So... right now, I have 3 Rosy Barbs and a Tiger Barb in my 2 week old 29 gallon tank (still being cycled). When I bought the fish I was unaware that of their tendancy to be a little nippy in small numbers, and they have been nipping at each other's fins lately. My levels for everything are good, so I was wondering, would it be a good idea to add more at this point? The tiger barb doesn't bother anyone, but they do bother him some times, and also each other. If I got a few more rosy barbs, do you think that would be ok or should I just wait until the tank is done being cycled and hope they dont eat eachother?
Add More Fish During Cycling?
- Thread starter ab420
- Start date
juicebox
Fish Fanatic
hi ab420,
barbs have a tendency to nip at other fish and their own kind, so the behavior of your rosy barbs is normal. sometimes if you have them (both rosys and tigers) in small groups of about 5 they won't pick on other species. i would wait, though, to add them after your tank has fully cycled.
barbs have a tendency to nip at other fish and their own kind, so the behavior of your rosy barbs is normal. sometimes if you have them (both rosys and tigers) in small groups of about 5 they won't pick on other species. i would wait, though, to add them after your tank has fully cycled.
BiffMalawi
Fish Fanatic
I was just wondering what " My levels for everything are good, " meant.
I mean that my pH, temp, are perfect, and Ammonia and Nitrites are very low still, (both under 1), so if I were to get new fish, they wouldn't be getting dropped into really bad water. I've just read that the reason to not add fish during the cycle is because you don't want them to suddenly be put in water with a bunch of ammonia and nitrite, but since my levels were so low I didn't know if it would be ok to add a few more Rosy's, but from the sounds of it, I guess I'm just better off waiting?
Yes add more fish.I started with 6 fish.After 2 weeks added 3 more and all worked out fine.After adding more fish KEEP a VERY close eye on your amonia as you will have more waist and bacteria needs to build up again..After tank have cyceled add more fish as bacteria build up will be very fast at this stage to deal with the exstra waist.
Thank you for your response, as far as keeping a close eye on the water goes.... let me first give you a little background:
I (like a fool) thought that owning a fish meant dropping some flakes in the tank, and that's about it. I went to a fish store, and said, "I know nothing, what do I need to do to have fish?" They promptly gave me a list of everything you SHOULD NOT do when first getting fish (only they told me that's what I should do...)
They sold me:
a 5 gallon tank kit, with 6 Tiger barbs, told me to go home, fill it with water, pour in the packet, and put the fish in, and it was all set.
As I'm sure you probably guessed, the next few days were some of the saddest days I've experienced. I unfortunately lost them all. I did a TON of reading (THANK YOU Tropical Fish Forums!) only to learn I had done EVERYTHING wrong!
So, I went out and got a 29 gallon tank, set it up, let it run for a week, and started over again. As horrible as my first experience was, it has made an over-cautious, and very paranoid fish-keeper out of me, so my water has been tested daily for pH, Ammonia, and nitrite levels (starting to test nitrate now), and of course temp. I found a new fish store, that is family run, and they all own a ton of fish, and actually know what they are talking about (very helpful!) It says a lot to me, when you go to a store, and say you want one thing, and they talk you into buying something cheaper, because it will be better for you, that makes me feel comfortable with them, that they aren't just going for a quick sale. So, sorry for the long post, but you can all rest assured that my tank is being watched like a hawk! (A freindly one! LOL!)I'm thinking I will get 3 more Rosy Barbs for now to keep them busy, that will put me at 6 Rosy's and a tiger... I know the tigers generally like packs, but he is very mellow, so the rosy's need the friends urgently as they get very bored some times! After the tank is fully cycled, what other additions could I make to my tank? Keep in mind, I am not at all concerned with "how many fish I can possibly get to live in that tank," I care only about "how many fish can live happily and healthy in a 29 gallon tank." I want these fish to be very happy and have the room they need. I've heard the 1 inch rule, but I am slightly confused: I have read that Rosy Barbs can be 4" full grown, but I've also read that they generally will never get that big in an aquarium, so what should I use for the formula? I'm thinking I should still use the 4", because the Rosy's are pretty chunky little fish, so they have a lot of body in not that many inches. So by that formula, if I got 3 more Rosy's, (4" x 6 Rosy's + 3" x 1 Tiger Barb)= 27 inches, so I only have 2 inches of fish left after that? Are there any really tiny fish that I could get a few of that would be ok in my tank?
BiffMalawi
Fish Fanatic
Sorry about your initial experience but good for you not to give up. I also think it's great that you did the research before starting again. It sounds like your head and heart are in the right place. I think in addition to the fish you want to add you could add a few cardinal tetras, maybe three. Great colour and only about an inch or so. They sometimes are a little fragile so wait until you are cycled. As far as the 1 inch per gallon theory. It is probably not far off with non aggressive fish, but if you are religious with your water changes(20%-25% aweek) you can squeeze a little more in.
Good luck and keep up the good work.
Good luck and keep up the good work.
The guy at the good fish store said the same thing about not giving up. I just wish I knew more before I ever started. I was just looking at some pictures of those cardinal tetras and they're beautiful! I think they will make a wonderful addition to my tank!
Today I want to go get 3 more Rosy's, some more live plants, and maybe some more rock hiding places. Then I will get through the rest of the cycle and pick up 3 of the cute little cardinals! I also REALLY need to get a backdrop for my tank, the look of a white wall with some cords in front of it really isn't doing it
The guy at the good fish store said the same thing about not giving up. I just wish I knew more before I ever started. I was just looking at some pictures of those cardinal tetras and they're beautiful! I think they will make a wonderful addition to my tank!
Today I want to go get 3 more Rosy's, some more live plants, and maybe some more rock hiding places. Then I will get through the rest of the cycle and pick up 3 of the cute little cardinals! I also REALLY need to get a backdrop for my tank, the look of a white wall with some cords in front of it really isn't doing it
I've been looking at pictures of a lot of fish tanks online, and they all seem to have a lot more plants and rocks in their tank than mine. I also read that barbs like a lot of swimming room, so here is a picture of my tank:
Do you think I should add some more plants and rocks?
Cool, thanks man, tank looks nice btw! I'm definitely gonna pick up some more live plants (those Barbs LOVE them!) I also want to get some more rock hiding places. Has anyone ever used those shelf kits? The ones that are like fish tank legos that you snap together to make "realisitc" shelf systems in aquariums?
Yea, I really like the live plants. I had some fern-like plant that was very "whispy" and the barbs shredded that up, so I had to take it out, it appears that they like more leafy plants in with them!
So, my little Tiger Barb has been depressed and the Rosy's pick on him a bit when they are bored. I went to my LFS and talked with the owner, and he said that Tiger's need to be at least in a pair to be happy, and then he GAVE ME a Tiger Barb for mine to play with, because he felt bad for him!
He was also telling me something that makes me want to listen to him less:
He said in my 29 gallon tank, I could have a mix of up to 29 Rosy and Tiger barbs!!!!! This is WAY too much, right? I was going by the 1 inch per gallon rule, which would only allow like 6 Rosy's and 2 Tiger's max. I REALLY am not AT ALL interested in seeing how many fish I can stuff in a tank together, I want them to be happy and healthy.
I now have 3 Rosy Barbs, and 2 Tiger Barbs, and its a 29 gallon tank. What do you think I should get next? Should I get 3 more Rosy's to make a little mini-school out of them? I really do not want to overcrowd at all, so I want to plan this right before I make any more changes to the tank.
He also mentioned I could get a Gourami, but I've read in several places that the Barbs will attack them too much, anyone have any Gouramis and Barbs living happily together, or has anyone had any bad experiences with them?
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