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First, the basics:

20 gallon tank, 1 tiger barb, 2 cory catfish, 2 abino catfish, 2 fish that we think are either white cloud danios or some sort of tetra (we inherited the tank)

Ok, now the issue:

To make a long story short, the tank (at its full strength 3 or 4 years ago) was much larger (and incredibly overstocked). Since we've had it (about a year and a half), the population has decreased, mostly as a result of us taking fish out to our LFS. Until about a week ago, a kissing gourami was also in the tank - he got too big, though, and also went to the LFS. So we are left with the following situation: our barb now thinks he's a catfish.

I realize he needs to school and, in a perfect world, there would be other barbs in the tank. But the other barb who was originally in the tank way back when has been gone for a couple of years now. This barb has been on his own, species-wise, since then. Up until now, he's found someone else to be around. For awhile, we had some skirted tetras that let him hang out. When they got too nippy and had to leave, we bought another tiger barb for the tank. This young lady, however, was waaaay too energetic for our barb. He's somewhat older and got injured by another fish pretty badly once - as such, he's very docile and low-key and didn't appreciate her attempts to play/nip/etc. (i.e. he ran from her and looked up at us so pitifully that we finally took her back to the store.)

Once the other barb was gone, our barb linked up with the kissing gourami, who was also very mellow and didn't mind at all. This worked for a few months. With the recent removal of the gourami, though, he is trying to link up with our catfish, who are just not having it. They chase him away and generally ignore him. Even still, he hangs near them and tries to stay lower in the tank with them. He doesn't seem to want to hang with the danio/tetras - I think they might be too fast for him.

So we are in the position of either watching him be continually rejected or finding him another friend. Our experience with the younger barb rules that option out - he is just too tentative and mellow to be truly "barb-y". It's been really hard to find good, healthy-looking older barbs in our LFSs. A well-meaning family member introduced some serpae tetras into the tank awhile back - they harassed our barb mercilessly until we took them out so I'm thinking we should stay away from tetras too.

Any ideas? I've heard silver dollars as a suggestion but, after researching them, I'm not sure if that would work out. I've got to either find him someone or spend the rest of his life walking by the tank saying "You are NOT a catfish".

Help?

Hmmm with a 20 gallon, and an old barb I'd honestly suggest not increasing the school. You have alot of other fish in there that need their own kind since they're schooling (both of the types of corys need schools 4-6 as a minimum.

The white cloud or tetra are also schoolers and will need the same minimum.

Knowing how active tiger barbs are I wouldnt suggest them for a regular 20 gallon tank (it'd be like putting 5 hyper 4 year olds in a broom closet). A 20 long would work but I wouldn't really suggest it if you're planing on building the other schools properly.

^_^
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Okay...I'm having problems posting on this thread. Lemme try this again...

>.<

Hmm...well that certainly is one interesting tale!!!

Right off the bat I'd like to say...

The cory cats should be in a group of 6, as they are shoalers.

Silver dollars would not make good tank mates, as I believe they school too and even if they didn't, still get too large for your tank.

I think your best best, is to find some older barbs for sale. If you really want whats best for your little guy, make the trip to a further LFS, and see which ones carry mature barbs. Then watch the tank to see if you can find any that are sorta timid. Hate to say it but tiger barbs are active and nippy by nature. >.<

*needs to read thread again*

EDIT:

Okay...so...

"20 gallon tank, 1 tiger barb, 2 cory catfish, 2 abino catfish, 2 fish that we think are either white cloud danios or some sort of tetra (we inherited the tank)"

Now, some questions for you. Is it a 20 gallon long or a 20 gallon high? If you don't know, measurements please?

What do you mean by albino catfish? Cory catfish come in an albino variety, C. Aeneus if I'm not mistaken. I certainly hope you dont mean that you have albino channel catfish, because those guys get so big they are commonly kept in ponds. What type(s) of cories do you have?

WCMM or tetra...could you describe it a little more? Both are schoolers though, and should be kept in a group, so they should receive somewhat similar care. Try to ID them and find buddies ASAP, it'll reduce stress and keep them much happier and healthier. Look on the site profiles for more info if you need. Click [link=here]http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/photos/gallery.asp?id=whitecloud_profile&page=3BF54A2138F632D638F73CC48B9CA64C9C64A45D90B380E33D81958EA8089A38" style="COLOR: #FF6699[/link] for a picture of a white cloud, and click [link=here]http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles/fishfinder.asp?key=tetra&salinity=&family=&geographic=&ecosystem=&temperament=&diet=&size=&waterregion=&lifestyle=" style="COLOR: #FF6699[/link] to start browsing through tetra names and pictures. Or you could just post pictures of the little guys here and we can most likely ID them for you. If I had to guess, I'd say you have WCMMs because they are very hardy little guys, who can even be kept in coldwater, and would be able to survive a rocky road like it sounds this tank has been through.

I'm assuming this tank is cycled, since you said it was inherited and had been running for awhile. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

And I'm just curious to know...what are the tank parameters??

Aiite...I think that's everything I wanted to say for now.

But before I forget...Welcome to FishProfiles!



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-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Firstly, thanks for the responses!

Re: type of cories - we definitely have Corydoras aeneus, including the albinos.

Re: the size of tank - I would SHOCK you if I told you what the original load of the tank was. Let's just say sometimes it looked like there were more fish than there was water. The tank was originally owned by my grandmother who was much more concerned with how pretty the fish were than what kind of load the tank could handle. We inherited responsibility for it when she couldn't take care of it anymore and had to learn about fish loads, patterns pretty quickly.

We're not in a position to have a tank that's much larger than the one we have (a 20 gallon high) so we're kind of resigned to just taking care of the fish that we have now - we can't really try to build a larger community for space reasons, both in the tank and out. With the size of the tank, I've never been able to have the best size school for any of the fish. Since there were originally so many different types in there, we could never go really high in any particular species. So, we've had to settle for at least having a pair (this time last year, there were actually two kissing gouramis in the tank - don't ask!).
When necessary, we purchase another fish for those that are totally alone in the tank (i.e. one of our albino cories died last spring so we bought another one). We just haven't been able to find anyone that will mesh with the barb.

I understand Babelfish's concern about the barb and space - before he was injured by another fish, our barb used to like to race around and every now and then he still does. But he's really sort of an anti-barb now - he doesn't nip or anything and he's very shy around new fish. I think it's sounding like the best choice now is just to keep looking for an older, timid barb. The problem we've been running into is that most older barbs in our closest LFSs were brought in because they were TOO barb-y - they don't seem to regularly order or stock mature barbs and, as you suggest, it can be hard to find a timid barb, period.

Re: the WCMM/tetra - I've looked at the profile here on the site and I am now 100% sure that we have WC danios (see how much my grandmother paid attention to her stocking knowledge? LOL She thought they were tetras and so have we for the past year and a half!). But the description fits, as does the picture - they are very hardy and nothing seems to phase them or bother them.

The tank is fully cycled and we do water changes about once a week, testing every couple of weeks and gravel vacs about every 3 weeks. I could test now but it would be way off - we had some craziness in our lives recently and the water went about 3 weeks without getting changed. That almost never happens but, since his injury, our barb usually gets affected by the slightest change in conditions and develops either fungus (the culprit this time) or fin/tail rot at the site of his old injury. The tank's just been through a course of Maroxy and is cycling again.

So it sounds like, in the meantime, our barb's gonna have to keep playing catfish until we can find him someone. Fishkeeping has definitely not turned out to be the "just feed em and watch em" hobby my grandmother, then I, thought it was.

Thank you all again!

I'll post and comment on this more when I get home from schoool, but I suggest that you do your gravel vacs every week or everyother week at the most. A 15% WC will be nice and do wonders for your tank.

Question...Is it planted???

And now you confused me...White-Cloud Danios? You mean White Cloud mountain minnows?

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

Just a thought for the tiger barb tankmate...

What about a cherry barb? They're slow, timid, and they're a barb. I know they won't school with other species, but this tiger barb sounds a lil messed up. Perhaps the similiarity will draw them together? Best of all even if it doesn't work out, cherry barbs are best kept alone or in pairs, so you wouldn't have to worry about it. Down side is though they stay small.

I was thinking cherry barb as well; sure wouldn't hurt to try.


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I would try a few Black Ruby barbs, they are not as aggressive or hyper as Tiger Barbs.

Anti barb ....well how about belted barbs they look like tiger barbs but arent as nippy....

I still stand by my idea of not getting anyone else for him and working on the other schools. Barbs, unlike tetras dont really freak out when they're by themselves...least IME anyway .

^_^
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