My Rosy Barbs

[Ny82]

I have a pair of rosy barbs in my tank with a pair of platy. They are so energetic and swim around together. I thought I would share some pics and ask a question about the female.
This is the male, he is such a lovely colour.

This is the female. She used to be streamlined-now she's really plump. Her belly is so round either side of her! Is she over eating?

 

[Fishy friend2]

wow they are both so beautiful, i have no experience with any kinds of barbs, so my best guess is that she is full of eggs,

 

[Ny82]

wow they are both so beautiful, i have no experience with any kinds of barbs, so my best guess is that she is full of eggs,

Aww thankyou and thanks for the reply. This is my first time with barbs. When I googled rosy barbs-they look so dull, my male is very vibrant and that's why I wanted one. Even the female-she is so shimmery too. Plus they have great character.
I hope she isn't full of eggs-my female platy is pregnant too (going by what members have told me)so will the barbs eat the platy babies and the platy eat the barb eggs?
here is a pic of "the gang"

 

[Fishy friend2]

they will most likely eat all of the babies

 

[Ny82]

Oh.That's so barbaric isn't it

 

[Fishy friend2]

Oh.That's so barbaric isn't it

lol yeah it is

 

[three-fingers]

Um, as lovely as the barbs are, you may want to think about rehoming them or getting a bigger tank soon!

They will very quickly grow waaa ytoo big for a 40l tank, also IME the platys will probably be nipped to death as the barbs get bigger in that tank-they will grow into chunky 5-6" long even more boisterous and just as active fish. Ideally they should really be kept in groups of 6+ (though preferably more to tone down nippiness at other fish).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news . Was it Pets@Home that sold you these from the coldwater section? I would take them back and complain about being sold a fish of inappropriate size and temperament for your tank, try get a refund . Always research fish extensively before purchase, chain stores will sell you anything IME... Even start a thread and ask here if you are unsure about something.

Alternatively, if you are too attached to them, you could us this as an excuse get to upgrade to a bigger tank . Something at least 3 foot and get 4 more barbs .

Other than the barbs, very nice coldwater tank.

 

[Ny82]

Um, as lovely as the barbs are, you may want to think about rehoming them or getting a bigger tank soon!

They will very quickly grow waaa ytoo big for a 40l tank, also IME the platys will probably be nipped to death as the barbs get bigger in that tank-they will grow into chunky 5-6" long even more boisterous and just as active fish. Ideally they should really be kept in groups of 6+ (though preferably more to tone down nippiness at other fish).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news . Was it Pets@Home that sold you these from the coldwater section? I would take them back and complain about being sold a fish of inappropriate size and temperament for your tank, try get a refund . Always research fish extensively before purchase, chain stores will sell you anything IME... Even start a thread and ask here if you are unsure about something.

Alternatively, if you are too attached to them, you could us this as an excuse get to upgrade to a bigger tank . Something at least 3 foot and get 4 more barbs .

Other than the barbs, very nice coldwater tank.

Yeah it was-they didn't ask me how big my tank was, just what else was in there. It did say on the picture next to them they might nip long fins but he assured me as my platy have small fins they will be fine. He also said they are fully grown.

On this site http/www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/subtroptks.htm If you scroll down to the rosy barbs section it says they can reach upto 6 inches but it also says they don't nip fins. I haven't noticed anything with the platy.
I was really wanting the fluval edge, but got this one as it's a lot deeper and longer to the back. I really need to rethink this setup now My bf would kill me if I came back with a bigger tank lol. He doesn't like fish-or dogs or cats or anything with paws/feathers/scales

I was originally just having one pair of fish. When I went back to the shop to get more plants he remembered me and said I could have 2 more and that it would be better for my platy-he was right there though they burst into life as soon as the barbs were put in.
When he said I could have another - I was looking at how pretty the paradise fish were (also sub tropical) but he told me they are aggressive and was persistent about the barbs. My bf gets sucked in too and was like we'd better get them then to give the other 2 company.

What do you think would be best. I don't have the option of buying another tank I am saving for another car.
Your not the bearer of bad news-you are the bearer of very useful information and I appreciate it.
Unless I give my friend the barbs and keep my platy. Realistically,what is the likeliness of the babies surviving? I am just keeping the female in the tank I don't want her stressed. The male doesn't chase her or anything like that-he just stays by her side. Or should I give the platy away and keep the barbs by themselves?
Such a hard decision

 

[three-fingers]

Barbs are classically nippy fish, especially when kept in small numbers, so the guy giving you advice clearly doesn't know his tropical fish, steer away from his advice in the future .

Rosy barbs aren't bad at nipping fins compared to other barb species, but the less you keep of them, the more likely they are to develop this behaviour, same with all barbs. Unfortunately I think the best thing would be to take the barbs back and complain. To keep them happy your friend would need to get around 6 - and that's a lot of big fish. The platys are far more suited to a 40l tank than the barbs, as they are less active, smaller and more peaceful .

With barbs in the tank, I'd give babies a 0% chance of surviving. With just the platys you maybe get more like 10-20% not being eaten .

If you added a heater you could have a pair of cherry barbs with your platys . Cherry barbs are the only barbs I know of that can happily be kept in pairs instead of large groups, also they are less nippy and stay under 2".

 

[Ny82]

Thanks for your reply you are very knowledgeable. I will see about getting the barbs back.
I have a bit of a dilemma - my female platy has been "left out" by the other 3-the male platy, and both barbs are swimming around together and she's sitting at the top of the tank. The male platy occasionally goes over and sits with her then goes away again to swim around. Is it due to the barbs being so boisterous? When I put food in she eats it normally and then just sits there. She was fine all day yesterday, and last night when I went to my bed and put the light out her and the male went into the hideout. Suddenly today she's just sitting there. She isn't gasping or anything, her fins on either side are moving and her tails rippling. Any ideas?

 

[three-fingers]

If shes fatter than the male, she could be about to give birth in . If this is the case, all you can really do is try to give her some cover to hide in at the top - otherwise in this size of tank all the other fish (especially the male) will chase her and eat the babies when she gives birth, a very stressful experience for the mother, us to watch...and obviously the fry.

Some people desperate the female into a breeding box - this is a clear plastic box which separates the female fish from the others and has small slits for the fry to escape from the female into a safe chamber. I would only recommend this method if you manage to catch the female just as she starts giving birth - if you do it too early it can stress her and end in multiple miscarriages.

Keep a close eye on her for now and you will have to decide if you want to let nature take its course, or if you want the responsibility of raising the fry until they are able to be sexed then separating them to prevent further births. The fry will need a large breeding net or separate tank.

To avoid future births, stick to male platys. If you go for females they will be giving birth for months and months to come, as they can store sperm and are usually pregnant in the shops.

If not pregnant, she could just be too uncomfortable to swim, maybe a stomach ache or constipation. If she doesn't change behaviour soon, try feed her some cooked, de-shelled and squashed peas - this eases constipation in fish .

 

[Ny82]

She can't be so soon. A fellow forum member guessed about 2-3 weeks until she dropped fry.
She's not even that fat or square. That black spot is really visible now, it's just frustrating it doesn't get picked up by my camera! This is her taken 5 minutes ago.

She is either going right up top-the barbs are now go up to investigate or she goes right to the bottom.

 

[three-fingers]

Hmmm, yeah, she doesn't look nearly ready, are her fins clamped more than the male? Are ammonia and nitrite levels both at 0ppm?

She looks fine in the picture, though notably smaller than the male (usually this is the other way around) so could be younger, just a more sensitive individual or one of the runts of the litter.

Just keep an eye on her and don't worry, she could just be in a funny mood. If anything with her behaviour changes update here, but in the mean time all you can do is watch and maybe do a couple of extra small water changes of the next couple of days just to be safe .

 

[onidrase]

Keep in mind that fatness isn't always a sign of about to drop eggs. Remember there are such things as constipation and internal parasites, which imo should be thought of before "maybe I'm gonna have fry!" especially with fish that aren't live bearers and you haven't made any breeding attempts with the species.