Adding more barbs to my tank.

[Dekz]

So my 55 Gallon currently has 6 Tiger Barbs and 6 Odessa Barbs. I want to add probably 6 Green Tiger Barbs and 6 Albino Barbs. The problem is finding them at my LFS.

So I checked out all the pet stores today. One of them had 3 Green Tiger Barbs but they were a bit smaller than the barbs I currently have. Do you think they will be harassed by the current occupants?

Another store had 1 GTB and 1 Albino, both about the same size as my current barbs.

Is it important that I add new barbs in groups, or can I just add 1 or 2 at a time as I find them?

(aggression is my concern)

 

[Joker741]

I have 3 full grown barbs and added 3 small green and 3 small albinos with no problems. They all school together and I have had no problems.

 

[neurotik]

The barbs should be fine together, but I'm not sure if it matters whether you add them one or two at a time or in groups.

Since you can't find all of the barbs you're looking for at your LFS, have you considered ordering them online? The only thing that sort of hurts by ordering fish online is the fact that you have to pay for overnight shipping most of the time, which is typically pretty expensive, but I still think it's worth it if there are fish you really want that you just can't find at your LFS or that you are unhappy with the quality of at your LFS.

Live Aquaria (Drs. Foster & Smith) have a nice selection of barbs:
Barb Fish for Sale: Tiger Barbs and other Barb Species

The same goes with Pet Solutions:
Barbs, Freshwater Fish | Pet Solutions

Hope that helps you find what you're looking for if you don't mind paying for the extra shipping!

 

[Dekz]

Live Aquaria (Drs. Foster & Smith) have a nice selection of barbs:
Barb Fish for Sale: Tiger Barbs and other Barb Species

The same goes with Pet Solutions:
Barbs, Freshwater Fish | Pet Solutions

Hope that helps you find what you're looking for if you don't mind paying for the extra shipping!

Neither of these places ship to Canada

 

[neurotik]

Neither of these places ship to Canada

Ouch, that sucks

If I had the space to keep them I would let you ship them to me and then rebag them and repackage them a few days later and ship them up to you. Maybe someone on here can work something like that out for you? Or maybe some of our Canadian members can recommend a site that will ship to Canada?

 

[Joker741]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/well-my-barbs-are-gone-120008.html

You might want to read that.

 

[Ruadh]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/well-my-barbs-are-gone-120008.html

You might want to read that.

That's a completely different situation, so don't let it scare you. There are several different breeds of fish in that tank.
The tank in question here is a Barb only tank by the look of it.

Dekz, 18 of those Barbs are just different colours of the same Barb. The Odessa are the exception. This is why they all get along.

You are right in thinking that they should be added in groups, IMHO there should be at least three. I'm thinking you could add all 5 of the new fish you want to get with no trouble. Just be sure to monitor you water chemistry for a week or so to make sure you don't get an ammonia spike.
Do you have plants and other hiding places in your tank? The more hiding spots for the new fish the better.

My own experience is only partly applicable, my tank has much more room, but the idea is not to over stock. That's where trouble can start. Depending on what filter you have, I think with the new fish, you're close to maxed out.

I have a 175 Gal. tank, well planted, with a dozen or so each of 6 different types of Barbs plus Scissor-tail Rasporas and Giant Danios as well as 4 Plecos, 3 Flying Foxes and an SAE. When I'm ready to add more, due to death or I just want more, I add them 6 at a time without too much regard for size difference. My Red Line Torpedo Barbs and Danios are up to 5 inches long and most of the Tiger Barbs are around 1.5 inches across. They all come together at feeding time for quite a scrum and get along just fine.

At some point in the future you might want to consider the Black Ruby Barb. Of the Tiger Barbs, they are my favorite. When they're at rest they look just like any other Barb but when they get excited or horny the males turn all black and rip around the tank at about 100 MPH.

Have fun

Rick