My Tank Is A Nip Trap

[onidrase]

Soon enough here my raphael is gonna grow too large to keep in this tank, so I'll be moving him to the 55. A lot of sites say I can keep him in here because they're fairly inactive, whereas some say to get at least 4 feet, but I'm leaning toward the 4 feet rule.

But once he's moved out, I'm left void of bottom feeders, which I really do like to have. Especially catfish.

Problem is, I don't think I can throw any old catfish in here. I've got a female convict with bipolar, and a bunch of tiger barbs(5 right now, soon to be 8). And that's it.

I was gonna aim for cories, but someone on a separate thread was saying that tiger barbs tend to keep them reclusive. I don't want to have them hiding away because they're intimidated by the tigers squabbling and my convict throwing her occasional hissy fits when one of the tigers taps her log.

I saw that featherfin synodontis are labeled to be able to fit in at least 30 gallons on the species specs on these forums, which I find odd because they get just as large as the raphael, if not larger due to the huge dorsal fin.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Opinions? Thanks much

 

[pyrofishtoo]

I don't think that the tiger barbs would be much of a bother to corys. Barbs are a midwater fish and corys hang on the bottom. The key is having six or more barbs so they play among themselves and having six or more corys. Of course, supply driftwood or plants for the corys to hide in when they do feel threatened. The convict is what concerns me... especially if she has an attitude! You could consider some of the pim catfish or maybe some of the smaller synos like multi's or petricola.
Keep us posted!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Another poster who knows a good bit about barbs indicated that the percentage of the tigers hurting the barbs is pretty high. A small breed of pleco whould be able to defend themselves though. Like a Bristlenose

 

[fluttermoth]

I've tried keeping cories with tiger barbs, and it doesn't work, however many tigers you have (I have two dozen, and they still terrified the cories).

I've found that zebra loach and plecs are the only things I can keep safely with tiger barbs.

 

[onidrase]

Another poster who knows a good bit about barbs indicated that the percentage of the tigers hurting the barbs is pretty high. A small breed of pleco whould be able to defend themselves though. Like a Bristlenose

I'm a little reluctant with bristlenose pleco's now. I had one a while back, but rehomed it because it was so messy! It might be less of a deal now since I've moved from a 30 gallon filter to a 75 gallon filter, but I just couldn't keep up with all the waste in the sand, I had to vacuum every other day

Do you think a group of upside down catfish would get too large? From my understanding, they grow about 4 inches long, but they don't seem to stick close to the bottom like other catfish.

Growing off topic, not to be nosy, but didn't you have a couple severums in the 75 gallon with the jewel? did she finally snap or something?

I don't think that the tiger barbs would be much of a bother to corys. Barbs are a midwater fish and corys hang on the bottom. The key is having six or more barbs so they play among themselves and having six or more corys. Of course, supply driftwood or plants for the corys to hide in when they do feel threatened. The convict is what concerns me... especially if she has an attitude! You could consider some of the pim catfish or maybe some of the smaller synos like multi's or petricola.
Keep us posted!

Right at this moment, the convict is a siss. She hasn't nipped anyone in my presence, usually sticks at the bottom of the tank digging around the sand mindlessly. She will chase other fish away if they come to close to her log, though. But there's plenty of other hiding places other than the log.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Yeah she got her monthly and went after one of them. Nipped his tail a little bit. I gave them to a friend with a 100g tank. So now my friend has 5 severums.

I am going to move the jewel and the synodontis to the 55g, up the numbers up cats, and move my malawis into the 75g

 

[onidrase]

Yeah she got her monthly and went after one of them. Nipped his tail a little bit. I gave them to a friend with a 100g tank. So now my friend has 5 severums.

I am going to move the jewel and the synodontis to the 55g, up the numbers up cats, and move my malawis into the 75g

That's unfortunate. Glad you had a back up plan for em, though.