hssea

Hi. What tank mates would be good with group of 5 tiger/green barb and one 5 inch pictus cat, a black skirt tetra (which I can move to another tank, he was recently adopted). My tank is a 26 gallon long, moderately planted with plastic plants. Extra filtration with a double bio wheel and air wand. All water parameters ok. pH 7.5 and slightly hard water.

mardaver

I'd find a new home for the Pictus cat...he's getting pretty large for your aquarium and likes the company of others of his kind. The tetra is a shoaling fish that should be kept in a group and should maybe be moved as well.
If I were you, I'd exchange these fish for a single Firemouth or maybe a pair of bolivian Rams.

agabr123

if you were to re-home the pictus cat and black skirt, you could get a red tail shark. that's generally what i like to recommend with tiger barbs since they're both fairly aggressive that they can hold their own and they hang out in different parts of the tank

hssea

Thank everyone. I got the pictus when my daughter was in the 8th grade, now she's in her first year of college. It was actually her fish. His name is Elvis and is actually a family member. The tank is not big enough for another pictus though

hssea

what about a blue and pearl gourami

Shawnie

its hard to know what else you can acclimate in there now that the barbs have owned it ...but a gourami could work...just take all your barbs out and leave them for about 30-40 mins after the gourami is in there ....only thing is gourami's are top kinda fishies and so are the schooling barbs...do you want to keep the barbs deffinately? if not, maybe another pictus and the gourami with some neons? ...just throwing out some suggestions

hssea

Thanks. We only have one local fish store which is probably the worst i've seen in my life . i wouldn't take anything there. I have to go into Canada to by my fish. The michigan the closet would be 3 hours down state. I don't know anyone who owns a tank except one friend who I adopted 2 remaining fish. One is the black skirt which is going to be moved into another tank and the cichlid (who actually needs a new home). On the black skirt tetra what is the smallest number of he's kind do you suggest, I have to go get him some buddies. Would it be better to only add one gourami or two of them so they kinda have two of there own kind. Other idea is keep only barbs with the pictus but I would like to have another species besides just the tigers and the other types of barb are going to need to be in a group (dont have room) or would another species of barb be happy to school with tigers (ie maybe cherry barb, etc, ...not sure which barb would be larger). I would love some tetras in the tank but not with the pictus in there. Got no where else to move him and he is very healthy so he will be around a long time. Actually maybe forever, when he passes I want to ck how much to have him mounted (does that sound horrible). He in the tank next to our dining table and hasnt used his cave (which I've tried rearranging for him) but watches us at every meal. He like when we get next to him also.

hssea

the buddies for the black skirt would be when im ready to move him to another tank