dzirit

I've been toying about with the idea of setting up the 55 gallon tank I have sitting in storage and I was wondering how well everyone thinks t- barbs (aka spanner barbs) would work with snakeskin gouramis... both types will get largeish, though I DO have a larger tank looming somewhere on the horizon (prolly after the baby is born... since I'll have 3-6 months of being in the house for mom and baby). Anyway, I was thinking t-barbs, snakeskins and some of the larger loaches for now as the LFS has the barbs at 1.5 inches and the gouramis at 1.75 inches. 4 Snakeskins and 4 barbs and maybe one of my redtails relocated as a scavenger until a tank upgrade perhaps? Or should I just keep the snakeskins by themselves in the 55 with some scavengers? I have never kept spanners but they sure are pretty in person...

Barbrella

The gouramis and barbs should be fine together. Just keep in mind that both species grow very large so your tank will end up overstocked and you'll need that larger tank.

lyndatu

Yes, your gourami can protect itself from these fin-nippers! T-barb attacks gourami, gourami fights back!

rumba4u

my gourami is maybe 5" to my tiger barb's 1.5" and he just takes the nipping ... I'm concerned ... he doesnt fight back! will this kill him or can it wait until i can put in some separation?

tank: 55g
tankmates: 1 6" pleco, 2 5" gouramis (gold + moon), 7 tiger barbs, 1 2" blue gourami, 2 tetras, 1 red tail shark

Barbrella

Tiger barbs should never be kept with slow moving or long finned fish.

You need to take the bullied gourami out of there or he very well may die.