Question about schooling barbs?

[copper_eos]

Hello, I am wondering about Barbs schooling habits. Would you be able to place different types of tiger barbs together, say 2 regular tiger barbs, 2 green tiger barb, and 2 albino tiger barbs, will they school together even though they are not the exact same type/color of barb but all still Tiger Barbs?

Similarly can you put 3 Rosy barbs together with 2 Golden barbs (which are similar in size and shape) and would they form a school? Or do you have to have a separate school for each individual color/type of barb? (zfish)

[Lady Hobbs]

I would stick with the same kind myself. Tetra's, for instance, that are of different species do not school together. They stick with their own.

[Northernguy]

I think it would depend on the fish themselves.Because they all different and in pairs,they may swim together occasionally but not always.

[riot]

My barbs all school together. 2 tiger barbs, 3 albino tiger barbs and 3 rosy barbs. They sometimes go off and do their own thing but for the most part they stick together.

[Jacko]

The mixed tiger barb school would work, they don't seem too keen on segregation of their colors. I've heard of them schooling with rosy barbs as well though never had this happen though they are the same body shape.

Having kept gold barbs and rosy's in the same tank, I can say they do not school together. A while back (5-6 years?) I had 3 golds and 3 roseys and they didn't join up to try and make a full sized school.

I think somehow albino and normal forms of a species recognize each other. Albino aenus cories and normal bronze aenus cories will school together, albino cherry barbs and regular cherry barbs school together, albino black skirt and regular black skirt tetras school, albino congo, yellow congo and regular congo tetras school and so on...

[copper_eos]

Just a follow up on this one in case any one checks out the post. I have one Arulius Barb and 3 Rosy Barbs (planning to add a few more). Come to find out the Arulius Barb who is also a schooling fish seems to try and school with the Rosy's and even seems to do a good job breaking up fights in the tank when the bigger Rosy's chase around the littler guys.

I recently seperated them to upgrade tanks and the Arulius Barb actually started acting more nervous when he was alone. Once I added the Rosy's back in he was much happier. He often swims just underneath them checking out what they are doing in the tank. All very curious fish.