Looking for a centerpiece fish with Tiger Barbs

I know what you mean, I've had fish that didn't act the way they were supposed to...like one scaredy cat male betta who was afraid of everything ;)

I've also had peaceful cichlids who were supposed to be mean and mean tetras which were supposed to be peaceful. IMO fish have individual personalities, what we read about is just what can generally be expected...not always the case!
 
I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but we have blood parrot cichlids in with tiger barbs and cories. It's one of my favorite tanks and combos :)
 
Actually, you're right, that would work nicely :) I don't care for them too much myself, but even I have to admit that Kirin parrots (Flowerhorn x Blood Parrot) are gorgeous (albeit in a slightly disturbing way)
 
I think they look real good together and know they get along fine in the same tank. We also have some buenos aires tetras and BN plecos in the tank. I like the colors, the schooling, etc.
 
I just picked up some stuff at my new LFS and sought some further advice. This LFS is promising as he was cautious in his advice. This new LFS owner saw me eying the puffers (I wasn't going to get one) and told me flat out that they are an advanced fish with a lot of requirements both with water parameters and tank mates. The last LFS owner tried to sell me an Indian puffer (I think, can't remember the species exactly) - which is why I am looking elsewhere.

This is what the owner he told me:


  • Pretty much all cichlids are rough on plants to some extent. You may get lucky, but don't count on it. He advised against it if I want to keep a balance of plants and fish. With cichlids - the fish will win.
  • Severums are a good match, but may get a little too large. he thought the total gallons (56) were okay - he was more concerned about the length of the tank (only 30 long).
  • He told me to definitely not get an angelfish. he said that even if I go up to 15 or 20 barbs, there is a very good chance that the angelfish will be constantly harassed and unhappy.
  • His suggestion were Rainbows, Gouramis, more Tigers, Corys, Monos and perhaps Sevs - though he was sceptical. He thinks my best bet are a few Rainbows, a Pearl Gourami and 5 or 6 Corys.
Opinions on the opinion? I hope he's right as I need to build a relationship with a good LFS.
 
Monos? Those are brackish fish! That won't work at all.

More tigers is a good idea, rainbowfish make good tankmates to tigers as do gouramis. Rainbows can't be kept alone, gouramis are best kept in pairs (pearl gouramis are particularly easy to sex) but singletons can also work.

I forgot that your tank was a tall tank. A severum will get much too big for a 30" tank. An angelfish could in fact work...it all depends on how your tiger barbs behave. They are not really as nippy as they are given the reputation for, if they have a big enough tank and enough of them to school with, you'd be surprised!

Except for the mono, all that advice was pretty sound.

As far as cichlids being incompatible with a planted tank, that just isn't really true. Discus and angelfish are cichlids too. It's the ones that dig that make it hard. Certain plants hold up much better than others, such as Anubias and Java fern that can be attached to rocks or driftwood.

What about Columbian tetras? They are pretty and hardy fish. Keep a minimum of 5, more would be better.
 
Would a Rainbow Cichlid be a good choice? I don't know a lot about them to be specific. I think they would do well in this footprint though.

I still think a single Firemouth would be alright, but gauging the individual personality of the fish is impossible.

+1 to what Nicole said about cichlids and plants. Should probably add that a lot of Severums like to actually eat plants.
 
I would think Rainbow Cichlids could work good. We've had tiger barbs and cories in w/ ours without any issues. I'm not sure, though, how they are on plants. I do not have live plants in my tank with the Rainbows.
 
Hmm a mixed bag of advice from my LFS then. Perhaps there are freshwater Monos? They were in a tank with lots of other fish, but I didn't pay too much attention - I will do next time. Cool looking fish!

He had the same concerns about the Severum in a tall tank, so that's comforting.

I think I may be settled on Rainbows, Corys and a pair of Pearl Gouramis. Do Pearls get aggressive if they breed?

Thanks again for all the excellent advice. Pics when it happens!
 
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