I've read on tiger barbs and know what keeping them entails, but the thing is that I have a 20 gallon tall. I know bigger is always better, but that's what I have to work with, and I saw that 20 gallons is often listed as the minimum. However, I wanted real opinions from people who've kept them. Is it really big enough for 5 tiger barbs? They get a lot bigger than I previously thought so now I'm not sure.

5 Tiger Barbs and that's it! Put extra filtration on as well - more filtration always helps!

And, when you can, upgrade the tank size. That way, you can add to the Tiger Barb numbers, plus get some other fish as well.

__________________
20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

I kept 3 tiger barbs plus my long gunned rosy barb(who's fins have remain untouched suprisingly) in my 15 gallon for a long time. Now I have 4 in my 75 and everyone is still doing good. So you can always find exceptions to the general min. Of five rule, but if you are going to keep them in a 20, just get 5 and keep the water quality up. If you do that I don't know why there will be a problem.

__________________
Frontosa Fanatic

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

I have only had two type of fish ever that drove me crazy so much that I took them back. Tiger Barb was one. Albeit, this was 20 years ago, and it was a 10 gallon tank. But this little guy was a terror and attacked everything in its site. I guess it was bad, because 20 years later I am still remembering it.

Applying the old 1 inch of fish/1 gallon rule, you can have room for 20 inches of fish in your tank. Five Tiger Barbs would be about 10 inches of fish when the Tiger Barbs are mature. Your tank also has room for 3 large Corys or 5 Pigmy Corys. I have seen young Tiger Barbs as small as 1 inch for sale at a local Big Box Store so you have something to play with.

The one inch rule is so outdated I wish people would just toss that out. It mainly works for small bodied fish like neons. I have seen full grown tiger barbs almost 2 1/2 inches given the proper size tank and when buying fish for a tank its best to remember the size fully grown or the fish end up stunted.

3 standard cories will run about 2 to 3 inches and based by the 1 inch rule
Pandas fully grown will be 1 to 1 1/2 inches

5 x tiger barbs = 12 inches of fish
3 x cories let say peppers 9 inches

there you already have 21 inches of fish, which can be done as long as maint is kept up and lots of plants.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Just be diligent about the water quality and it should be ok.

__________________
"Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

I dont blame you for wanting tiger barbs. I love em.
Be prepared for a little aggresion between them at first. they are kinda like a wolf pack and will need to work out their own "pecking order" to decide who is the alpha. once that is over they will be fine.

Tiger barbs are my all time favorites. I always have at least five of them and I breed them occasionally. They are doing very well with tetras, livebearers and any other fish without dragging fins. Tenty gallon tank would be OK for five tiger barbs. You can also add two or three other compact, medium size fish species with them.

I think they will be fine. I have 7 in a 30 gallon along with 3 african cichlids and a pictus cat.

I removed my kribensis pair from the community tank. They injured two of my tiger barbs. When they are in a breeding mood, they hit fish in close proximity of their home. Now, my kribesnis pair lives in a separate 10 gallons tank with live plants and a cocount den. They are perfectly happy in it. They can breed here, when they are ready. I already raised a bunch of young out of them in another 10 gallons tank.