Keeping A Single Red Line Torpedo Barb

[James9114]

hi i bought a single red line torpedo barb from my LFS (impulse buy) i read up on it after i got home and realised they are shooling fish. my question is will be live happy full life by itself and does anyone have a single torpedo barb in there community aquarium. i don't want to get anymore as my tank is only 80cm long. will it also become aggressive at all. i can take back to my lfs if i have too. DON'T WANT TOO!!! thanks james

 

[Verminator89]

I'd say keep him in a group, or don't keep him at all. They are a schooling fish and for that reason alone they aught to be kept in a group, not individually. Its pretty poor that a shop would sell you a single denisonii in the first palce when they should know they are a social group fish.

 

[James9114]

I'd say keep him in a group, or don't keep him at all. They are a schooling fish and for that reason alone they aught to be kept in a group, not individually. Its pretty poor that a shop would sell you a single denisonii in the first palce when they should know they are a social group fish.

i know i did ask but obviously i shouldn't of listened(another lesson learnt) im really attached to it now aswell. thanks for your time

 

[James9114]

anyone who has any experience of owning a single torpedo barb please comment

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I initially bought three at the same time as my Garras and while in QT they were quite unsocial. As soon as I bought another three a couple of days later, their personalities completely changed and they now regularly school together in the 540l.

They do grow at a reasonable rate. Mine were no more than 5cm SL back in June and are now something close to 7cm SL (Standard Length, which excludes the caudial/tail fin). At the very least you are going to need to find a 4-foot tank within the next six to nine months.

It is also worth adding temperature and water movement to this discussion. Wild specimens do much better at temperatures around 20C rather than 26C (an issue raised by "nmonks" a month or so ago when some of us confessed to keeping them in temps at the extreme end of their 15-25C range), while commercially bred ones (like my six, hence Aquajardin has been selling them at £5 each all summer) are more likely to be comfortable around 22-24C (mine lost their red stripes until I raised the temperature a little). Naturally, they come from Indian streams, so some gentle water current is appreciated. These two factors will greatly narrow down the4 choice of potential tankmates, but my sig will perhaps give you some ideas

 

[Wills]

In my younger days I kept a trio of them in a 90 gallon tank and they were really timid they need to have a group of at least 6, in the wild they are found in schools of hundreds just swarming through rivers and also they need at least a 4 foot tank because as adults they get to a size of 6 inches and very stocky for a torpedo shape fish. I would either tank him back or get a bigger tank and a full shoal.

Wills

 

[James9114]

I initially bought three at the same time as my Garras and while in QT they were quite unsocial. As soon as I bought another three a couple of days later, their personalities completely changed and they now regularly school together in the 540l.

They do grow at a reasonable rate. Mine were no more than 5cm SL back in June and are now something close to 7cm SL (Standard Length, which excludes the caudial/tail fin). At the very least you are going to need to find a 4-foot tank within the next six to nine months.

It is also worth adding temperature and water movement to this discussion. Wild specimens do much better at temperatures around 20C rather than 26C (an issue raised by "nmonks" a month or so ago when some of us confessed to keeping them in temps at the extreme end of their 15-25C range), while commercially bred ones (like my six, hence Aquajardin has been selling them at £5 each all summer) are more likely to be comfortable around 22-24C (mine lost their red stripes until I raised the temperature a little). Naturally, they come from Indian streams, so some gentle water current is appreciated. These two factors will greatly narrow down the4 choice of potential tankmates, but my sig will perhaps give you some ideas

yeh my temp is at a constant 24 degrees, its never lost its colours at that temp, thanks for all the advice much appreciated

 

[Carlovel1]

I recommend you tank them back, an 80cm tank is too small. Maybe you could replace them with similar looking Scissortail Rasboras. In a bigger tank though (240litre+), these would be fine

 

[drobbyb]

Take it back. Not only do the need to be in groups, but they also need a 4 foot tank.

 

[James9114]

thanks for all your msgs. i have taken red line torpedo barb back to shop and got more albino corys and bronze corys to get there numbers up.