Tiger Barb Enviroment

threejjj

4EVER
Mar 12, 2005
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I am setting up a tank just for tiger barbs. I need to know what their natural enviroment is like, substrate(light sand or dark sand)? Would potting soil work for a substrate? If so how do you keep it from clouding the water?
 
You might be better be better off using an aquarium plant substrate instead (such as Florrite or Eco-Complete). Soil-based tanks are a subspeciality and unless you are very competent aquatic gardener already, you could turn your tank into a toxic cesspool.

Tiger barbs are highly active schoolers and moderately fast swimmers, so maximize length of the tank over height. They are tremendously adaptable and hardy (especially if you stick to the wild type color form), so substrate is your choice. The more fish in the school, the better the group will be. To me 8-9 are the absolute minimum, and twice that is twice is good, so we are not talking about a small tank. The front half of the tanK should be kept as clear as possible for maximum swimming distance, the back corners and all across the back can be planted as densely as you wish. The colors will show up best over natural gravel or Flourite IME. Light bright gravel will wash the fish out a bit.

HTH
 
I am going to be putting six in a ten gallon, at one time I had 10 in my thirty gallon, they were not too active. If I do get an active groub I will move them to my thirty gallon with my Red Fin Black Shark and Black skirt tetra. I think I am going to go with silica sand, I really like how they looked on silica sand in my 30. I also bought some shiny pebbles and am going to get a few oval rocks.
I think it is going to work, this is going to house tiger barbs only, and I do frequent water changes. I have went almost a year and a half without a death in my 30 and 55 gallon tank.
 
threejjj said:
If I do get an active groub I will move them to my thirty gallon with my Red Fin Black Shark and Black skirt tetra.
I know you werent asking about this, but I kept a lone blackskirt for awhile and I finally bought 6 more and I will tell you that he was SO much happier and active after that...he immediatly schooled with the others. IME they are much better in a group. :D
 
I know you did not asked about blackshirted tetras, but I will pass something on to you anyways. My dad bought five of these as starter fish for his 75 gallon tank. Since then he has handed the tank over to me, and I still have 4 of them. The only reason the one died was because it was sick in the first place. We have had them for over 5 years as of right now. They have moved to my 29 planted with my angels and now are back in the 75 with 14 rainbows. Very active fish that are peaceful. I highly recommend them to anyways!
 
Hey, I'm doin an all barb tank as well! I'm using natural gravel and fake plants. The only thing I'm having trouble with is what other species I can add as a clean up crew. Was thinking loaches or cories... What kind of barbs are you doin, just the tigers?
 
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