my 75 gallon thread. (barbs?)

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
If your thinking of a tannin stained black water tank of 75g then an ideal barb would be snakeskin barb. More suitable size for a shoal of them along with a mix of smaller gourami such as chocolate gourami, as I would think snakeskin gourami are also a little large (at8”) for a 75g.
 
My research indicates they grow to 7", are sociable as juvies but solitary as adults.
So your group would probably end up as one or two large aggressive individuals.

There are a lot of cool barbs that would work well though, Do you want a planted tank?
I highly recommend Dawkinsia Filamentosa. I kept mine with crypts and anubias succesfully. But any fine leafed plants will be devoured. even Hornwort.
Clown barbs are another option, I've never kept those though
 
If you like bigger barbs the dawkinsia recommendations are great. I like rohani, but if I could ever find them at a good price I would keep assimilus. If you like medium sized barbs red pandas are really sharp. I had drape fin barbs once and they were awesome. I will definitely keep them again if I see them. Snakeskins would work well in there also. While they are extremely common don't knock a rosy barb. Big schools of rosys are beautiful.

As for the gourami I feel the snakeskin gourami is fine in a 75 depending on what your waterflow will be like I would toss a pair in there. (Everyone is entitled to an opinion on that.) If you haven't bred gouramis before they are pretty fun, and the fry will mostly get eaten by your barbs.
 
I've kept filimented barbs, they get large one female of mine got to 7". They also destroyed all my plants including anubias crypts and ferns. I also had 3 batches of babies from them that I successfully raised before rehoming them to a 7' tank in my ex's veterinary clinic. Extremely active not overly aggressive to other fish the males would fight now and again. Biggest male was 5". When breeding the colors on the males is beautiful. I'd suggest with any of these barbs a 6' tank tbh.
Before they bred and destroyed all of the plants.
 
Meant to add more. In the video they are 4-5" and fairly new to me. Hadn't started breeding yet,males were just starting to develope the dorsal filiments. Once I rehomed them I cared for the clinic tank and that's where the females really started putting on size. Ended up being three females and two males. Great barb just think they need a larger then 4' tank especially since the females get 6"+ and males around 5", and the nonstop activity.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fishman Dave
Fully agree.
I have a shoal of 8 filament barbs in a 6x2 and this is the smallest tank I would go with for them. Extremely active, extremely skittish even with a good amount of bog wood and floating Indian fern, and grow too large (6”) for a 75g.
 
If you like bigger barbs the dawkinsia recommendations are great. I like rohani, but if I could ever find them at a good price I would keep assimilus. If you like medium sized barbs red pandas are really sharp. I had drape fin barbs once and they were awesome. I will definitely keep them again if I see them. Snakeskins would work well in there also. While they are extremely common don't knock a rosy barb. Big schools of rosys are beautiful.

As for the gourami I feel the snakeskin gourami is fine in a 75 depending on what your waterflow will be like I would toss a pair in there. (Everyone is entitled to an opinion on that.) If you haven't bred gouramis before they are pretty fun, and the fry will mostly get eaten by your barbs.
I like both the Rohanai and filament. I know they have them at the wet spot too. Would there be a problem stocking one t spanned barb? It says they are not very social

edit: sorry I forgot I already asked that
 
My favourite barb at the minute is the filament barb, though i've had to transfer them to my unplanted 360g because they started on my plants in my 180g. I've got filaments, beardless and dennisons of the 5-7" range and i've got to agree with the others really regarding your limited tank space. Barbs do best in groups and many of the mid sized ones mentioned which typically reach 5-7", given their insane activity levels, would simply be too cramped in a 75g.

There are others though. I agree with F FLA regarding the much overlooked rosy barbs, and also the small odessa barb, if both kept in large groups with a good balance of male to female ratio they can be very rewarding.

Whilst we're on barbs, don't be tempted to get those cute lil devils that are usually about 3" at your LFS. The ones which go by the name of tinfoil barb!!! Monsters.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com