# tiger barb compatiblity?????



## theresakad (Apr 6, 2006)

I am new here and have a few questions.
I started out with a 10 gal tank and loved it so I went out and bought a 55 gal setup.
I just set up the 55 gal tank and have _6 tiger barbs_ in there.
I was wondering if I could add the following fish. I know I can't add them all at the same time. I have that much figured out. I just want to make sure the fish I picked out will be able to live together and be happy.
These are the types of fish I would like to get:
_Zebra Danios
Some rainbows (Bosesman's rainbowfish)
Kissing gourami and some other gourami-not sure which ones
and finally a red tail shark._

Does this sound like a good plan, or am i out of my mind.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated


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## little (Mar 10, 2006)

I am newbie too but i know what i have in my 60g , 3 tigar barbs, 2 gold gormies and 1 bala shark, and they do fine, you can see what else is in the tank below.
I am not going to ask about cycleing the tank first.


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## Carl (Jul 7, 2005)

Hi, imthink they would all be fine but for the kissing gurami who will go a bit bigger. By the way bala and red - tailed sharks are not the same fish.


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## theresakad (Apr 6, 2006)

I love the kissing gourami! They're too big for 55gal??

Little - your eel doesn't try to eat other fish. I was thinking about getting an eel but the things I have read scared me. I saw a ropefish that was very cool. But I read they like to escape and they will eat other fish.


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## theresakad (Apr 6, 2006)

Carl - what other gouramis would be a good choice? I love their colors.


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## little (Mar 10, 2006)

Theresakad, no my pea**** eel does not eat any other fish, in fact he is very mellow. I wonder from time to time how big he has gotten, he will poke his head out of the gravel and show himself, but he never comes out 100%.. 
the last time i made he ungravel him self he was about 10 in.
And like I said I am a newbie, so I dont know to much about fish yet, so the sharks being diffrent I did not know. I never looked into the other sharks.


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## Carl (Jul 7, 2005)

How about the Dwarf Guarami. It is small at max size and, especially the dwarf, are easy to keep. Actually i now think the ''kisser'' may be a good choice or maybe the moonlight or pearl guarami which both grow to 4 - 6 inches like the kisser. However stay away from the croaking and chocolate guaramis because they are rather delicate and you could progress to them later.

One more thing, if might be a good idea to plant your aquarium as the fish would benefit from a bit of greenery.


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## Jojo (Apr 11, 2006)

With a kissing gourami and a shark the tank may get crowed over time.


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2006)

Theresa, I think first you should increase the tiger barb school. You could have 10 or 12 in a 55g.

I would be careful putting a gourami in with the tiger barbs. They are very active and gouramis aren't. Gouramis are passive and at feeding time it may be hard for the gourami to get food.

Kissing Gouramis do get too large. You wouldn't know it by the small size they are sold in LFS's. I think they get about 12 inches....huge! Some gouramis that are not too big are: Moonbeam, Opaline/Three Spot, and Dwarf. I would only add one though because gouramis get aggressive when you put a pair in a tank. Just make sure if you get one that it can get food. Tigers are greedy eaters.

You can have the red-tailed shark in the 55g. I wouldn't add any more bottom feeders though, because RTS's are pretty territorial. Give it a cave to hide in and it should be fine.

I would find another schooling type of fish that are semi-aggressive like the barbs. Maybe Serpae Tetras. Or Buenos Aires tetras...instead of a gourami.
Match the tiger barbs with another type of fish like them. Danios would be a good choice. They are not really semi-aggressive, but they are equally active and greedy. I think rainbowfish are for the most part peaceful, so I don't think they would be a good idea. The turquoise ones are a little more active, but they get to be about 5 inches...so you would be limited on numbers and they like to school.

You could maybe have a Firemouth cichlid as a centerpiece type fish. They are mid-bottom though, so I don't know how a RTS would like that. I can't think of any middle centerpiece fish that would do well with tiger barbs...maybe someone else has an idea.

Here is what I suggest:
10 Tiger Barbs
8-10 Buenos Aires tetras
1 RTS
maybe a Moonbeam gourami

Plant the tank and call it stocked!

little: I bet if you threw some feeder guppies or ghost shrimp in your tank, the numbers would be smaller the next morning. Pea**** eels will eat small fish. My ex-boyfriend had one and would feed it feeder guppies and ghost shrimp. The numbers always got smaller each day. Your bala shark would probably enjoy some friends. They are shoaling fish. And I would be careful keeping puffers with community fish (if you have them in the same tank).

Carl....kissing gouramis can get up to 12 inches...not 4-6. I think Pearls are a little to passive to live with Tiger Barbs.


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## Carl (Jul 7, 2005)

Kissing Guramis dont get to 12 inches but they will grow to half that,maybe. Maybe you are thinking of the Giant Gourami?? but that gets even bigger. 

I agree with your stocking order but i still maintain that a Gourami would do fine,or a Firemoth as suggested above though i feel this may dominate your tank.


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## Jojo (Apr 11, 2006)

Carl said:


> Kissing Guramis dont get to 12 inches but they will grow to half that,maybe. Maybe you are thinking of the Giant Gourami?? but that gets even bigger.
> 
> I agree with your stocking order but i still maintain that a Gourami would do fine,or a Firemoth as suggested above though i feel this may dominate your tank.


Kissing Gouramnis do get to be 12. in size: 8 to 12 inches (20 -30 cm)
I have had them before and they do get that big.


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## fishn00b (Jun 10, 2005)

Jojo said:


> Kissing Gouramnis do get to be 12. in size: 8 to 12 inches (20 -30 cm)
> I have had them before and they do get that big.



That's true... you'd have a tough time putting them in a 55 gallon tank, especially with other fish in there.


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

You could add a three spot (blue) gourami with tigers. I had that combo before. My gourami was pretty brave and I was able to hand feed him, but in a 55 gal you can drop food in over a large area and the gourami would find enough.


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