blackghostluvr
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- May 22, 2009
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I've had a couple community tanks and this one 55gal I stretched a little to try some different combos. Mainly, I like black ghosts and had been reluctant to add a couple other species before but was told by several LFS clerks and others I asked online and they said they would be okay. So I tried some tiger barbs ( mostly have been fine as only one really nipped much ) and wanted to try a red-tailed black shark as well.
Several told me to get the sharks in multiples ( 2 or 3 ) so they would chase each other and leave everything else alone. So I bought two. I now think that it should have been an it-depends answer really. From the start the one RTS has been a bully and chases the other predominantly but also bullies all the other fish in the tank. It was not too bad when they were small but they have grown rather large 6" in only a few months while my bgk had grown much slower - as they do. I did re-arrange the tank a few times when the bully got too territorial - as someone once advised me - but he still seemed to own the tank!
One of the 5 Tiger barbs, who tended to nip the most, went missing about a month ago - I started the tank in Jan and built it up through Feb adding the sharks last after my ghost. Then last week my bgk died with no apparent sign of injury or disease. I regularly check my water, do partial replacemants, etc. and its been and remains fine. The next day one of my cory's was dead and was missing his head.
My guess is that the BULLY shark had become overly aggressive or competitive with the other bottom feeders ( bgk and cory ) and maybe that one tiger barb had bothered/nipped at him one too many times. He is much bigger than anything else except the other shark. So I isolated the bully in another tank and no more losses since and the other shark seems much calmer and the other fish ( 6 zebra danios, 3 gouramis, 2 corys ) are all enjoying a more free run of the tank.
So was it likely the RTS becoming big and more hostile toward the others to the point of stressing the bgk and outright attacking the cory? I can't see any other explanation. The other RTS is much more docile and benign and doesn't chase or bully anything else and is only slightly smaller 5.5".
What should I do with Mr. Bully? He's in isolation right now. I don't want to introduce him back into my community tank now that I am pretty sure he is responsible. Is there another species he could live with that wouldn't stress out or be harassed?
Thanks in advance!
Several told me to get the sharks in multiples ( 2 or 3 ) so they would chase each other and leave everything else alone. So I bought two. I now think that it should have been an it-depends answer really. From the start the one RTS has been a bully and chases the other predominantly but also bullies all the other fish in the tank. It was not too bad when they were small but they have grown rather large 6" in only a few months while my bgk had grown much slower - as they do. I did re-arrange the tank a few times when the bully got too territorial - as someone once advised me - but he still seemed to own the tank!
One of the 5 Tiger barbs, who tended to nip the most, went missing about a month ago - I started the tank in Jan and built it up through Feb adding the sharks last after my ghost. Then last week my bgk died with no apparent sign of injury or disease. I regularly check my water, do partial replacemants, etc. and its been and remains fine. The next day one of my cory's was dead and was missing his head.
My guess is that the BULLY shark had become overly aggressive or competitive with the other bottom feeders ( bgk and cory ) and maybe that one tiger barb had bothered/nipped at him one too many times. He is much bigger than anything else except the other shark. So I isolated the bully in another tank and no more losses since and the other shark seems much calmer and the other fish ( 6 zebra danios, 3 gouramis, 2 corys ) are all enjoying a more free run of the tank.
So was it likely the RTS becoming big and more hostile toward the others to the point of stressing the bgk and outright attacking the cory? I can't see any other explanation. The other RTS is much more docile and benign and doesn't chase or bully anything else and is only slightly smaller 5.5".
What should I do with Mr. Bully? He's in isolation right now. I don't want to introduce him back into my community tank now that I am pretty sure he is responsible. Is there another species he could live with that wouldn't stress out or be harassed?
Thanks in advance!
