Fact Or Fiction

[soccermatt]

Hi,

I have 3 tiger barbs currently in my completely cycled tank. Tomorrow i am going to get more to finish the school, and reduce aggression within it. I heard the Tiger barbs school much better in odd numbers. Is this true.

I only have a 15 gallon tank so i would like to add 3 to make it 6 but if the school better in odd numbers than i guess i should get 2, since 7 might be pushing it.

What do you think?

Thanks

 

[drobbyb]

I've heard that too, but I have successfully kept them in even number schools. I think this is along the same line that if you say plecostomus instead of pleco, then your pleco will die.

 

[Assaye]

7 is a good number but you are right - probably too many for the tank. You wouldn't be able to have much else as these are some of the larger 'small' shoaling fish.

Try 5 and you can add more later as long as you don't have too many fish in the tank.

Wait until another user advises, though. There are a lot of opinions on fish and tank sizes and I wouldn't want you to only take one person's advice/suggestion.