a crawfish ??

I really have to agree with RTR here..mostly because of the activeness of Tiger barbs more so than the potential size. There are many fish that grow to the size of Tiger barbs(ie. dwarf gouramis), but don't have near the energy level. Tiger barbs like to 'run' so to speak...and need plenty of room to do so. It's akin to keeping certain breeds of dogs, some are much more active than others and need a big back yard. I think your barbs are fine in the 10g as of now at their current size, but if you plan to keep them for awhile, it would be better if they were moved to larger quarters as soon as they reach the 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" size. Personally, I wouldn't keep them in any tank under 36". A great alternative to tiger barbs in a 10g would be a school of Rasboras, instead.
 
i think people on this board love to preach about the ideals of tank parameters, but i see plenty of tanks posted on AC that at a glance seem WAY over a traditional limit. it seems to me that far more people talk the talk then actually do the walking when it comes to adequate stocking. where are the people who have posted those tanks on this thread? i recall several threads in which board veterans (if you will) defended their particular tanks which seem way overstocked. and they put up some pretty good arguments for exceptions to traditional stocking, if the aquarist if willing to make certain committments.

would *i* keep 8 tiger barbs in a 10g? probably not. overcrowding a 10g is asking for trouble much more than overcrowding a larger tank, where parameters don't swing so drastically. but tiger barbs aren't exactly thick-bodied, heavy waste-producing fish. 8 in a 10g with a pair of cories? i just don't think that's the drastic, doomsday proclamation you guys are saying it is. now, poor advice indeed was given at the LFS if they're saying you should come back for some "bigger fish." i am not supporting that. but 8 tiger barbs in a 10g...that's just not so bad.

besides, talk about bad advice, RTR...you're the one professing the one-inch per gallon rule, which is just misleading. certainly, i don't think i need to point out the implications of that rule. it's been on this board so much. but, what's worse, 8 tiger barbs or 1 10-inch fish in a 10g?
 
Last edited:
I have never supported the inch per gallon rule, it has too many restrictions which are commonly ignored (applies only to slender-bodied fish under 2" standard - which Tigers are not, must be based on the full adult size of the fish, does not deal with compability or activity - a big thing in this thread - etc.).

I have no, repeat no, overcrowded tanks and have not in more decades than most folk on this board have been alive. I know better, and do better.

If we are playing with personal attacks dethjam316, why don't you tell us about how many of your fish live longer than their "normal" wild lifespan in your tanks (mine do routinely) and about your successes with hard to keep fish, and your general contributions to the hobby from your broad and deep store of aquarium experience and knowledge? My article on Tiger Barbs on this site went in in 1999. Where are your articles?

Anyone who thinks that you can (or that it not so bad to) keep 8 Tiger Barbs and some corys in a ten is not yet ready to leave the Newbie forum, IMNSHO.
 
Also remember, a large majority of people asking for tank ideas are doing this for the first time (or at least asking here for the first time). For a first-time setup, you want to have something easy to look after. So people suggested the easiest stocking limits of the tank.

Overstocking a tank takes a little more patience, a lot more work, and extra equipment (such as double the suggested filtering) if you want the fish to thrive.
 
It is important to remeber that high bioload doesn't always mean the same thing as overcrowding. People have high bioload or even extreme bioloads quite often but this is generally in bigger tanks that proper maintanence can cope with.
 
BAD NEWS

alright something has to have happend today when I woke up I saw one missing.. I figured it was swimming in the grass and I didn't notice t .. they are fast so I guessed Iw as mis counting..
Now today at lunch two more are dead.... so I have 5 of them and one seems to be "moving slowly" The water temp is around 75 the water was conditioned using the conditioner stuff first and left running for over 24 hours like the tank instruction suggested.. I ran it for about a day then changed filter and ran it 12 hours or so.. plants where added the first 12 hours...

the water is ckrystal clear my snails are doing great.. one has left eggs at the rim.
I used a declorinate treatment to make sur the water was fine when i first added it before all the filtering even.

the first day or so I feed the fish that night then 2 times the next day.. just a small pinch.. (I had noticed the fish pecking the plants so I decided they needed more.. I also read somewhere that fish could be fed twice a day but atleast everyda) today I found one dead.. I have had the fish for around 4 days now and they seem to be going down hill.

The snails actualy ate a dead one pretty much completly and seem to be fine.. !!! I am SO LOST. AND UPSET HELPPPP
 
Well it could be an illness. Generally fish illness' do not affect snails and the same is true for the reverse. Test your water if you can and then do a water change (20%) just to be on the safe side.

You only need to feed your fish once a day and then I generally don't feed them once a week. Overfed fish can get sick. Plus if they are eating the plants that is fine, a lot of fish need veggie food as well.

Look on your fish for obvious signs of illness like white spots or bloating etc...
 
Originally posted by RTR
I have never supported the inch per gallon rule, it has too many restrictions which are commonly ignored (applies only to slender-bodied fish under 2" standard - which Tigers are not, must be based on the full adult size of the fish, does not deal with compability or activity - a big thing in this thread - etc.).
Click to expand...

then why, rtr, since you're such an expert on this subject, did you offer the advice of that rule in this thread? i've tried to keep my comments away from personal attacks. you accused me of poor advice, and i merely pointed out that your post included some pretty poor advice yourself. that's no more personal than your comment.

now, duck...did you cycle the tank? dropping 8 fish in at once in any tank (under 50g anyway) can be a recipe for disaster, it's quite a shock to the bioload. also, putting plants from the lake near your house can introduce diseases and other things if they are not quarrantined.
 
Size rules aside, I wouldn't have one "hyper barb" in a 10g, let alone 8. Those things need a little space to perforn their aquabatics...




I am now officially trademarking the word 'aquabatic', as it's not listed in dictionary.com - go me for new words!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom