Tetras Or Barbs

[Dunkal]

Hi, I am in middle of fishless cycle and it time i stated to choose fish for my 70 litre planted tank.
I am thinking of getting tetras(x-ray/black phantom or barbs ).
I have never kept tropical fish. Would any one have experiences of keeping these fish as there first ones? If so which would be easier to keep and more interesting??
Thanks

 

[doresy]

Hi......to my way of thinking (which may not be fact ) if you go for Barbs then you are pretty much stuck with Barbs whereas if you go for Tetras then you have a lot more scope with tank mates.

Or, I could be blowing smoke out of my a**e

 

[Ian H]

it depends on what barbs. I have pentazona (sp?) barbs in my community tank and they are great! leave everyone alone and just shoal together almost constantly. look very similar to tiger barbs too

 

[Dunkal]

was thinking of cherry barbs or similar smaller ones.

 

[Ian H]

i dont know a great deal about cherry barbs but as far as i know they are not schooling fish.

tropical fish are not exactly hard to keep, you just have to make sure your tank/water is ready for them

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Dunkal

I moved your thread out of the Newbie section to the Beginners part since I think you'll get more responses here.

Is it your intention to keep a tank of "peaceful community fish?" If so, you might want to give some thought to the overall picture before you get your heart set on one species. Your tank is not too big, so your the choices you make now will be important later as the fish grow. There are many small tetras to choose from that are quite pretty.

Here's the place to ask more specific questions about them or about barbs:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=29

You might also want to think about getting some Corydoras catfish for the bottom of the tank. These are amusing little fellows who should be kept with a minimum of three. They come in a large variety of colors, patterns and sizes, all of which are equally endearing in a tank. If this sounds interesting, you can ask more about them in the Corydoras section of the Catfish forum.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=80

Since you will be having a planted tank, otos are an interesting option for the future, if you leave a little room for them. They are miniature sucking fish that are harmless and eat algae or zucchini.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=81

There are many options. Enjoy picking out your new fish and please continue to post about your decision.

 

[Dunkal]

thanks guys, I have a 70 l juewl reckord tank which is planted. My cycle is almost finished and was thinking of getting 6 tetras or barbs and later 4 corys. I have an internal filter.
Would you think this is overstocking??
I do have a problem with algae at the moment too so otos seems like a good option.

 

[charlie4486]

just some advice, never get a fish just to fix a problem. make sure you'll want to keep it. and algae eaters don't eat all types of algae, so make sure the algae you have is the type your fish will eat. hope this helps.

 

[charlie4486]

I would go with tetras by the way. just a personal preference.

 

[fatfishman]

I would also go with a form of tetras they are generally more peaceful than most barbs.

You mentioned black phantoms earlier on and i think they are a good choice i like those fish alot.

Good luck withwhatever you choose though