Odd Rosy Barb Behaviour?

[Shovel]

We've had our two rosy barbs for a while now one is silver and one is orange. They've always got on very well they have a tank to themselves freshwater a biorb, apart from the past week and a half or so they have been acting odd.

Our silver barb hides between an ornament and a plant constantly and the orange barb 'guards' aside from feeding time. Any ideas?

The tank isn't set up for brreding suitability so if this is what they are trying to acheive please let me know how to do so.

 

[Shovel]

Uhm. Bump..

 

[fluttermoth]

Hi Shovel, to the forum.

How large is the Biorb and when was the last water change you did? How long has the tank been set up and how long have the fish been in it?

 

[Shovel]

Regular water changes I think the last change was last weekend and it's been going on just a bit longer than that. Tank was set up 48 hours before we got the fish and that was about 5 months ago.

 

[fluttermoth]

And what size Biorb is it?

I don't think it's breeding behaviour.

 

[Shovel]

Just the normal medium sie one not the really big one not the baby one. We have no idea what it is neither of them are being aggressive as we know that rosy barbs can be a bit aggressive they come out fine at feeding time then after that the silver one goes in a sort of cranny inbetween a plant and the ornament in there and the orange one hovers in the ornament and stays there kinda of guarding in a way but not being agressive at all.

 

[KISSfn]

Rosy Barbs are very active and deserve a tank measuring at least 36" x 12" x 12"/90cm x 30cm x 30cm/85 litres. They are also a schooling species that prefer a group of 8 or more in their gang. They establish a pecking order in their group. Your silver one is being dominated by the other Rosy. IMO.

 

[Shovel]

THen why hasn't it been dominated by it the past five months? And the shop recommended 4. The other two well one killed the other and that one was removed within a week of setting up the tank. I don't know the dimensions of the tank, we got them from Pets At Home which are known for how careful they are knowing sutff about animals and not selling to conditions that arent ideal and they said the normal sied biorb was ideal.

 

[Aqua Tom]

THen why hasn't it been dominated by it the past five months? And the shop recommended 4. The other two well one killed the other and that one was removed within a week of setting up the tank. I don't know the dimensions of the tank, we got them from Pets At Home which are known for how careful they are knowing sutff about animals and not selling to conditions that arent ideal and they said the normal sied biorb was ideal.

Pets at Home are not an Aquarist shop, they are a general pet store so thier staff have to know about every pet in the shop, there is an old saying, "jack of all trades, master of none". For real advice go to a dedicated LFS or better still ask here.

Rosy Barbs need to be in a group of 6+.


Tom

 

[KISSfn]

I have read countless posts here about the petstore you dealt with and they are 99% negative. A petstore only cares about selling products and making money. The well being of the fish is not even considered. That's why you see Bettas in a cup of water! Your first Rosy probably killed his tankmate because of the cramped conditions and insufficient numbers of their school. If you were in a small jail cell you could live but you would not be happy. Five months may have been the breaking point for your last 2 Barbs. My 8 Rosys are the most active fish in my tank and they use all the space available to them in my 50 gallon. I have been lied to in every store that sell fish I have ever visited.