[jandpgault]

My husband really likes the look of the cherry barbs and the rosy barbs, but I have heard that most barbs are semi-aggressive. Would these be safe to add to my tank? If not, are there any barbs that would be ok?

I have a 55 gallon tanmk with these fish:

1 pleco
3 lemon tetras
3 black neon tetras
5 blue neon tetras
1 silver dollar
1 glass fish
3 guppies
4 mollies
2 platies
1 loach
2 dwarf african frogs

 

[Falina]

as far as i know barbs are fin nippers rather than aggressive so as long as you dont have any particularly long finned fish like bettas you shoud be alright thoguh im quite happy to stand corrected here???

 

[tophat665]

Cherry Barbs are not big fin nippers - they also don't need to be kept in a school. I have 8 in a 55, and the only aggression I have noticed is that the two males will sometimes chase each other around. Rosy barbs can be a little nippy, but if you keep 5 or so, they'll mostly nip each other and not so much even of that. Pentazona Barbs and Black Ruby barbs are also fairly peaceful.

 

[miagrrl]

ditto on the cherry barbs, they are safe in small numbers, and it seems like you got a well stocked tank already. they are better in smaller numbers. the males do a little mating dance thats pretty cool

 

[leifthebunny]

I've got 8 cherry barbs in my community tank with tetras and other small fish and they are great in the tank and only go after themselves. Occasionally, they will school wiht one of the tetra schools, but never pick fights with them.

 

[The-Wolf]

all barbs are not fin nippers, in fact it is only the tiger barb that does and that is often because they are not kept in large enough schools, in too small a tank or both.