Best tank size for the Tiger Barb fish?

[newfishhobbyist]

Hi. I already have a 28 gallon tank filled with Mickey Mouse platies, catfish, an ivory mystery snail and some sunburst platies along with three week old Mickey Mouse platy fry.

I decided to buy 4 Tiger Barb fish today, thinking I would settle them in my 10 gallon tank first, then eventually after a month or two, move them to the 28 gallon.

Would this be a mistake, i.e. over-stocking my tank?

I realize a 10 gallon tank is not large enough "real estate" for the Tiger Barb fish which can grow to 3 inches long. But I can't afford to buy a bigger tank than the 10 gallon I put the 4 Tiger Barbs in (2 male, 2 female).

How long will they be okay in the 10 gallon before I can afford to buy them a larger tank? I was thinking in 3 months I would purchase another 28 gallon tank just for the 4 Tiger Barb's and not add anymore to that tank.

Your thoughts?

 

[Nolapete]

They should be ok with nothing else in the 10 temporarily, but in the 28 you could have more than just the 4 barbs.

 

[Weezer]

The barbs will be fine in the 10 for a couple of months, i would not put them in the 28 you have now, when you upgrade the 10 to a 28 you could add a few more barbs or something else.....

 

[newfishhobbyist]

Do you think a gravel substrate is okay for the Tiger Barbs? That's all I have in my 10 gallon. I was reading online that they like to dig in the sand so I hope they don't try to dig through the gravel in their tank right now.

Also, I seriously hope they won't go stir crazy in the 10 gallon until August when I can afford to buy another 28 gallon tank. I think I'll buy sand substrate then for them. I have two Frill plants in the 10 gallon tank, smaller sized gravel and a 3 inch tall by 7 inch cave like decoration that is too small for them to swim through.

By the way, are they sex crazed fish or what. I've had them for 8 hours already and they seem to be going at it since I brought them home, after they pigged out on the bloodworm and flake dinner I fed them tonight at 6 p.m. Ha ha.

*Originally I had four dwarf puffers in the 10 gallon tank but returned them today since I was fed up with having to net out their un-eaten food every day for the past month. They are cute fish but real finicky eaters and total slobs. Oh well. The Tiger Barbs will be less slobs b/c they are such pigs and eat everything you throw in the tank.

 

[tictak_07]

hi
gravel is fine for your T barbs.

 

[rosita]

Sex drive comes and goes . . . mine were at it all of May!!!
Think of them being in the 10g as in quarantine . . . I QT my fish for 4 weeks before adding to a tank. I've got 3 in my 29g along with 6 neon gold rosy barbs and some emerald cories--feels just right, have had not problems.

 

[jm1212]

tiger barbs should be kept in pretty big groups to keep them from going after the other fish in the tank. six is a minimum, but 12 is much better.

 

[wataugachicken]

what he said^. if there aren't enough barbs in their group to keep them occupied with chasing and power games, they will eventually pick on the weakest one until that one dies, then the remaining ones will pick on the next lowest, etc. . .until only one is left. with a larger # of barbs, the aggression is spread out more evenly and no one fish is picked on to exhaustion. i would probably go with something like 16-18 barbs in a 55g tank with a few small loaches in the bottom. skunk loaches look nice, and though they can get territorial as they get older, the barbs won't be bothered by it and the loaches will sort it out themselves. yoyo's are also attractive. kuhli's might get eaten up by the barbs like worms, and dojo loaches get too big and are actually temperate, not tropical.

 

[aardvark1]

I got 10 (5 regular, three green and two albino)in my 20 as the sole occupants (besides the 2 cheery barbs). They always seem to be in a "pack" (reminds me of a wolf pack), leaving a lot of the tank unoccupied, thusly I don't feel it's overstocked...

But, hey what do I know?



The Fishies seem to be happy, I'm happy...

 

[Hooked Newbie]

If the 10G is properly filtered and aerated, I think you'll be ok for awhile... but what do I know? Look at my name! lol

I was recently told that my Barb tank is overstocked...

29G Long
Planted
Top Fin 30
RENA XP2
8 Tiger Barbs (3 Albino)
1 Red Tailed Shark
1 Mystery Snail