! I have 6 in my other tank. They do a hellish job on keeping algae growth down. The CAE's are ok, but like the above post said, they get big and aggressive. That is why I switched to the Oto's.