Will a tiger barb bother the other fish?

[NJ Devils Fan]

I don't know if I should put my tiger barb in the other tank with some rummynose tetras, a bunch of neons, 3 cories, and 3 plecos. Would it be ok?

[RTR]

A singleton Tiger Barb? No.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Oh. I feel bad because he is in the little tank alone. 2 neons and the danio used to be his tank mates, then I moved them to the other tank. I guess I'll just give him to my friend.

[somefinnfishy]

Tiger barbs are notorious fin nipers so watch him close if you do it.

[BluEyes]

a single t-barb could be bad news - he'll want someone to play with, and they do play rough for most fishes.

Give him/her a school (space permitting) of 5+. I used to have a 15g with 5 t-barbs, cories, and an african butterfly. No agression from the tiger barbs - except towards each other!
They would play and chase, and dart around the tank - seemed totally oblivious that there were any other fish in there...

[Gumby7]

Originally posted by BluEyes
a single t-barb could be bad news - he'll want someone to play with, and they do play rough for most fishes.

Give him/her a school (space permitting) of 5+. I used to have a 15g with 5 t-barbs, cories, and an african butterfly. No agression from the tiger barbs - except towards each other!
They would play and chase, and dart around the tank - seemed totally oblivious that there were any other fish in there...

I've heard this before, can anyone corroborate it?

Also, more importantly to me, I am setting up a community planted 48g and want to keep various tetras and rasboras. Are some of the other barbs less aggressive? I am thinking specifically of the barbs who’s body shape is like a tigers but the colouration is different. You know the ones; green barbs, albino barbs etc. I am planning on keeping rummy nose, black neons, glolights, harlequin, glass cats (if I can find them), blue rams, corys, ottos etc.

The article on page 38 of January's FAMA is an uncanny description of what I was planning. Its a curious article because it doesn't really tell you anything other than the author's preferences for a hypothetical tank.

Gumby

[mwood322]

Well, Green barbs and Albino barbs are both Tiger barbs. They are just different colours. And yes, Tiger Barbs must be in groups to be happy, and seem well-adjusted to their tankmates, meaning keeping them from being terrors. I have 9, greens and normals, and at that number I have no problems with them, when I only had 4, they were a bit of a problem. I know at 8 they were great, and at my highpoint of 14 were also wonderful.

You want to avoid keeping tigers with any fish that either swims slowly, or has nice long trailing fins. Alternative barbs that are less aggressive normally are Checkered Barbs, and Cherry Barbs. Both are normally readliy available. They would need to be in trios at least, more females than males if you could manage it.

The only other problem you might have are tigers are normally very aggressive eaters. Most of the time you can't keep them with slow feeders, as they are unlikely to let more cautious fish get much food.

--Mia

[DrDeath]

Tiger Barbs need to be in a school. I have five with my silver dollars, RTS, pleco, CAE, and leporinus. The tigers hang out together and pretty much chase eachother around.

DrD

[Chinese Star]

I have had Tiger Barbs. They killed my sister's fish. They tore up it's fins so bad that it couldn't swim. They tried to nip at my full grown Silver Dollar and he quickly put them in their place.

[NJ Devils Fan]

I just brought him to my friends house today to stay in his little tank with 4 other tigers. I think he will be happy to be with some friends and to be in a heavily planted tank.

[irishspy]

Originally posted by NJ Devils Fan
I don't know if I should put my tiger barb in the other tank with some rummynose tetras, a bunch of neons, 3 cories, and 3 plecos. Would it be ok?

A lone tiger barb will chase the other fish. I think they should be kept in a school of five or more, as they'll usually concentrate on each other.

--Anthony