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I have a 40 gallon high with 6 tiger barbs. There was 12 tiger barbs at one time. First, 2 of the tiger barbs developed swollen nasal areas and were inactive. A guy at a trusted lfs thought it might be a bacterial infection and recommended Maracyn. After 2 days of treatment both were dead. Then all 3 of my green tigers developed eye fungus or ich, which I treated with NOX-ICH. All 3 of the greens were dead within 3 days. Then, of course the bio-filter was decimated by the ich medicine and I lost one more to a nitrite spike. Things have calmed down now, but I'm leary of tiger barbs. I want to add 2 clown loaches and 3 rosy barbs, and perhaps an ancistrus catfish. Any thoughts or alternative stocking schemes with the 6 tiger barbs? temp 76 degrees, ph 7.5, nitrites back to virtually zero. thanks for the input!

Clown loaches will not go well in your tank. First of all, they get very large, 6-8 inches, and secondly, they prefer to be kept in shoals. A cichlid or two would be great for handling those nippy tiger barbs. I'd go with a larger cichlid, not a dwarf or a ram. A pair of convicts would work well, I should think.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

What bottom feeder would you recommend with the tigers and convicts that would be compatible but not grow to a foot long. Would a bristlenose catfish get picked on mercilessly? What about a common pleco that I could trade in for a smaller one avery 18 months or so? Many of the lfs in my area will accept larger plecos as trade for juveniles.

I wouldn't think that a bn would get picked on too much. They are armored catfish, after all. Also, they're nocturnal fish, so they are active while the other fish are sleeping. Go with a bn, they're really cool looking fish! (Of course, that depends on opinion)

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

fishfool35, I agree that the Clown Loaches will get too big for that size tank, even though the Tiger Barbs will not hurt them. In fact my orginial Tigers shoal with the loaches, but not so much as the Albino and the Green Tigers. Must be something about having the same colouring perhaps.lo
Re the catfish/bottom feeders. I have Pictus Catfish, Cuckoo Catfish, Glass Catfish, Emerald/ Similis/ Spotted Tail Corys and they all get along well together. In fact the only thing that the Tigers pick on, is their own species. The BN would be fine. I have a BN in with a pretty big Golden CAE, which is fairly terriorial and he holds his own. Has a spit once in awhile.
Re the Rosy Barbs. My Rosys are pretty nippy fish. I say more so than the Tigers. The Rosys do seem to pick on other fish at times, exspecially if they are a new fish to the tank, or a sick fish. They are more active than the Tigers in the way they are constantly swimming from one side of the tank to the other, chasing each other. If anything is in their way, they'll bowl them over, sometimes causeing injurys eg: Hurt eye on female molly, or a very bruised Betta.

Last edited by TigerAngel at 25-Sep-2004 20:05