50 Gallon ... 7 Tiger Barb And What Else?

[piranha_tim]

I just bought a 50 Gallon tank.

I really like Tiger Barbs ... But I am in the understanding this will limit me.

I want to get

7 Tiger barbs

What other fish will go well ... I heard clown loaches actually will start to school like Tiger Barbs.

I would like variety.

Any suggestions.

I was thinking some neon tetras for a smaller variation of colour fish.

 

[piranha_tim]

1 question ... so ... Tiger Barbs need salt in there tank?

 

[Ficious]

you could go a lot of ways with that...depending on how well planted your tank is. i have a shoal of 6 tiger barbs mixed with gouramis...i would have thought the gouramis would get picked on but actualy i have 1 tiger barb with nipped fins. i think rams would get along nicely...or just a few schools of tetras, danios, and small gouramis. if you keep the schools of smaller fish higher than the aggressive fishes, theyll have more to pick on and less to injure.

and they dont "need" salt to live. had em for years, never used salt

 

[piranha_tim]

Thank you for replying

 

[mav8989]

Never used salt and had some do very well for many many years....

 

[afireinside]

With 7 Tiger Barbs in a 50 gallon (assuming US gallons), I'd possibly go with some Kuhli loaches for the bottom, and something like an African Butterfly fish for the top.

I don't know what the pH requirements are off the top of my head, but look for something that will fill up all areas of the tank with out overstocking.

 

[piranha_tim]

Smart thinking for sure .... I heard clown loaches are a good pick for a toger barb tank ...

 

[jkrekord]

I'd be wary of mixing tiger barbs with African Butterfly Fish. The Butterfly Fish are very docile and are ambush predators, they dont move excessivly and this contrasts with the Tiger Barbs which seemingly never stop. The problem is that the Butterfly Fish have quite a few extendages, which the Tiger Barbs may find irresistable and nip, by the time the Butterfly Fish turns around the Barbds would be long gone.
I suppose it could work, but i would'nt risk it personally.

 

[vinylman]

Anything you put in with TB's will have to be equally lively/aggressive. You might find a tankful of fish like that a little too much. Not very relaxing to watch.

 

[piranha_tim]

The local fish store keeps recommending gouramis ... any thoughts on this fish? are they a peaceful fish that can be kept with a lot of other fish?

 

[piranha_tim]

This is everything my local fish store sells.

Pearl Gourami
Fancy Guppies
Neon Tetras
Angel Fish (look speckled and spotted of yellow and black)
Red Cardinals
1 Eel Not sure if is there anymore
1 Blue Ram again could be bought by the time the tank is 6 months old
Platies
albino kribensis
Oto
Common Plec
Snails
Gold fish of various types
bala shark
red tail shark
tiger barb
zebra tetra
Betta


Anyone see any good combinations in there?

 

[vinylman]

Gouramis are generally peaceful, but can be unpredictable when breeding. Stay well away from Dwarf Gouramis, though - they're prone to a fatal Iridovirus. If you want a calm, peaceful tank, you won't go far wrong with several Honey Gouramis. They won't get very large (so you can have a decent number of them) and they're readily available in different colours. In a well-planted tank they look fabulous.

 

[jkrekord]

Otos are normally fien with most things. Red Tail Black Sharks should be ok with tiger barbs, as should Kribensis. Some people may disagree but i personally think Pearl Gouramis should work quite well, just dont rule out the possibility of the Tiger Barbs nippin.
I have only used things of the list you gave, their are plenty of other things that would be fine with Tiger Barbs.

 

[piranha_tim]

Otos are normally fien with most things. Red Tail Black Sharks should be ok with tiger barbs, as should Kribensis. Some people may disagree but i personally think Pearl Gouramis should work quite well, just dont rule out the possibility of the Tiger Barbs nippin.
I have only used things of the list you gave, their are plenty of other things that would be fine with Tiger Barbs.

Yeah its a little limited list ... I hope to expand it as I visit more and more fish places.

That is just what the local one stocks.

I kinda am tossed between breeding fish like

Fancy Guppies mixed with other non-agressive

Or a broad range tank with Tiger Barbs.

Wouldn't the red tails out grow a 50 Gallon tank?

 

[piranha_tim]

Am I just crazy?

7 Tiger Barbs
5 Silver Dollars
1 Bala Shark
1 Red Tail Shark
10 Neons