Asian biotope barb only tank

[bigroof]

I have always kept large cichlids. African and american love those but my recent visit to LFS i came upon some tiger and ruby barbs. I absolutely fell in love. Instantly i wanted to start a barb only asian biotope. Its been ages since i kept any thing else but cichlids. I have this spare tank. The tank size is 170l (44 us gallons). Im just wondering how many barbs will be ideal for this size? Considering this will be there long term or even permanent home, how many will be okay as adults? I did research and know they are nippers and have to have a group of them. I would ideally want to have like a variety of different barbs with majority being tigers and rubys.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

To answer the question will still depend on which barbs you're going for, with some needing to be in bigger shoals than others.
I always refer to this particular site, Seriously Fish, when I'm starting to research fish.

 

[bigroof]

To answer the question will still depend on which barbs you're going for, with some needing to be in bigger shoals than others.
I always refer to this particular site, Seriously Fish, when I'm starting to research fish.

Thanks for the reply. I would like to have tiger barbs, black ruby barbs, green tiger barbs and maybe if only i have enough space and the other fish are comfortable, i would like to have some Denison barbs in the tank.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Thanks for the reply. I would like to have tiger barbs, black ruby barbs, green tiger barbs and maybe if only i have enough space and the other fish are comfortable, i would like to have some Denison barbs in the tank.

Check the link and read the research on your chosen fish...all a part of the process.
Consider what sort of 'look' you want for your tank and consider where in the tank your chosen fish will be spending most of their time.
Denison Barbs do tend to grow quite large and all of the fish you've listed are mid-water swimmers, meaning the top and bottom of the tank will be usually quite empty.

 

[Myraan]

i would suggest all tiger barbs, as many as stocking will allow - but get three different colour morphs, as all the sites suggest the more tiger barbs the better

 

[Naughts]

Tigers need to be in a shoal of 10 minimum, they are too aggressive in smaller numbers. They won't do well in very hard water though so what is your GH? Assuming it is medium hard rather than very hard, in this tank I would do 15 and mix green and regular as they are the same species. Denisons need a bigger tank and IMO there isn't really enough room for a shoal of rubies once the tigers are in. They are very active fish so the tank will not look empty.

If you wanted a more peaceful tank you could do the rubies and no tigers, with other community fish from Asia.

 

[Byron]

Generally I am in the same area as the other members here. A 44g/170 liter tank is not much space especially with barbs which tend to be active swimmers. What are the dimensions...these affect active fish much more than volume. For example, the Sahyadria denisonii (Denison Barbs) need at minimum a 4-foot (120 cm) length tank, but should be in a 5 or 6-foot for better health. It needs a group of eight, to avoid aggressive tendencies, and at 6 inches (15 cm) this is not a small fish that can "make do" with less.

The Pethia nigrofasciata (Black Ruby Barb) is indeed a lovely fish, but I would not mix it in with Tigers, as others have also mentioned. I had a group (12 I think) of this species in a 3-foot 33g tank aquascaped to replicate their native habitats which are the Kelani and Nilwala river basins on Sri Lanka. Photo of this biotope below (not great photography, but it gives the idea). These were quite active fish, but not one iota of aggression beyond normal hierarchy (no physical issues). Dried leaves on the sand substrate are natural in their habitats, but I was intrigued by the fact that these fish ate every single leaf and I was constantly replacing them, almost weekly. I had several fry hatch out and survive over the years I had this species, and if I remember correctly, all the fish in this photo are fry from the initial group of 7 fish..

 

[itiwhetu]

If you are going to do this, pick one species and just have a large school of those. I never like mixing barb species.

 

[Ichthys]

Also Denisons are subtropical and need lower temperatures.
With Tiger Barbs you need numbers but you also need space. I agree with at least 10 (the more the better) but 44g isn’t big enough to make them peaceful with other spp, so I also agree with just keeping one species.
Or if you ditch the tigers you could keep half a dozen Rubys with half a dozen each of another couple of peaceful spp.

 

[bigroof]

Thank you all for the great detailed responses. Very interesting opinions and facts here. I think the popular opinion is pick one species of barbs and get a group of them and stick to it. I think i will either go tiger barbs or ruby barbs and buy a group of maybe 10 and see what happens. If i feel as if i can add more of the same species i will do so. After a long time i feel so excited about starting a tank.

 

[itiwhetu]

Thank you all for the great detailed responses. Very interesting opinions and facts here. I think the popular opinion is pick one species of barbs and get a group of them and stick to it. I think i will either go tiger barbs or ruby barbs and buy a group of maybe 10 and see what happens. If i feel as if i can add more of the same species i will do so. After a long time i feel so excited about starting a tank.

I love Ruby Barbs, but my all time favorite for a tank like yours is Long fin Rosy Barbs, they are really neat. They will spawn and not eat to many of their fry and they tend to last for ever.

 

[Colin_T]

Assuming the water chemistry (GH, KH & pH) is suitable for barbs, either go for tiger barbs or ruby barbs but not both. Tiger barbs are nippy and problematic when kept with other types of fish. Ruby barbs are peaceful and get along with other fish.

All barbs do best in large groups but tiger barbs have to be kept in big groups or they go nuts. Try to keep at least 10 of each species.

Male ruby barbs change colour when they mature.

Most barbs do best when kept in cooler water for part of the year. Ruby barbs do well in water with a temperature between 16 & 28C. Tiger barbs prefer it a bit warmer (20-30C).