Reducing Cherry Barb Aggresion

[Captain Retardo]

My male Cherry Barb is being very aggresive to my fish (my cories especially) and I was wondering how I could reduce it. He is being even more aggresive now since he is trying to breed with my female.

I was thinking of getting maybe 3 more Female Barbs and 1 more male barb?

Any other suggestions?

Please reply, because I will get the Cherry Barbs most likely today, and I want to know a good combination to reduce aggresion

 

[Captain Retardo]

Can someone please answer soon, I will probably be going to the LFS soon.



(should've posted in Tropical Chit Chat, they get a lot more people there!)

 

[Gankutsuou]

yesh. Cherry barbs do like shoals. I believe you'd be heading in the right dirrection.

 

[Captain Retardo]

I was under the impression from several credible websites that they didn't need groups, but also some other credible websites said that they needed shoals, so i got the least amount I could (I don't want too many cherry barbs). But I will be getting more though...

BTW- What would be a good amount?

Turns out I'm not going to the LFS today after all...but probably will within a few days

 

[Gankutsuou]

as a rule for most tetra/barb, 6 is a good minimum number, and more are appreciated. I'd do 8 personally if I had to keep them.

also they enjoy heavy live vegitation. That may be a problem in your tank?

 

[Captain Retardo]

Oh well Cherry Barbs are different from most barbs/tetras, they aren't as social

How can they tell if its live or not, I have a one part of the tank that is just a bunch of large and small plastic plants and they seem to like it (although it is more of my kuhlis favorite spot now

 

[Lateral Line]

Barbus titteya, the Cherry Barb is normally a quite inoffensive fish. It is not a naturally shoaling fish, indeed, 2 males together in a smaller tank may well fight. They are best kept as a apir, or trio, 1 male, 2 females. Adding a second female will give the male more to occupy himself.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Thanks Lateral Line, I'll get him another female...I have read though that with 2 males they will swim around each other and show their colors the best...

 

[Captain Retardo]

I've been thinking about the Barbs, and after watching them it seems like my male Cherry Barb thinks that the cories are other rival barbs, so how would getting another female help? Wouldn't that just give him more incentive to attack the Cories? shouldn't I get another male? So they can bicker about themselves, instead of confusing and stressing my cories.

 

[Lateral Line]

Two males in a 29 may well fight to the death.

It is certainly true that males of certain barb species show their best colours when performing the "spiral dance". This is a nose to tail circling whilst rising and falling in the water column performed by two males. Barbus conchonius, (Rosy Barb), and Barbus nigrofasciatus, (Black Ruby Barb), are the commonest species that do this. They are transformed fish during the process, you'd think they were a different species!

I've never seen this with Barbus titteya, which is, in the wild, a largely solitary species.

If a second female doesn't spread his tendencies enough, it may be time to swap your male. I've never had a titteya that did any damage, the odd lunge at something that got in his way, but you seem to have found a psycho.

I'm presuming these are not newly added to the tank, a newly added fish will often throw it's weight about for a week or so to make it's presence felt.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Nope, the barb was one of my first fish, he was added about 4-5 months ago. So Just 1 more female then?

It seems like he gives the cories a warning sign before he attacks, he goes up right next to them, then spreads out all his fins bright and big, it is really beautiful, but afterwards he attacks the cory , I have seen though that most of the time the cory raises his fin also, and that seems to prompt the Barb attack, in which he chases the cory around for a couple of seconds, then goes to another place. He keeps the cories on the right side of the tank, while he lives on the left side...seems like he thinks the cories are other male cherry barbs...

 

[Captain Retardo]

Oh no, now my female barb is getting aggresive to the cories, I'll get another female barb, but if she dosen't fix the situation, I'm thinking of giving away my barbs and not getting anymore

 

[Gankutsuou]

Yes. I perfer peaceful fish.

Get rid of those and pick up a False Flying fox, AKA False Saimese Algea Eater

I have one in my tank. It bugs no one. No one bugs it. Full of personality, great to watch, and they usually only cost $3. Really colorful fins too.

That's why i perfer tetra, peaceful fish like loaches, and so forth.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Cherry Barbs are supposed to be peaceful...I don't think I have enough room in my tank for a False Flying Fox, especially since I'm going to get another ram and some Corydoras Sterbai.

Although I do admit I like False Flying foxes.