Cherry Barbs

[pkremer]

OK, you can see how my 38 gallon aquarium is stocked down in my signature. My aquarium is fairly active, but I would like to make 1 more addition to it. I just wasn't sure what. I was struggling because the fish I really liked probably won't do well with the gourami, and the fish that might work I didn't like. I also was hoping for a different color than I have already.

Right now I have green (swordtails), blue (gourami), black and white (yo-yo loaches), orange and brown (clown pleco). I was thinking a red addition would be wonderful.

After doing lots of research, I came across cherry barbs. I have seen them at one of my LFS and they seem like personable little guys. I have seen them at the LFS mixed in different tanks with both serpae tetras and tiger barbs, so they seem to get along with different kinds of fish, and they would introduce the flash of red that I would like to have.

Reference works (including liveaquaria.com) say that ideal tank mates include gouramis, larger live bearers, and loaches. So these guys seem like the perfect fit. I go into the LFS and the lady tells me that they are fin nippers that will go after my swordtails, and that she wouldn't recommend putting them in with the gourami as the cherry barbs are very aggressive and will fight with the gourami.

It strikes me that she may not have a clue what she is talking about and is mistaking them for having the same characteristics of the tiger barbs, but either way I thought I'd run it by people that may have experience with these combinations. I'd like to know what people's opinions are. Would a small school of 6 or 7 cherry barbs be a nice addition to my tank, or am I asking for problems? This would be my final addition to this tank (unless someone dies) to address any concerns you might have with stocking.

Paul

 

[treedae]

I think you're right and that she's mistaking them w/ tiger barbs. I don't think that cherry barbs are as agressive and that they're relatively peaceful.

 

[Endgame319]

I agree. Cherry barbs are peacful. Maybe a male and two females?

 

[grimlock3000]

My Cherry Barbs are passive to a fault, and have been that way for over a year.

 

[Fruitbat]

I also agree....Cherry Barbs (Puntius titteya are peaceful for the most part. My daughter keeps a trio with zebra danios and Beckford's Pencilfish without any problems. Of course...I keep 8 Tiger Barbs in a 26 gallon with a trio of Blue Gouramis without any problems as well....nary a nipped fin in the bunch!! The Tiger Barbs ignore the gouramis completely and the gouramis return the favor.

 

[urville]

IME serpaes, tiger barbs, and cherrys can be semi aggressive nipping people, some say theres have killed whole tanks one by one so kee it in mind, my cherrys and serpaes are always biting at ppl

 

[tetrin]

you might want to look at ruby barbs too. they add a dashing hue of gold to your aquarium. and both ruby barbs and cherry barbs are peaceful fish that get along pretty well in a community aquarium.

 

[Meredith]

how about cherry barbs with angel fish?

 

[illuminum]

my cherry barbs are really peaceful fish. No problems here...

 

[TankGirl]

I think cherry barbs would be fine in that tank, and in general fine with most any other fish, and if anything they would tend to be over attentive with each other (conspecifics) to establish a pecking order so give them a little group and they'll be fine. "Barbs" have a reputation for being nippy but my serpaes are probably way nippier than a cherry barb.

 

[krap101]

for the male/female things i think males are a reddish and females are more of a brown most of the time. i had cherry barbs before but they all died. i have like 10 of them... kinda funny how reluctant i was to return all of them. okay the whole tank was infested with ich. i bought like 6 and they had ich i quarentined them. they died. i took them back and got 4 more. they all died from ich again. so i took em back and and got my money back... the cash register lady said they couldnt take them back because i already took both batches back already. i talked to a manager she told me to go to another manager so i went. i waited like 15 mins because she had to get a cat box because this lady was taking her cat on an airplane. when she got back i told her i kinda lost hope in cherry barbs and i got my money back. it was like 17.00. now someone took 11$ off my desk and now im broke. my mom has 19$ of mine and i still have 6$ pocket cash but still. where'd my 11$ go?