Opinions Wanted

[Mspringer]

I have a couple of questions I would like opinions on.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with my tank it is a 38 gallon(36by19by12) that has two caves some large artificial plants and some live plants with a substrate that is sand and gravel mixture at about a 4:1 ratio.

Stocking is currently 11 serpae tetra mixture of long fin and standards. 10 zebra danios. 5 albino cory.

The tank has been established for about 6 months the danio and serpae seem very happy. The serpae are a nice deep red color at this point and display very good behavior. The cory catfish which at one point had a lot of fin nips from both the danio and serpae are displaying fewer and fewer as time goes along. That being said they still act a little timid in daylite hours and still have some nips.

Question 1... I have one standard serpae that seems to be the nippiest of the bunch by quite a margin. Has anyone had luck removing one fish from their shoal that seemed to be a trouble maker?

Question 2....thinking ahead on this one...my boys and I have a large interest in tiger barbs. Their school mascot is a tiger and we love the pictures and videos we have seen if tiger barbs. I have read and watched so many things on them and obviously they have a bit of a mixed reputation. This leads me to realistically probably 2 questions. If at some point in the next couple of years either the serpa live their life and pass on or I rehome them how do you believe 9 tiger barbs would fair in the tank?

Is there another fish that exhibits similar behavior and appearance that would be less “risky” in the tank that is readily available at stores? I’ve seen the snakeskin barb and the clown loach online but not sure I have seen them in stores.

Thanks in advance!

[Mspringer]

I apologize in advance for this thread being posted 3 times apparently. I edited some typos and it looks like it reposted each time instead of editing. At any rate if someone wants to delete the other two that is obviously fine with me.

[RiversGirl]

Unfortunately, a clown loach needs a much larger tank than yours.

[Slaphppy7]

The triple thread issue is fixed.

+1 to the above, clown loaches not only need to be in large groups, but they get too large for your tank.

I see no problem with rehoming the one troublesome serpae.

And TBH, if I were to keep tiger barbs, they'd be in a species-only tank, they're even more aggressive and nippy than the serpae....some have kept them with other fish with no issues, but in very large schools, in very big tanks.

[Mspringer]

The triple thread issue is fixed.

+1 to the above, clown loaches not only need to be in large groups, but they get too large for your tank.

I see no problem with rehoming the one troublesome serpae.

And TBH, if I were to keep tiger barbs, they'd be in a species-only tank, they're even more aggressive and nippy than the serpae....some have kept them with other fish with no issues, but in very large schools, in very big tanks.

Regarding the barbs that is kindof what I have gathered, seems like some have luck and others not at all. Any other similar looking fish that are less aggressive?

[Mspringer]

Kindof like I said just looking ahead to what I might do different in the tank if given the opportunity. I like the serpae but in the end I think I’d like to try something different. I think I’ll always have cories, I like that the danios hang out upper strata and are active but I’m not stuck on them either. Was really hoping for some tiger barbs, but if I am limited to a species tank that might lean me a different way. If I go peaceful community tank obviously the option are vast, but what are some combinations you see as being good for using all levels of the tank, good activity, good color, and maybe some slight size variation.

[Slaphppy7]

Have a look at these guys: http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species...ius-pentazona/

[Mspringer]

At some point I had stumbled across a thread on a forum online where people were literally just listing their tank size along with their current stock. It was an interesting thread which seemed to be a good stocking idea generator but I can’t seem to relocate it. I don’t even recall what forum it was on.

[Mspringer]

Have a look at these guys: http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species...ius-pentazona/

I really like the look of those! A lot! Think they would be more suitable for a community tank than the serpae or the tiger barbs? Are they typically available in stores? Assuming they are still quick active and schooling like other barbs? That is one thing that drew me to the tigers other than the look was the fact that they seem to hang out together and tighter than some Tetras and they are even more active. Seems like the five banded are a little smaller than tigers when full grown only 2 inches rather than 3ish?

The tank is in the basement in a very long room. I’m hoping to get something that is either of a little
Big bigger size or that schools a little closed so that it shows up a little more from further away.

[Slaphppy7]

At some point I had stumbled across a thread on a forum online where people were literally just listing their tank size along with their current stock. It was an interesting thread which seemed to be a good stocking idea generator but I can’t seem to relocate it. I don’t even recall what forum it was on.

See here, IMO, it tends to be on the conservative side, but that can be a good thing, especially for beginners

http://www.aqadvisor.com/

I really like the look of those! A lot! Think they would be more suitable for a community tank than the serpae or the tiger barbs? Are they typically available in stores? Assuming they are still quick active and schooling like other barbs? That is one thing that drew me to the tigers other than the look was the fact that they seem to hang out together and tighter than some Tetras and they are even more active. Seems like the five banded are a little smaller than tigers when full grown only 2 inches rather than 3ish?

The tank is in the basement in a very long room. I’m hoping to get something that is either of a little
Big bigger size or that schools a little closed so that it shows up a little more from further away.

DEFINITELY a better consideration for a community fish over the serpae and TB's

I've never kept them, but would love to, some day