Asian Biotope

[jaywings19]

I posted this in the Chit-Chat forum, but realized this question is more geared toward the Barb community.

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I am getting a 72 Gallon bow front tank in the near future.

I've decided to go with an Asian biotope tank. Here's what I plan to stock the tank with:

4- Rosy Barbs
6- Tiger Barbs
8 - Harlequin Rasboras
1 - Rainbow or Red-Tailed Black Shark
2 - Clown Loaches
1 - Gourami (might be a bad idea with the barbs)

I've been warned about the aggressive nature of the Tiger Barbs. Therefore, my Gourami might be a problem waiting to happen.

I just wanted to get opinions from those of you who have owned some or all of these fish.

Any thoughts on my stocking list? Conflicts? Overcrowded?

 

[AquaNut]

I once had an opaline gourami in with a school of tiger barbs. They're no longer together, but I still have all the tigers and the gourami and they lived together for well over a year. My opaline was a large aggressive fish when the tigers moved in, though. I don't think I'd try any of the more delicate gouramis, like pearls or moonlights, with tigers. I would suggest that you only try them together if your tank is well-planted and the gourami has places to hide and also territory he can stake out as his own. Also, be prepared to remove the gourami if it's not working out. Additionally, I'd recommend at least 8 tiger barbs; the more tigers you have, the less they'll bother the other fish in your tank. I don't really think tiger barbs with gouramis is an ideal combo, but it can work. Try it, as long as you're prepared to remove the gourami if he's being clearly harassed (particularly if you can see the tigers doing fin damage).

 

[FanOFish]

Have to agree with Aquanut...I have a pearl gourami and a couple dwarfs and they wouldn't be able to hang with tiger barbs. I have heard though the the Opaline Gourami is an agressive fish and quite large.

Just get ready to relocate or try another kind of fish

 

[jaywings19]

Okay, so bearing that in mind... how does this look?

72 Gallon Tank
4- Rosy Barbs
8- Tiger Barbs
8 - Harlequin Rasboras
1 - Rainbow or Red-Tailed Black Shark
2 - Clown Loaches

Any problem with the Rasboras in there? I'd really like to get some of those.

 

[Lateral Line]

Generally, if you have enough Tiger Barbs, they spend all day chasing each other about and rarely bother with anything else - unless it has long trailing fins - which they regard as their job to nip.

Rosy barbs can, rarely do, but can, grow to 4" but are fairly peaceful. If you really want to keep the peace, and you want a vertically striped barb, try to find some Barbus pentazona - they are a little more elongated than B. tetrazona, and a little fussier with water quality but are a very much more peaceful, and in mu opinion, more attractive, species. They'll certainly be no trouble with R. heteromorpha. Another vertically striped species which would suit is B. nigrofasciatus.

 

[jaywings19]

Generally, if you have enough Tiger Barbs, they spend all day chasing each other about and rarely bother with anything else - unless it has long trailing fins - which they regard as their job to nip.

Rosy barbs can, rarely do, but can, grow to 4" but are fairly peaceful. If you really want to keep the peace, and you want a vertically striped barb, try to find some Barbus pentazona - they are a little more elongated than B. tetrazona, and a little fussier with water quality but are a very much more peaceful, and in mu opinion, more attractive, species. They'll certainly be no trouble with R. heteromorpha. Another vertically striped species which would suit is B. nigrofasciatus.

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, I haven't seen any Barbus Pentazona in the stores around here.

Aside from the Gourami (which I eliminated from the list), would the Tiger Barbs cause any other problems with my potential stock?

4- Rosy Barbs
8- Tiger Barbs
8 - Harlequin Rasboras
1 - Rainbow or Red-Tailed Black Shark
2 - Clown Loaches

None of these fish have "long trailing fins" so is that the only thing Tiger Barbs go after? I guess I'm most concerned about the Rasboras... is it common to house Tiger/Rosy Barbs and Rasboras together successfully?

 

[Lateral Line]

Tiger Barbs chase things around. If you have that many, they will spend most of their time chasing each other - it's what they do. From time to time, one may chase something else around, but I doubt they would make a habit of it.