# Kenyi and Tiger Barbs in a 20g



## RaynoVox (Jun 30, 2012)

So,

Recently I got my girlfriend into fish keeping, and she wanted a fish of her own, so I wanted to let her get one for our 55g, my only rules were no bottom feeders (as it contains a pleco already) and no bettas (it has barbs too).

She came back with a Kenyi Cichlid, a male.
My 55g is peaceful so I knew it couldn't go in there, but I also have a 20g tall Tiger Barb tank with 6 barbs in it. So I put him in with the Tiger Barbs in the hope that he wouldn't mess with a school. So far, so good. He minds his own business and hides mostly. But I'm really worried about the long term, my finances don't allow me to go get a whole other setup, but she loves it and I'd hate to bring it back.

Tips? Thanks guys!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I don't see this working long term. But I've never tried it. Not sure if he will bother them or they will shred his fins. What else is in the 55? 

Kenyi are mostly algae grazers and they are mostly aggressive toward other males of his species but they can become "food aggressive". He might leave the barbs alone until he decides he wants what they are eating.

I have more than once ended up with a large, single Malawi cichlid alone in a 15. It is a decent way to gets fins healed up for a show (I usually sell them after the show to empty the tank). You never want 2 or 3 of these fish. You want 6+ or just 1. 

Kenyi are brightly colored, reasonably intelligent, have good eyesight and will pay attention to you if they are bored (no other fish to chase). They can get over 6" and live over a decade.

Tips: pvc pipe, fish length or longer, larger in ID than the fish. Gravel or sand to dig in. Fill in his holes periodically and make him start the excavation over. Have a plan in case of emergency. A spare sponge filter and an empty tank is a good start. Salt and chewed fin meds (meth blue, etc.) on hand is also good. Don't feed him frozen blood worms, keep his diet on the green side.


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## RaynoVox (Jun 30, 2012)

emc7,

Thank you so much for the quick reply,

The 55g has:
3x TinFoil Barbs (4")(Took them from a friend who knew nothing about them or their eventual size, looking for homes now)
1x Angelfish (3")
1x Brown Knife (5")
1x Common Pleco (6")
It is very peiceful in there, no aggression problems ever.

Thanks again for the info, I didn't know that stuff!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

a 55 is a good size for a starter mbuna tank. But you are right you don't want to mix an African with those fish. Best of luck with this. This is how you end up with 50 tanks.


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