# Boesmani Rainbow fish and Tiger Barbs?



## Jean Hunter (Jul 10, 2010)

Hi all ,
I have a 29 gallon fish tank with 2 corydoras, 1 pleco, and 5 tiger barbs. i wanted to get about 3 boesmani rainbow fish to add to my tank. is this enough or too much? should i add the rainbow fish or get a different type of fish? Will the boesmani rainbow fish be compatible with the tiger barbs?
thanks ,
Jean


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

i think the rainbows will grow too large for this system, how about black ruby barbs?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I think both fish will get too big, I personally wouldn't keep either in less than a 55gal.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Rainbows need more tank space. They are very active, even as juveniles.


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## Jean Hunter (Jul 10, 2010)

supposedly the boesmani rainbows only get to 3 inches. Would it still be a bad idea to keep them in my 29 gallon with the 2 corydoras, 5 tiger barbs, and 1 pleco? if it is a bad idea, can anyone recommend another type of fish, compatible with the fish i already have?
thanks ,
Jean


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

How about black phantoms, red eye, congo or serpae tetras?
Ps bosemani get nearly 4.5" I've seen a lot of larger size ones.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Yeah I've seen some male Boesemani that were close to 6", plus they're really "thick" fish.

IMO a 29gal is too small for 5x Tiger barbs, so I wouldn't recommend adding any fish until you rehome those.

Most people underestimate the size of adult TBs, but adults are quite large, active fish that need their swimming room.

What kind of pleco do you have? Most pleco species also will outgrow a 29gal.

If you go with much smaller fish species then you could stock many, many more of them.

My 29gal is stocked with:

12x pygmy cories
15x Cardinal tetras
15x Ruby tetras
15ish Tiger shrimp
assorted dwarf Nerite snails


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## Jean Hunter (Jul 10, 2010)

ok, so if i were to get, say, 3 baby boesmani rainbow fish, could i just rehome them when they get bigger? and (lauraleellbp), my 5 tiger barbs are about an inch long, i dont understand how that would be too much for a 29 gallon tank.....please if anyone can recommend any more fish that arent tetras, that would great.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

Tiger barbs grow to be something more like 3 inches and theyre heavy bodied fish. 5 adults in a 29 gallon with no other fish is pretty much fully stocked IMO.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Rasporas would be a better choice than Tiger Barbs or Boesmanis.

There are lots of other species of rainbowfish that stay much smaller and therefore would be much better choices for a 29gal tank- Threadfins, Gertrudae, or Furcata rainbows would all be nice choices.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Overstocking is not just about waste. 

1) The size of the fish determines its waste production (Ammonia, CO2, hormones and other things) and its oxygen needs. A large fish in a small volume of water produces too much waste, and needs too much oxygen for that volume of water. A fish that is twice as long as another fish (but the same shape) is also twice as wide and twice as tall, so produces 8 times the waste, and has 8 times the oxygen demand. If a tank will hold 8 fish that are only 2" long, it will only hold 1 fish that is 4" long. This can be modified with a tank of thriving plants, good filtration and so on, but if the power goes out you are stuck with aerating the tank by hand to keep the oxygen level up, or running a generator to keep the lights and filter going. Larger fish, or too many small fish can also produce more waste than the filter and plants can handle, so even with all that help you will be committed to doing large, frequent water changes, and arranging for such aquarium care if you go on a trip. 

2) Fish have social needs. A certain volume of space to claim as their territory. They need a safe zone around them which varies with the species. Some small fish are pretty aggressive and simply cannot be kept in a small tank. Some fish are quite social, and need the company of their own species. Even if the individual fish is small by the time you get half a dozen or more that is a lot of fish-mass. 

3) Movement. All fish move around in their tank. The tank needs to have enough rocks, driftwood, plants and other things for the fish to explore, as well as open areas. Obviously the hardscape details will vary with the species. But if there is not enough room for the fish to move around they do not get the mental and physical exercise they need. Fast moving fish (even small species) need a much longer tank so they can swim as much as their nature calls for. 

4) Fish grow. This is the one problem that fish stores do not address when they are selling the beginner a Common Pleco or any or many other species. That cute little 1" fish will outgrow the tank, and need a larger tank if it is to continue thriving. 

How these apply to a 29 gallon tank:
1) There is not much air-water contact in the standard 29 gallon tank. It is fairly tall compared to its length and width. As long as the filter or power heads are working the oxygen levels are fine. But if anything happens to the water movement, the fish will be gasping at the surface for oxygen very soon. 

2) The 30" long x 12" wide tank does not provide very much space for a low ranking fish to get away from an aggressor. Pretty much the whole tank is thought of by the dominant fish as his space. A low ranking fish that cannot go away far enough is seen as still acting aggressive toward the dominant fish, and the dominant fish will continue to attack. Compare to a 55 gallon (4' long, but still only 1" wide or so): In this shape the dominant fish will not usually stretch out his territory, so this shape allows a better safe area for the lower ranking fish to get out of sight of the aggressor, and out of his territory. (More room for plants to provide hiding places, too.)

3) Plenty of room in a 29 for 1" and 2" fish to explore, but it is getting a bit cramped for 3" fish, unless they are quite sedentary. A 29 is good for many sorts of plants, and some nice driftwood can add to the decor without taking up all the space in the tank. 

4) A 29 can be used to raise a fish that ultimately grows larger than 3", but I would not permanently keep fish in this tank that grow larger than about 2.5" unless they are a fish that does not move around very much, and is a slender species. (Rinoloricaria, for example)

A few much better stocking plans for a 29:
1) A school of small fish that swim mid level plus some bottom fish and perhaps one upper level fish. None over 2". Cories, Rasboras, Betta... 
OR
2) A single specimen fish that might reach 3-4" but is not so active that the short tank length is a problem. Paradise Fish. 
OR
3) A breeding tank for a dwarf Cichlid pair such as Rams or Apistos, with a school of half a dozen 1" -1.5" fish in the upper area. No other bottom fish, just the Cichlids. Yes, more fish would fit, but to breed the Cichlids the water quality needs to be kept really great. This is easiest with an understocked tank.


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