# Tiger Barbs and Columbian shark....?



## liljj (Mar 1, 2006)

Hey everyone i just got a new tank 1 week and a half ago and i have been cyling it since then. In 2 days im goin to get sum fish,all i know for certain is im gettin afew tiger barbs but my friends suggested getting a columbian shark, and i knew this fish needed aquarium salt.... I didnt know if this was a good idea, so if the water did have sum aqu. salt would the tiger barbs still live?




Thanx liljj


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2006)

columbian sharks do not need aquarium salt that would be put in a freshwater aquarium. They need marine salt. They are brackish water fish, and tiger barbs are definitely not, so no, a columbian shark would not work out in that tank. Also, the tank would need to be pretty big, as columbian sharks get large. How big is the tank?
Also, your tank is no where near being fully cycled unless you used bio-spira or a similar product. if you've been doing a regular cycle, your tank will not be able to handle a large bioload and the ammonia levels in the tank will rise and this will result in fish deaths. A regular (fishless or fish cycle, but not with a product such as bio-spira) cycle can take up to 6 weeks.


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## heatherhoge (Nov 13, 2005)

I have to agree with scuba kid down to the tee. IF your working with these catfish/shark they need flexabiliy in their salinity. Not a recommended fish for beginning brakish water. This spiecies are born in fresh water then move to marine as they get older. then they go back to fresh waters for breeding. They live a double life. Solinity needs to go up and down to make them completely comfortable and not on a weekly basis. I have 6 in a 125 gal and studying how to breed and have to be right on with lowering and upping the salinity. There is no way a barb can handle marine salt and flexing the salinity on top of it. Please research before buying these shark. They are often misunderstood by stores and retailers causeing most people to accidently kill them. They are great and commical fish and i adore them so worth the headachs for me.


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