my 75 gallon tank needs help!

juliefurry

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#1
Well I'm considering what I want to do with my 75 gallon tank. I LOVE tiger barbs but everyone tells me they must be kept in just a tiger barb tank. I would be willing to do that but I would like to have a variety of fish.

I was thinking of adding 6-8 tiger barbs, 3-4 silver dollars, a red tailed shark (I've heard differing opinions on whether they are schooling fish or not as well). I also want to have either a pictus catfish or cory catfish but do not know which would be best in this setup.

Anyone's opinion on what I am planning on adding because ofcourse the fish store just says "it all depends on the individual fish on how and what you can add".
 
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#2
Tiger barbs should be fine with the fish . I don't think they would bother the silver dollars to badly . put all of the other fish in firs , add the tiger barbs last. My mom has had tiger barbs in an 80 gal. with angel fish, cichlids , and some tetras. Yeah I know they say it won't work, but I think the trick is lots of plants and try to add the most agressive fish last. good luck and don't be afraid to try it.
 

~Tucker&Me~

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#3
Hey there :).

First off, don't trust those darned fish store employee's. Most have no idea what they are talking about :rolleyes:.

As for fish compatibility.......


Silver Dollars: VERY peaceful, get to be around 6' but are almost always good with small fish (as long as they can't fit in their mouth). Need at least 50g (so you're okay). These fish are VERY skittish and can bolt and hurt themselves if spooked. Provide lots of cover, but avoid plants as they will eat them.

Tiger Barbs: I'm on the fence with this one. These guys are the ultimate fin nippers. Some say keeping them in large shoals can help divide the aggression a little so it's not directed at one or two fish only. However, if you were to try them with the SD, then I would either buy big SD and put them in the tank first (let them get comfy before adding). And add the TBs later once the SD have adjusted and have staked out territory. Also, buy them young and let them grow up with the SD. just be careful! If it were me, I'm not sure I would risk it.

As for the RTS, they are NOT schooling fish and will kill or bully fish of the same genus.

Pictus are cool, but they are schooling fish and will eat what fits in their mouth and try to eat whatever doesn't :p.

I would bypass cory's. Not as tough as the other two and more prone to bullying.

Best of luck, feel free to PM me with questions :).

~Tucker
 
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#4
You like tiger barbs? Me too, but my fish would eat them.

How about 20 tiger barbs, 5 or 6 Pictus, and maybe a Blue Acara for a focus.

Tiger barbs are worst with something with long fins. Bettas, and Angels mostly. My mom wouldn't listen to me about them, they killed off a great Angel in 2 days.

Cories would not be a problem if you wanted them. They are armored catfish, and have generally speaking, nothing to nip at. I've kept them with a Red Tail Shark with little problems, they just did not see each other as rivals or a foods source. I don't really like silver dollars in a 75 that much, too fast, along with the balas and larger tinfoils, even at 6 inches, they can cross the tank in an instant.

A 75 provides a lot of room, and some great opportunity to add hiding places, which should allow them to all ignore each other.
 

juliefurry

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#5
Thanks! I have pretty good cover and hiding places for the fish. I still have a lot left over from the piranhas.

I never really trust the pet store people and always have to look, come home and research, look some more and then come home and think before buying fish.

When I was younger I bought 2 tiger barbs and my friend kept them at her house in her 55 gallon tank. They were the last fish introduced and ended up killing one of her well established kissing gouramis. So I know anything could happen when adding fish. The fish store actually told me today to add the cheapest fish first!

I love pictus catfish and we had one with our piranhas for awhile, until the piranhas decided they didn't like him sharing their space anymore. He was a riot though and I loved his long whiskers.
 

iluvdogs

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#6
I only have a 33 Gal. Tank..and in mine now I have the red tail sharks 2 of them!..and I had a silver dollar, grew really big..but it died when I moved to a different place. :( I also have all sorts of barbs in there, along with normal type fish. Everyone gets along.
 

FoxyWench

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#7
if you want tigers do 6+ in that tank you could easily double in larger groups the tigers focus on eachother rather than the other fish in the tank.

Cories will do well but most people dont realize they prefer to be in groups of 6+

pictus also like to be in groups but dont need as many like all cats they can be shy. but would fit fine with the tigers so long as 1 the tigers arnt small enough to fit in his mouth and 2 the tigers are kept in a good sized group.

Tigers do best in a fast semi agressive tank, they mix well with other fast fish, danios, other bards and some cichlids do fine with them as do larger gouramis and paridise fish.
i had 6 tigers in a quiet comunity tank with no problems, they were too busy amoung themselves.

if you realy like the tigers id look into mabe doing a biotrope tank, find out what other fish come from the same area and desighn it around them.

generally heres a list of typical fish that can happily be kept with tigers
Barbs:Black Ruby Barb, Clown Barb, Gold Barb, Rosy Barb, Tiger Barb, Tinfoil Barb
Botias: Red Tail Botia, Yellow Tail Botia
Catfish: Banjo Catfish, Corydoras Catfish, Four Lined Pictus Catfish, Small Plecostomus Catfish, Farlowella Catfish, Pimelodella Catfish, Porthole Catfish, Rafles Catfish, Upside Down Catfish, Talking Catfish, Synodontis Catfish
Cichlids: Festivum, Jurapari Cichlid, Keyhole Cichlid, Kribensis Cichlid, Orange Chromide
Danios: Giant Danio, Pearl Danio, Zebra Danio
Eels: Fire Eel, Spiny Eel, Tire Track Eel
Gouramis: Blue Gouramis, Kissing Gouramis, Gold Gouramis, Moonlight Gouramis, Pearl Gouramis, Platinum Gouramis, Sunset Gouramis
Knifefish: African Knifefish, Black Ghost Knifefish
Loach: Clown Loach, Kuhlii Loach, Yoyo Loach, Dojo Loach, Weather Loach
Livebearers: Variatus, Moons, Swordtails, Mollies
Rainbowfish: Australian Rainbowfish
Rasbora: Red Lined Rasbora
Sharks: Irridescent Shark, Red Tail Shark, Red Rainbow Shark, Tri Color Shark
Tetras: Black Tetra, Large Bleeding Heart Tetra, Congo Tetra, Serpae Tetra
Other Fish: Algae Eater, Blind Cave Fish, Chilodus Headstander, Paradise Fish, Silver Dollar

post lots of pictures!

im in the planning stages of a 55 gallon discus tank!
 

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