Help with tiger barb tank mates

[Mikeyboi86]

Hello, I am going to be starting up a 50-60 gallon tank and am wanting to make it an Indonesian themed tank.

I do know I want a large school of tiger barbs and 3 clown loaches.
I am having trouble finding a large fish that can be kept in a pair the would naturally run into tiger barbs and clown loaches in the wild.

I thought about Pearl gouramis since the can be found through out alot of asia.
Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?


Thanks in advance!

 

[Mikeyboi86]

Also considering Moonlight gouramis.

 

[actiondave13]

I have a fire dwarf gouarmi and a dwarf chiclid in mytank w/ barbs and they get along great..granted they are not that big but very cool...the chiclid is actually about 6 in

 

[Mikeyboi86]

Okay well I pretty much came up with my stock and plants. Lemme know what u guys think.

Fish
Clown Loach - 3
Tiger Barb - Normal - 7
Green - 10
Albino - 6
Siamese Flying fox - 3
Moonlight Gourami - 2 (Pair)

About what size tank would I need btw? I'm willing to go up to 60 gallons. If that is too many fish mind adjusting the numbers for me?

Plants
Limnophila sessiliflora Background
Pellia on any rock work i might have
Ricca Floating
Eleocharis acicularis foreground
Nymphaea lotus mid ground and floating.
Vallineria spiralis coming through driftwood in the center of the tank.

I am not new to fish tanks but I am now to freshwater and biotoping (even to this extent) so any advice or help would be great.

Thanks again!

 

[Mikeyboi86]

Okay apperntly clown loaches get alttle too big for the size tank I am cosidering any other suggestions for a Indonesian bottom feeder or will the Siamese alage eaters cover that as well?

 

[Newman]

flying fox does not equal Siamese algae eater. just warning you.
FFs will do nothing but eat w/e you feed you community fish and will occasionally chace other fish.

 

[Mikeyboi86]

Ah I must mean Siamese alage eater tehn. Mind giving scientific name?

 

[Newman]

Scientific name: Crossocheilus siamensis
The correct common name: SAE (Siamese Algae Eater)

These are actually what you want as they prove themselves useful by eating all sorts of algae, are active, schooling, and are semi-aggressive at most.