Will this community work?

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Naughts

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Please can you let me know if you think this community tank would work?

125 litre tank. pH 8.0, GH 139ppm, KH 40 ppm.

I would like to stock with:
8 tiger barbs
8 neon tetra
8 cherry barbs
10 Pygmy corydoras.
I am also interested in golden barbs, rosy barbs, rummy nose tetra and khuli loach. I like torpedo barbs but donā€™t think the tank is big enough.

Thank you for your thoughts :)
 
My personal preference would be
  • Pick one type of barb and get twice as many
  • Increase the number of neon tetra to 12-15
  • Increase the corys to 15
Note if you get larger cories you may want to stick with 10. For temperature requirements the tiger barb would be a better choice because the bottom of the range required for cherries is also the top of the range required for cories.

IMO bugger groups of fish make a far better display than a bigger variety - its also better for the fish as in the wild their group sizes run into the hundreds or thousands.
 
There are some fairly significant issues with the stocking combination in post #1.

First, Tiger Barbs. This species needs a group of 10-12, in a 30g tank, minimum, with no other fish (aside from substrate fish depending what species). So a group of 10-12 TB would fill this tank. That is one option. If you intend other upper-level fish species (non-substrate), forget the TB as they will not work.

Second, pygmy cories are fairly delicate fish and they need a quieter tank than one with Tiger Barbs. They would be OK with a group of neon tetras. They (the pygmy cories) also must have sand, something to keep in mind.

Most barbs are active, needing more space, but if you could post the tank dimensions this might help. Cherry barbs are a possible exception to the active issue.

Loaches and cories do not go well together.
 
My personal preference would be
  • Pick one type of barb and get twice as many
  • Increase the number of neon tetra to 12-15
  • Increase the corys to 15
Note if you get larger cories you may want to stick with 10. For temperature requirements the tiger barb would be a better choice because the bottom of the range required for cherries is also the top of the range required for cories.

IMO bugger groups of fish make a far better display than a bigger variety - its also better for the fish as in the wild their group sizes run into the hundreds or thousands.
Thank you, thatā€™s good advice, I hadnā€™t realised the disparity with the temperatures.
I agree that larger schoals are best, itā€™s the same old problem, so many lovely fish, too little tank space! But I will refrain from the cherry barbs. Thank you for the help.
 
Thank you, thatā€™s good advice, I hadnā€™t realised the disparity with the temperatures.
I agree that larger schoals are best, itā€™s the same old problem, so many lovely fish, too little tank space! But I will refrain from the cherry barbs. Thank you for the help.
Actually @Byron makes a very good point about the aggression of tiger barbs. I had forgotten just how active those guys are because I don't (won't) keep them.

FWIW the only reason I did not just say lots of tetra and lots of corys is because it would sound like I wanted you to re-create my community tank :)
 
There are some fairly significant issues with the stocking combination in post #1.

First, Tiger Barbs. This species needs a group of 10-12, in a 30g tank, minimum, with no other fish (aside from substrate fish depending what species). So a group of 10-12 TB would fill this tank. That is one option. If you intend other upper-level fish species (non-substrate), forget the TB as they will not work.

Second, pygmy cories are fairly delicate fish and they need a quieter tank than one with Tiger Barbs. They would be OK with a group of neon tetras. They (the pygmy cories) also must have sand, something to keep in mind.

Most barbs are active, needing more space, but if you could post the tank dimensions this might help. Cherry barbs are a possible exception to the active issue.

Loaches and cories do not go well together.
Thank you for the reply.
The tank I have in mind
https://www.birstall.co.uk/products...MI5fW0n96H5AIVhLTtCh2PKwN9EAUYASABEgJAxvD_BwE
Is 81cm x 36cm x 45 cm. I have black aquatic sand on order.
Thanks for the info on the fish compatability, I will choose corys over khuli loach. But my favourite are the tiger barbs, are they really only suitable for species tanks? ā˜¹ļø
I already have the neons and wanted to shut down their tank ( itā€™s a biorb 60 litre and a PITA) but maybe I could run both tanks and just have TB and cories in the Juwel Rio???
 
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Actually @Byron makes a very good point about the aggression of tiger barbs. I had forgotten just how active those guys are because I don't (won't) keep them.

FWIW the only reason I did not just say lots of tetra and lots of corys is because it would sound like I wanted you to re-create my community tank :)
Lol, I donā€™t mind emulating tanks like yours. Just I really love tiger barbs and have read/seen that they are kept in community tanks and heard they are not aggressive to other species (with obvious exceptions of long-finned / slow moving species) when kept in a large enough group. I also am keen to try one or two species that are new to me so was hoping for a community set up.
Thank you for the good advice.
 
Thank you for the reply.
The tank I have in mind
https://www.birstall.co.uk/products...MI5fW0n96H5AIVhLTtCh2PKwN9EAUYASABEgJAxvD_BwE
Is 81cm x 36cm x 45 cm. I have black aquatic sand on order.
Thanks for the info on the fish compatability, I will choose corys over khuli loach. But my favourite are the tiger barbs, are they really only suitable for species tanks? ā˜¹ļø

In this small a tank (to the barbs), yes, it is only Tiger Barbs. Substrate fish like a group of the larger cory species (not pygmies) would be OK, but no other upper fish except for the group of 10-12 (or you could go up to 15) TB.

You can make quite a nice authentic biotope-style tank for the TB; sand, chunks of wood, a few pieces of river rock, and floating plants. A group of cories even though not "authentic" to the TB habitat if that doesn't bother you.
 
I really love tiger barbs and have read/seen that they are kept in community tanks and heard they are not aggressive to other species (with obvious exceptions of long-finned / slow moving species) when kept in a large enough group.

This is true...but it takes a larger tank. A 30g is minimum for a group of the TB on their own. But a larger tank, say a 4-foot 55g and up, could have a decent size group of TB (15 or so here) and other fairly robust and similarly active species.

We now know (some have long held this, but it is basic fact now) that the tank size can affect the aggressiveness of fish species. Just as can the number of the species in the shoal.
 
In this small a tank (to the barbs), yes, it is only Tiger Barbs. Substrate fish like a group of the larger cory species (not pygmies) would be OK, but no other upper fish except for the group of 10-12 (or you could go up to 15) TB.

You can make quite a nice authentic biotope-style tank for the TB; sand, chunks of wood, a few pieces of river rock, and floating plants. A group of cories even though not "authentic" to the TB habitat if that doesn't bother you.
Great, thank you for the help
 
Forget the tiger barbs - far too aggressive for a community tank. Cherry barbs are very sweet and very boring, they will just hide if there are bigger fish. I don't believe you need 10-15 of some of these species - that's great for those with 100 gallon tanks - but 5 cherry barbs and 3-5 corycats have worked well for me. I also have 5 Golden Harlequin Rasbora's VERY tiny so you can purchase a lot and make a beautiful school of fish when threatened - once they calm down they don't school as often. None appear unhealthy or are engaging in abberent behavior because there aren't 15 of each species -(with the exception of my 7 - now 1 zebra danio that killed all her mates as well as a large gourami - very unusual behavior for that species) I have no idea how to tell if they are "happy" but they appear very busy and active.
 
Forget the tiger barbs - far too aggressive for a community tank. Cherry barbs are very sweet and very boring, they will just hide if there are bigger fish. I don't believe you need 10-15 of some of these species - that's great for those with 100 gallon tanks - but 5 cherry barbs and 3-5 corycats have worked well for me. I also have 5 Golden Harlequin Rasbora's VERY tiny so you can purchase a lot and make a beautiful school of fish when threatened - once they calm down they don't school as often. None appear unhealthy or are engaging in abberent behavior because there aren't 15 of each species -(with the exception of my 7 - now 1 zebra danio that killed all her mates as well as a large gourami - very unusual behavior for that species) I have no idea how to tell if they are "happy" but they appear very busy and active.
Thanks jan but my heart is set on tiger barbs. Iā€™m going with the stocking and biotope (need to do some research!) setup in post 8
 

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