My New Tiger Barbs Are Racists.

[severina]

So I got 9 new tiger barbs today and I was so excited. 4 regulars, 4 albino, and 1 green. Well..they were all schooling around being all cute and then later on I noticed that the green one was staying in one corner while the others were on the other side of the tank all playing happily. I watched for a while and eventually he made his way to the other side only to be chased off by 2 regular tigers. He's been keeping his distance all day. Wtf?

I've been going over it and I think that it might be that he was kept in a separate tank. The 4 albinos were in one tank, and the other 4 were in another...so they all know each other from before. Could that be it? Or is he being singled out because he's different from them? Anyone experience anything like this? Will he ever be ok? I feel horrible.

 

[Teelie]

I don't know Tiger Barbs too well but it is possible they don't see the green one as one of their own kind. You could try getting some more green ones, see if that helps.

 

[max11180]

My green barbs seem the more relaxed of the bunch, and don't shoal to the extent that the regulars, or the albino's do.
To me tho, it just sounds like the male barbs are sorting out who's the alpha.. can you see if it is the males doing the harassing? That is generally the case in my tank. Once they establish a pecking order, may take a couple of days to settle down fully, then they should be all be ok with one another..until the next time one of them feels like s/he wants to move up the pecking order.

 

[severina]

Ah ok...the pecking order makes sense. I'm also going to get some more green ones friday and that should help a bit too, maybe. Thanks, guys

 

[max11180]

Have they settled down?

 

[severina]

Have they settled down?

Yeah they are fine now..well...not fine fine, we've got a little white spot problem now

 

[max11180]

Good to hear there happy and better news it's only something trivial, and easy cureable!