planting a tank with barbs

[esr209]

I have just recently started a 55 gallon tank and its been cycling for a while. I would like to add some rosy barbs, but I would like to know what types of plants they will leave alone. I would like to have a planted tank, and for it to survive!! Are there any dwarf grasses that would spread that they will not eat? I need some back ground plants too. Any suggestions?

[rodm81]

I'm not a plant guy and I'm sure talldutchie or another plant individual will help you on your question but when you say cycling I'm assuming you are using pure ammonia and not just letting the filter run. A lot of people believe that their tanks are cycling by setting it up, turning on the filter and wait a few days to a few weeks.

[steeler1]

Your Rosy Barbs should leave most plants alone. There are to many plant eaters in that family.

[esr209]

Sorry, I wasn't very specific. I've been cycling with fish. An opaline gourami, and a couple of Cory cats with two black phantom tetra. One of the cory cats just recently passed, but showed no inflamed gills or ammonia sickness signs, I tested ammonia, it was below .25 ppm so I did a 20% water change. All other fish are very active, and eating normally, I'm going to go out and get my Cory a couple of buddies tonight.

[Lady Hobbs]

I would actually wait until the tank is done cycling before adding anything else. When you add the barbs, you should add several at once, too, but corys and all bottom feeders are the last fish that should go in a tank and only in a tank cycled. The tetra's might be a target for the barbs, as well. A barb tank is neat but best to stick to an all barb tank like rosies, greens and tigers or all of one kind. But overstock them.

[esr209]

Well I seeded the filter so it was kind of an instant cycle, I was thinking this weekend I would take out the tetra and add the rosy barbs ( 5 )