I have a 55 gallon brackish tank filled with african cichlids. I also have 4 tiger barbs in the tank. Every one has told me that the cichlids would eat the tiger barbs, but they have lived happilly in the tank with my cichlids for over a year now. As far as I have seen they have never even been thrated by the cichlids, it's like they don't even know their there. I have put feeder guppies in my tank and watched them get torn apart in seconds but I have never seen them hurt my tiger barbs. I want to add more tiger barbs to make the school stronger but I'm scared that the cichlids will eat them like they do with the feeder fish.

I think it's a "case by case basis" I've heard that people have had sucess with Barbs in a cichlid tank but, I've also heard of people having problems. As long as the Barbs are not too small and the Cichlids are not to big then I would think you might be okay, since you have had sucess in the past! What kind of cichlids do you have?

Is it an all male tank? Looks like you have one cichlid species each with some small school/community fish?
Like I said, since you already have some Barbs in there, I think you would be okay. Just make sure you don't get them too small (barbs) they might get picked on.

I was in Petco tonight and they had juvenile cichlids in with their juvenile tiger barbs and the cichlids were relentlessly nipping the barbs...

Z