Cichlids and tiger barbs???

[hotwingz]

Ive seen several pictures of what looked like "professional" (or most of you!) tanks that had tiger babs in with their cichlids. Now ive always wanted to keep tigers but never had an extra tank for it. How possible is it to stick a small school in my tank.

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[verbal]

They generally behave better in bigger schools. You still want to keep them away from milder fish they may harass. Angels are a no-no and some other fish with long fins might get harassed.

 

[killakacti]

I used tiger barbs as dithers to introduce a couple of algae eaters, my other attempts to just add algae eaters faild with the death of several ABN's and a common pleco.

So i went to my local chain store grabbed 4 of the largest tiger barbs they had and plopped them in with 2 chinesse algae eaters and it worked, they focused on the tiger barbs.

The group of 4 survived for a couple of days untill i missed a morning feeding, when i got home from work 1 was missing, the next day another missing. but the other 2 are doing quite well. I noticed 1 had some scale and fin damage but over the past few weeks he has healed up nicely.

 

[hotwingz]

Right i know i couldnt put them in my community tank. But are my cichlids going to be too agressive towards the barbs if i have a small school. When the cichlids get bigger i know they wont like the smaller barbs. But tiger barbs are s.o.b's and the whole saftey in numbers thing.

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[jonclark96]

I've had tiger barbs in my tanks off and on. In general, I don't think that central american cichlids of similar size mind them too much. Once the cichlids get bigger, the barbs won't stand a chance. The barbs are nippy, not necessarily aggressive. Once they get attacked, they aren't able to fight back and aren't fast enough to swim away.

 

[Andrewtfw]

Tiger barbs have a social heirarchy that when not properly addressed by providing enough barbs as a group, results in more aggression (nipping/chasing behavior). As for living with your cichlids, a lot has to do with the dimensions of the tank, size/aggression level of the cichlids and size of the barbs. I keep congo tetras with my cichlids and don't have a problem. The tetras stay towards the surface and the cichlids tend to swim lower. When it's feeding time, the congos get out of the way!

 

[hotwingz]

Ya i knew about the hierarchy of the tiger barbs. Ive just never had fish that would be ok with them and or a big enough tank now i do. And my cichlids are actually all still in the 2-2.5" range still pretty young. And ive had no agression issues at all they all swim together everywhere. They almost school! Thats why i was wondering. Plus it would be cool to have something else in there.

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[rich_one]

I have a group of tiger barbs right now in my 33 gallon with my rainbow pair. No problems. They chase each other, and the rainbow cichlids ignore them.

-Rich

 

[hotwingz]

Ya i think as long as i put enough of them in early enough. They can grow up together and be used to each other before they get to big and established. But again theres been lots of things i "thought" before i joined this forum. Ive learned more in a week then i did in high school! Haha

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[Joe.R]

tigers and rams

I just add two balloon belly ram to my 55gal. Tank and have four tiger, they get along well right now.

 

[hotwingz]

Ya i know theyd be fine for now and probabpy for a while it would be the long term. In a year or so when the cichlids out grow the barbs id be worried about.

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