how many can i have??

[Rayne]

i currrently have a 55 gal with 1 rtbs, 1 oto, 1 male guppie (that thinks he's a barb), and 5 tiger barbs.

i plan on getting at least maybe 3 more otos (i'm waiting for the lfs to get them in again)


i want the tank to be all kinds of barbs, tiger, green, albino, rosy,etc. how many more barbs can i add to the tank? i really get confused on the 1 inch per gallon rule, but i do want as many barbs as i i can get to really fill the tank well. it will take me months to buy 1 or 2 fish every 2 weeks or so as to not disturb the tank. but i really want a game plan in place so i can budget it

 

[sylvia]

Firstly, if you want a tiger barb tank, I expect the guppy won't last long.

You can keep about 15 tiger barbs in total (including your current 5) with your current fish (including the extra otos you plan to add).

Don't add them 1 at a time - I would add 4 or so at a time. If you add very few each time, you'll find that the resident school of barbs will attack, bully and harass the new arrival constantly (to establish the new hierarchy) and, unfortunately, this aggression won't be split between several individuals (as it would be if you were adding 4 at a time for example) and could actualy lead to the death of the new addition. As long as you don't over-stock, keep up with maintainance and don't over-feed, a tank that has been running for a while should be stable enough to accept several new fish every other week without becoming unbalanced or resulting in the deterioration of water quality.

 

[Rayne]

thanks for the info.

and with respect to the guppie, he thinks he's a barb. and i think the barbs think he's a barb. they all swim together, eat together, bug the shark together and he's healthier looking than he's ever been since i got him 6 months ago. i got the barbs about a month and a half ago and no problems whatsoever.

however if there is a problem when i add more barbs i have a tank he cn go to.

 

[Rayne]

any other opinions?

 

[colegamby]

i dont see why you couldnt add a few more barbs. a single species might look better seeing as how they would all school together but other then that your idea seems alright