# Tiger Barbs Stocking a 75g



## shiver905 (Nov 2, 2010)

I just converted My hospital talk to a freshwater tank.

Im wondering what To stock it with.
I want lotsa fish and lots of movement.

I was thinking a school of tiger barbs.

Any recommendations.

Also how about the cycle situation. Im a reefer and I know the LONG cycles to start them.
Im wondering if its the same with freshwater Fish only tank.
I really don't want to wait. Ha...


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

It depends how you start your cycle, how long it will take to finish. If you can get someone to give you a nice big helping of filter rinsings and maybe some used media from a well matured filter, you might cycle in just a couple of weeks. Starting from scratch using one of the fishless cycle techniques can take substantially longer. There's a lot of good info on the fishless cycle stickied in the FW section.

A short time ago I started a new 30 G with some used media and plenty of rinsings from my other filters. The tank was fully cycled in just a couple of weeks. I put a LOT of plants in it from day one, with two smaller HOB filters plus a small inside corner filter, air driven, which will be replaced with a sponge filter shortly. The sponge is currently in my other 30 G tank growing some biofilm before I exchange it for the corner filter. I let all the filters run for about a week, then tested the water to see where I was. Nitrites zero, nitrates very low. So I put in 3 fair size mystery snails to see if that would change the test results, and found there was a bare trace of nitrite on the test two days later. I added more rinsings to the filters and even dumped some right in the tank. Two days after that, nitrites were zero and nitrates were under 10.. and it was ready to go. I started with the fish I had in my Q tank and it's now looking pretty nice. All told it took just a couple of weeks. I would not do it any other way, unless I simply could not get any filter rinsings. 

As for stocking, there are plenty of options. Tiger Barbs are attractive fish, but because they have a nasty habit of nipping fins, and can be quite persistent about it, I don't keep them now. If you only have Barbs they're ok, they don't seem to do too much damage to each other. I had a small school of them back in high school in my community tank, and then put in a Betta. The Barbs nibbled his fins off within days, leaving him only his pecs. The Betta died, but whether it was from the sheer stress at the constant harassment, or from being unable to swim effectively with only pectorals, I am not sure. Information like we have today was not available then, and I believed the pet shop when they told me the Betta was a good community fish, and I was only about sixteen then too. Live and learn. 

Nowadays, I find I'm fond of Danios. Not expensive, there are some nice colour and fin variations among them, and they are very fast swimmers who are pretty much always on the move, and tend to stay fairly close together. They like to chase each other but are quite peaceful, and would only disturb fish that don't like fast movement around them. They also prefer cooler temperatures than many other tropicals, which can save a bit of money over time heating the tank. Just one suggestion.


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## Ralfie Boy (Apr 18, 2011)

After 40 + years of keeping fish, having had Tiger Barbs with Clown Loaches together it is fun to watch.

I have a 72 gallon set up with a mix of Haps and Peacocks. The colour on the males is amazing.

using filter media and the dirty water from another tank + using say half the tank water from your existing set up there is no cycle required. 

You mention 72 gallon hospital aquarium, your other tank must be very large.

Good luck.


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## shiver905 (Nov 2, 2010)

Still deciding what to put in it....

Now im thinking about some cilchids..

what are some colourful ones.


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## splur (May 11, 2011)

My tiger barb was an asshole. I bought 5 tiger barbs hoping they'd be friends and school. He killed all his buddies by nipping at them, so it's just him with a bunch of angels. I think he enjoys the fact that he's alone because he's calmer and doesn't nip anymore, but still... what an ass.


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## Ralfie Boy (Apr 18, 2011)

if you wish to breed them, you will need a lot of tanks. Better than rabbits.
All male set ups of different species will work.
Here are some for colour, which are more peacefull and do not grow as large as some of the other. Mbenji Peacock....Benga Yellow Peacock....German Red Peacock....Protomelas Deep Water Hap Electra....Protomelas Taiwain Reef....

For odd shapes. most Lake Tanganyikans

this site is excellent

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/

If you are interested in Lake Victoria Cichlids, I have Kyoga Flameback and Flameback cichlids. Both are fairly peacefull and also mix well with the above. Some diehards do not like when species from the 3 lakes are mixed together. I am not a diehard and have had species from all 3 lakes together with no problems.


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## Tino (Sep 10, 2012)

Great responses above! To put my 2 cents in, I had yellow lab and cyno axelrodi mbunas in my 75 gal cichlid tank back in the day. very colourful and busy, but you won't be able to get any other tank mates (other than plecos and other mbunas) that would last.
If you're going to go community with colours, try a school of neon rainbows, they're fast and an actual schooling species unlike barbs which are a shoaling species.
You'd have to make sure to put a larger fish in there to stimulate the schooling. I would recommend a couple of gouramis (either gold, 3 spot, or opaline), a couple of full grown bosemani rainbow, or a large angel.


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## shiver905 (Nov 2, 2010)

Iv decided on a Peacock and Hap tank. All males.

Now the hard part. trying to find some.


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