Tiger Barbs and Cichlids?

Question

I have a 38 gallon tank with three cichlids in it. One is an Electric Yellow and I don't know what the other 2 are. Would it be poissible to put some tiger barbs with them for about three months? I have fish tank in my high school and instead of moving the tank during the summer I was just going to take the tiger barbs out and put them in my tank during the summer until school starts again. Would that work?? they would only be in there about 3 months

Answer 1

Just out of curiosity, where do you live?  It's now mid august, and I'd have to say the summer is like almost over.  I just got to know that part.

But as for the tiger barbs, the problem with tiger barbs is they love to nip and harass other fish.  If you have an electric Yellow, that one is an African, and rather peaceful. For your knowledge on future questions, if you must post information, try to avoid the generic term "cichlid".  One is that too many people on here just see that word and assume it means "killer" "aggressive" "mean" "nasty" etc...

Secondly, where they come from very much matters in terms of care.  South Americans have different needs then Central Americans and Africans.  Let's assume the others are Africans too, and in a 38 gallon tank.  What is the footprint of that?  I'd assume it's fairly deep enough to allow a small school of Tiger Barbs, but it's not the space that concerns me, but more the temperment.

I suspect one of two things is likely to happen.  Either the Tiger Barbs are at the very least going to stress the other Africans very much, might result in frayed fins on the Africans, OR the Africans are going to get rather upset by this, and harass the school of Tiger barbs back, to death.

If you really have no choice, I'd try to divide the tank if at all possible.  Tiger barbs, are not nice community fish due to nipping, but can work out with other schooling types sometimes.  Just so you know too, if you have nothing left in that tank at school, that's going to wipe out it's beneficial bacteria, and you'll have to re-cycle that tank again.  Consider that too.