how many tiger barbs for 50 gallon?

[Backfromthedead]

If you keep adding more, I think they will continue to pick each other off until you provide them with more room/bigger tank.
I actually did this exact thing many years ago with a 55g. Started with a dozen, added a dozen more later...no matter how many they eventually dwindled to a group of 5-7, always with the largest dominant pair leading and doing the killing. Ivs had similar experience with rainbow fish in undersized tanks.

 

[djsaltynuts]

If you keep adding more, I think they will continue to pick each other off until you provide them with more room/bigger tank.
I actually did this exact thing many years ago with a 55g. Started with a dozen, added a dozen more later...no matter how many they eventually dwindled to a group of 5-7, always with the largest dominant pair leading and doing the killing. Ivs had similar experience with rainbow fish in undersized tanks.

this is my experience so far i was trying to save my original tiger barb who made it to about 4” but he was killed 2 nights ago so honestly if this is the general consensus ill just stop restocking the school. personally i think a 50 gallon (a slightly bigger footprint than a 55) is big enough for tiger barbs but everytime i add tigerbarbs theyre like an eighth the size of the rest and the bigger ones dont interact with the smaller the same as eachother so the aggression stays high within the core group(5-7). in your opinion what is the minimum tank size for tigerbarbs? because id probably say between 25g-30g or are you saying the tank is too small for the tigerbarbs because of the other fish in the tank?

 

[djsaltynuts]

ive also heard that an aggressive male(which will break out in aggression when the school gets too small) should be culled because they never lose the murderous trait and that it can be passed down genetically. my tigerbarbs dont pick eachother off very fast either. i havent been buying over 12 because they cost $4.5 which is ridiculous imo. 15 is the minimum school size where theyll stop picking eachother off from what ive heard. ill buy them and either lose the ones i bought immediately due to size or one will die every other month til i get down to about 6 and it goes downhill quick from there. i think my core group is settling down because there is no longer the one massive dominant tiger barb.

 

[Rocksor]

I can confirm from experience that 8 tiger barbs is too small of a group. I lost all but 1 in the course of 1 month in a 5 foot 110g tank

 

[fishguy1978]

One is to many in my estimation and experience

 

[djsaltynuts]

I can confirm from experience that 8 tiger barbs is too small of a group. I lost all but 1 in the course of 1 month in a 5 foot 110g tank

what amount would you recommend for a healthy social dynamic? i currently have 13 but im aiming for atleast 15.

 

[Rocksor]

what amount would you recommend for a healthy social dynamic? i currently have 13 but im aiming for atleast 15.

I haven't tried since that failure. If I were to try again, it would be around 30

 

[djsaltynuts]

does anyone know why the fishkeepingworld care sheet says to keep no less than 8 and no more than 12? just they figure itd be in a smaller tank? or is there any other reason why i shouldnt add more?

 

[Deadeye]

does anyone know why the fishkeepingworld care sheet says to keep no less than 8 and no more than 12? just they figure itd be in a smaller tank? or is there any other reason why i shouldnt add more?

Probably just figuring it’s a small tank without enough territory.