Young Or Fully Grown Gold Barbs

[jayaonline]

Hi,
 
I want to buy some Gold Barbs this weekend, but I'm unsure whether I should by the small ones or the larger almost fully grown Gold Barbs.
 
What size would you recommend? - Is it better to buy mature older fish?
 
Thanks

 

[Lateral Line]

Difficult question to answer without knowing more. Small fish generate less waste than large, so have less immediate impact on your system - which we know nothing about.
 
Small fish are /usually/ younger and therefore, in a well maintained tank, have longer life expectancy. What else is in the tank, which is what size, and eqipped how? How long has it been set up?

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

The wild green form (as opposed to the dayglo orange/yellow tank bred form) is gorgeous, I so nearly bought a group last September. Reminded me a lot of my old Barilius/Opsarius group, which would work well with these barbs.
 
They are active, temperate water fish, typically doing well in a heaterless tank that changes temp through the seasons (~18C in winter, upto ~24C in summer). Pretty active too, I would not put them in anything less than a 120cm tank for life, with a good strong current.
 
You should get more time to keep young ones as pets, but then a group of 8+ adults in a setup mature enough to safely take them without toxin spikes could be encouraged to breed using a marble covered floor, to protect any eggs from predation.

 

[jayaonline]

Difficult question to answer without knowing more. Small fish generate less waste than large, so have less immediate impact on your system - which we know nothing about.
 
Small fish are /usually/ younger and therefore, in a well maintained tank, have longer life expectancy. What else is in the tank, which is what size, and eqipped how? How long has it been set up?

 
I have:
 
4x Harlequin Rasbora - big
2x Honey Gourami - small
5x Black Neon Tetra - big
3x Leopard Cory - big
3x Bronze Cory - small
2x Betta -big
1x Guppy - big
 
20g Long Planted Aquarium running for several years

The wild green form (as opposed to the dayglo orange/yellow tank bred form) is gorgeous, I so nearly bought a group last September. Reminded me a lot of my old Barilius/Opsarius group, which would work well with these barbs.
 
They are active, temperate water fish, typically doing well in a heaterless tank that changes temp through the seasons (~18C in winter, upto ~24C in summer). Pretty active too, I would not put them in anything less than a 120cm tank for life, with a good strong current.
 
You should get more time to keep young ones as pets, but then a group of 8+ adults in a setup mature enough to safely take them without toxin spikes could be encouraged to breed using a marble covered floor, to protect any eggs from predation.

 
Thanks for your advice, I want the gold ones to add some colour to my tank. I  think they look super in a school!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Difficult question to answer without knowing more. Small fish generate less waste than large, so have less immediate impact on your system - which we know nothing about.
 
Small fish are /usually/ younger and therefore, in a well maintained tank, have longer life expectancy. What else is in the tank, which is what size, and eqipped how? How long has it been set up?

 
I have:
 
4x Harlequin Rasbora - big
2x Honey Gourami - small
5x Black Neon Tetra - big
3x Leopard Cory - big
3x Bronze Cory - small
2x Betta -big
1x Guppy - big
 
20g Long Planted Aquarium running for several years

>The wild green form (as opposed to the dayglo orange/yellow tank bred form) is gorgeous, I so nearly bought a group last September. Reminded me a lot of my old Barilius/Opsarius group, which would work well with these barbs.
 
They are active, temperate water fish, typically doing well in a heaterless tank that changes temp through the seasons (~18C in winter, upto ~24C in summer). Pretty active too, I would not put them in anything less than a 120cm tank for life, with a good strong current.
 
You should get more time to keep young ones as pets, but then a group of 8+ adults in a setup mature enough to safely take them without toxin spikes could be encouraged to breed using a marble covered floor, to protect any eggs from predation.

 
Thanks for your advice, I want the gold ones to add some colour to my tank. I  think they look super in a school!
 

In my opinion your tank is overstocked already by some margin, you have ~85cm of adult sized fish in a 71l tank, with social fish in insufficient numbers.
 
A ~76x30x30cm tank is too short for Gold Barbs for life, they are far too active.