# Tiger Barb Species Tank Questions



## Fishrule912 (Jan 20, 2013)

Hi all, I have a 38 gallon tiger barb species tank. As to not overwhelm the nitrogen cycle system, I added 8 regular tiger barbs at first. Then I added 4 albino tigers (no, not real tigers haha) and 4 green tiger barbs after 48 hours for a total of 16 (can I add more??) Much to my surprise and relief, the established tigers are taking kindly to the newcomers so far. There's just one problem: one of the moss green tiger barbs is deformed (almost looks malnourished). No one's bullying him, they're just ignoring him. He's not as robust as the others and he just hovers in one spot most of the time. I'm afraid that he won't last much longer. If he does, will any fry from the tiger barb tank be deformed?

On a lighter note, what fresh green foods can I give the tiger barbs? I tried to put in some zucchini, but they only nibbled it a little before swimming away. Also, which plants can I put in the tank that the barbs won't uproot or eat?


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## lonedove55 (Jan 25, 2012)

Hi FishRule and welcome to the forum. I also currently have tiger barbs, albino tiger barbs (yes, they are still considered tigers), and green tiger barbs in a 26 gallon tank. The larger the school, the aggression between the barbs is greatly lessened. Here is a link to a site to determine an estimate of stocking of fish for your tank, as well as filtration capacity levels, etc. It is an excellent tool to get a pretty good idea of which fish can be compatible with other species and recommendations of temperature, ph range, hardness, and so on. 
AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

I occasionally feed my tigers frozen peas, boiled and mashed and they really love them. Just make sure you remove the hull from the peas first before mashing. You also might try cooked broccoli florets (the leafy part)-just cook it for several minutes until soft. I have not had much luck with the zucchini either... they may take to it better once they are full grown.
Regarding which plants to use, basically any that will do well in your tank...I have several different species (wisteria, anubias, swords, etc) and so far have not had any trouble with the barbs eating or uprooting them. 

As far as the malnourished looking green barb, I also had a couple of tiger barbs that developed a similar look, sometimes several months after introducing them. So far, I haven't been able to determine exactly what causes it. The ones that have been affected are usually younger or smaller than the other barbs in the tank, and keep to themselves, except when being fed. I have treated them with several different meds, and nothing so far has helped.

P.S. Oh, and you might consider covering the tank with a glass cover or screen....tiger barbs can be jumpers!


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## Fishrule912 (Jan 20, 2013)

Thanks, lonedove55, for your help on the green foods. So far my tiger barbs aren't being very agressive to one another besides the occasional dominance fight. I've done plenty of research and yes, I love that aqadvisor site. 

Unfortunately, the deformed tiger barb is dead. He has proceeded to burrow under one of the rocks before he died, making it harder for me to remove him from the tank...

Also, I noticed that another tiger barb (a regular color morph) is a bit deformed, with a a tail that's *slightly* curved upwards, but if anything he's among the strongest fish in the shoal (not the dominant though) and is actually kinda fat lol. To end this on a happy note, I'm not very worried anymore, for the most part the tigers are doing well.


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## lonedove55 (Jan 25, 2012)

Sorry to hear about the sick green barb. Sometimes I wonder if some of the problems I've had with barbs could be from sub par stock from fish farms...they look healthy, act healthy, and eat healthy when purchased until the stresses they've gone through finally show up.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Fishrule912 said:


> Hi all, I have a 38 gallon tiger barb species tank. As to not overwhelm the nitrogen cycle system, I added 8 regular tiger barbs at first. Then I added 4 albino tigers (no, not real tigers haha) and 4 green tiger barbs after 48 hours for a total of 16 (can I add more??)


This is a lot of stock at once. You're definately going to want to keep an eye on your parms as you might find yourself with a spike. Is this a new tank by chance?

And to answer your question, I would advise to not add anything else until BB builds up to handle what you currently have.


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## Fishrule912 (Jan 20, 2013)

@James0816: It is a new tank, but there is water from an established tank in it, and the aquarium's been cycled for a few weeks. 

Right now there are only rocks in the tank. Going to get some silk plants, maybe a few live ones.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Ok...definately keep an eye on your parms then. Even though the tank is cycled you have added quite a bit of fish at one time. There isn't enough BB in the tank yet to support the load.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

aged water(from existing aquarium) holds VERY LITTLE beneficial bacteria.As the BB attaches to solid structures and does not float freely.Large water changes do not reduce BB ,(further proof of little BB in water).To seed a tank from an existing tank you should move old(aged/cycled) filter material,or even substrate(has less BB).Go slow and monitor your levels.


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## Fishrule912 (Jan 20, 2013)

I did use a filter from an established setup, but I will keep an eye on the water parms.


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