Future tiger barb tank question

[cowgirluntamed]

OK...This is just for a long time in the future....Not right now at all. I've always loved the tiger barbs and now have also fallen in love with the green ones.

My thoughts on a tank were like a 40 gallon breeder planted species only tank. With like...Half regular tiger barbs and the other half the green ones.

My question....How many could be put in this size tank? I was thinking probably just some mts and nerite snails for a cleanup crew. So it would just be the tiger barbs.

Anyway...This is just a dream tank of mine for the future....Lol! But I'm still curious!!

 

[Byron]

That would work fine. I would suggest somewhere between 12 and 20 tiger barbs. Both varieties are the same species so you can mix them as you like.

Species tanks can be interesting because you have the opportunity to do a true biotope, representative of the natural habitat. I did this for my Black Ruby Barbs, photo attached. This is a 33g, so 3 feet in length like the 40g but narrower (front to back); I have a 40g and like it very much because of the additional depth front to back. This species, Pethia nigrofasciata, is endemic to Sri Lanka, in two river systems which have sand, chunks of wood, and a litter of leaves. I added the plants just for a bit of green, but both plant species do occur on Sri Lanka so they might be found in these two rivers for all I know.

Puntigrus tetrazona, the Tiger Barb, occurs in Sumatra, possibly also in Borneo, and streams there are also sand, but with pebbles and rocks. Something similar to what I have would be equally suitable. I gave up on the leaves, and my barbs took a fancy to them and ate every one within three days of the leaves being added each week, so I gave up.

Byron.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Awesome tank Byron! Thanks for the info! That's what I was thinking due to the size they can get but I just wanted to be sure. And who knows...Maybe it will be an even bigger tank since it will be a long time in coming...Lol. I love these guys though!

 

[Fish-mates]

I know you say this may be a long way off but please make sure you factor in a smaller recovery tank. I have a 30 gallon planted tank with 12 tiger barbs and they always seem to be picking on someone. It's not always the same fish yet near tail loss has been a massive issue. Every couple of weeks it seems I'm removing one or two fish for respite in a smaller quarantine tank, where I treat them with Melafix. Some tiger barbs have settled back into the main tank after their break happier and healthier and others hide and quake - so I whip them out for a longer respite and wait till their tails have grown back even more.

 

[Byron]

I know you say this may be a long way off but please make sure you factor in a smaller recovery tank. I have a 30 gallon planted tank with 12 tiger barbs and they always seem to be picking on someone. It's not always the same fish yet near tail loss has been a massive issue. Every couple of weeks it seems I'm removing one or two fish for respite in a smaller quarantine tank, where I treat them with Melafix. Some tiger barbs have settled back into the main tank after their break happier and healthier and others hide and quake - so I whip them out for a longer respite and wait till their tails have grown back even more.

Personal observation like this is valuable. It shows that even the minimum numbers and tank size we recommend can be insufficient. One thing that might--I say might--help here is to add more to the shoal, perhaps another 3-5. There have been scientific studies carried out that prove beyond any doubt that the fewer fish of the species there are in a group, the more aggression will increase. It works in reverse, sometimes anyway.

Byron.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Thanks for the info!!