Noobie

Sounds about right vin, after 6-8 hours, they seem to have segregated themselves. I did put a clay pot in the tank for the pandas to hide in, but they seem to've found security behind the "bubble curtain". The barbs seem content to chase themselves again.

As far as population limits, one of my barbs is kinda the "runt", obviously smaller than the other 3, which are roughly the same size, but all 4 would total less than 4 inches. The corys are easily under an inch each, and even the "big" barbs are roughly an inch long, and don't appear to have grown much in the 2 months i've had them. I understand they could reach the 3" range, but unfortunately, due to a few high stress incidents early in their captivity, they seem reluctant to get any bigger. Either way, the size to gallon ratio isn't in jeopardy any time soon.

vin

That's cool. And your pandas will stay small too....Maybe the barbs got bored chasing each other and saw the corys as an opportunity to beat on someone else for a change. The only time I'd be concerned is if the corys tend not to come out of hiding. Then I think you'd have to separate them.

Noobie

Pretty sure that's the case vin...the tigers and pandas have apparently segregated themselves, although curiosity occasionally gets the better of them from time to time, as the tigers will not really chase, but "follow" the pandas, if and when they move at all. Pretty lethargic fish they are, apparently. Once again the pet store deceived me into believing they'd behave similarly in my tank, as they did in the store...seeming to "school" in pairs.

vin

Pandas can be very sensitive and can feel exposed if not in the right numbers. They will tend to be content to hang out....(I have 2 emerald and 1 skunk cory) Mine stay mostly in their little hollow log during the day but will become more active as the day wears on....Then by evening they are all over the place rooting around for food. You'll have to try and see how they are at different parts of the day and make a determination from there.

Noobie

Definitely looks that way vin. They're slowly but surely venturing out from behind the security of the bubble curtain, bodly going where no panda has gone before...but with the occasional tiger curiously sniffing at their tails. They all seem to go out of their way to not be in the other's way, accepting the occasional onlooker

vin

Sounds like they're getting used to one another after an initial 'break in period'....

Noobie

Well there's that, and re-establishing the social heirarchy within the community. They're once again able to display aggression after being temporarily housed in a larger tank with much bigger fish, (2 tin foil barbs, which are already twice their original size, and a mid size redtail shark) and have just recently been placed back in their original home.

Shrimpy

a pleco, ghost shrimp, cherry barbs , gouramis might work, almost anything maybe

Noobie

I too heard the rumors of the jumping abilities of the redtail shark. I started out with 4 tiger barbs and a redtail in a 10 gallon tank, but later moved the RTS into a 29 gallon rig. In neither setting has the shark tried to "escape", which could be partly due to the demeanor of this particular fish in general. However, I have yet to observe the shark near the top of the tank, unless she's chasing my tin foil barbs away from her "hideout". So I haven't observed an escapist behavior from MY RTS in the 3 months I've had it. But just to be on the safe side, I've also draped a dark colored towel over the filter openings in the hood, possibly camouflaging the edges of the opening.

As for other mate suggestions, a tank cleaning pleco, or a small school of corys. Virtually any non-aggressive species that catches your eye, with the exception of any long finned fish (i.e. angels) would do nicely. Personally, I have a pair of panda corys in a 10 gal setup with 4 tigers.

jayfl234

I would get a multiple barbs and just have one big school of barbs that would be so cool. I wish i could have a huge school of barbs.