What To Add?

[Recky10]

Hey guys, I was hoping to get a few fish tomorrow, and was wondering what to get. I have a 75 gallon community tank, kept at 81 degrees and a PH of 7.2, with 1xpowder blue dwarf gourami~2", 1xbolivian ram~2", 5xtiger barbs~1-1.75", 6xlampeye tetras~1-1.5", 6xlemon tetras~1-1.5", and 3xpanda corys~1.5". These fish have been together for about 2 weeks. There are no real problems the barbs tend to nip the corys for fun everyonce in awhile but the gourami definatley owns the tank, which is funny because he was the last one added in, about 3 days after the rest. So my question was which fish to add next, i was hoping to purchase a few tommorow. I am kinda looking into a livebearer. I understand it is typically 3 females-1 male and is it true they tend to produce more waist then most fish?. Well i understand mollys are out of the question because they like some salt and guppies will be nipped to death by the barbs. So i was hoping i could get a couple of platies or sword tails, would that be possible? What size? Also i was hoping to get a few snails to control algae. If these fish dont work please suggest some that will. I am open to suggestions and appreciate the advice thank you.


P.S.sorry for any spelling and/or grammer mistakes.

 

[rdd1952]

Even though they are fine so far, I'm afraid the barbs will turn out tobe a problem. Theyare extremely aggressive fish and aren't good fish for a community tank. Even though you say the gourami rules the tank, that won't last for long as the barbs will soon be after hi. They will attack much larger fish, especially slow moving ones. If it's possible to return the tigers and possibly get a different type barb (penazona barbs for instance look very similar but aren't aggressive). That would open your options considerably and you could get the guppies you wanted.

Also, I know you have had the fish in the tank for 2 weeks and this wasn't part of your question but are you sure that the tank is ready for more fish, I.E. no ammonia or nitrite?

 

[Recky10]

Even though they are fine so far, I'm afraid the barbs will turn out tobe a problem. Theyare extremely aggressive fish and aren't good fish for a community tank. Even though you say the gourami rules the tank, that won't last for long as the barbs will soon be after hi. They will attack much larger fish, especially slow moving ones. If it's possible to return the tigers and possibly get a different type barb (penazona barbs for instance look very similar but aren't aggressive). That would open your options considerably and you could get the guppies you wanted.

Also, I know you have had the fish in the tank for 2 weeks and this wasn't part of your question but are you sure that the tank is ready for more fish, I.E. no ammonia or nitrite?

Yes im sure that it would be ok to add new fish. As for the barbs i would like to keep them as long as they dont become a problem. So what fish could i get without gettin rid of them?

 

[Piscator]

These fish have been together for about 2 weeks. There are no real problems the barbs tend to nip the corys for fun everyonce in awhile ...

I would hesitate to attribute Human qualities to your interpretation of how fish act. The Barbs are not nipping at the Corys "for fun". Tiger Barbs, by their very nature, want to establish a hierarchy within their own group. They do this by nipping at one another. If there are not enough Barbs in the "Clan" then they will take out their natural tendency to nip on other fish. So... perhaps you ought to get a few more Tiger Barbs?

 

[Recky10]

These fish have been together for about 2 weeks. There are no real problems the barbs tend to nip the corys for fun everyonce in awhile ...

I would hesitate to attribute Human qualities to your interpretation of how fish act. The Barbs are not nipping at the Corys "for fun". Tiger Barbs, by their very nature, want to establish a hierarchy within their own group. They do this by nipping at one another. If there are not enough Barbs in the "Clan" then they will take out their natural tendency to nip on other fish. So... perhaps you ought to get a few more Tiger Barbs?

I have five barbs, is that not enough? I thought they schooled in less numbers then tetras.

 

[TribeOfShroom]

I would like to add, that bolivian rams prefer to be kept in pairs

 

[rdd1952]

Even though they are fine so far, I'm afraid the barbs will turn out tobe a problem. Theyare extremely aggressive fish and aren't good fish for a community tank. Even though you say the gourami rules the tank, that won't last for long as the barbs will soon be after hi. They will attack much larger fish, especially slow moving ones. If it's possible to return the tigers and possibly get a different type barb (penazona barbs for instance look very similar but aren't aggressive). That would open your options considerably and you could get the guppies you wanted.

Yes im sure that it would be ok to add new fish. As for the barbs i would like to keep them as long as they dont become a problem. So what fish could i get without gettin rid of them?

With the tiger barbs, I'm afraid you options are limited. They will even attack larger fish as they try to establish their territories. They may not be a problem now but it's not really a matter of "if" they will become a problem, it's more a matter of "when". As someone else mentioned, they aren't having fun with the corys, they definitely have a purpose with their nipping. And the stress that the picked at fish feel can lead to disease and deaths. You mentioned whether you need more than the 5, the intent with getting more is to spread the aggression among them rather than toward the other fish but in a tank the size of your's I don't know if that is possible as they have too much room to roam.

 

[Piscator]

As someone else mentioned, they aren't having fun with the corys, they definitely have a purpose with their nipping. And the stress that the picked at fish feel can lead to disease and deaths. You mentioned whether you need more than the 5, the intent with getting more is to spread the aggression among them rather than toward the other fish but in a tank the size of your's I don't know if that is possible as they have too much room to roam.

I'm the one who mentioned the Barbs not nipping "for fun", and I agree with rdd1952 here. You may not have room for more Barbs. Perhaps put them into the new tank you're setting up and then you'll have the room to add a few more of them, there by spreading their agression out more thinly among themselves.

I think a lot of newer fish-keepers only consider how compatible fish are in a community tank, and then leave it at that - thinking that everything will turn out fine. But, there is a lot more to it than compatibility. Barbs need territory, Angelfish need territory, Corys need hiding places (do yours have any?), Gourami need sanctuary in the plants, etc... Also, fish in an aquarium do not lose the innate natural tendencies they had in the wild. In the aquarium, as in the wild, fish seek out food resources, shelter resources, and an established hierarchy with their own kind and with others.

If, for example, you're upset because you can hardly see a Dwarf Gourami that spends a lot of time swimming in the back behind some tall plants, don't remove the plants! You're fighting against the true nature of the fish which is rather shy. By removing the plants you remove a place where the Gourami feels safe - thus causing stress and perhaps illness. Never fight against mother nature!

Anyone else have an opinion on this?