Tiger Barb Trouble

[Majjie]

I have five tiger barbs - I used to have more but two died after being picked on by their "friends". They had their fins chewed down by the others. I took them out and left them in another tank until the fins grew back - but as soon as I put them back with the others they got picked on again - and then they got infections (as a result of the injuries and probably stress too) and eventually died.

The remaining five have got along fine for about 8 months now and are quite big - but recently they've started picking on one of the females. Poor little Tigerella had her pelvic fins chewed off completely and about a third of her tail is missing. I left her there for a while, hoping it was just a phase and because she was still eating - but then she started hiding away in a corner of the tank. I've since removed her and put her in another tank with assorted tetras and two angelfish (not a pair).

She spent the first three or four days hiding - except at feeding time (she's keen on her grub!) - but has now settled down and started to swim quite happily around the tank on her own.

I'm pleased she's perked up - but I don't want her to perk up so much that she starts to pick on any of her new companions. I know that bored single tigers are notorious for that.

Anyone got any suggestions?

If I bought a couple more tigers and put them in the tiger barb tank at the same time as putting Tigerella back - do you think that would stop the bullies
recognising her? And if I did that - should I get small active ones (the ones that all lfs's have) or do I need to look for larger ones - the same size as mine?
I can just see war breaking out

 

[Lateral Line]

With Tiger Barbs, it is always a case of the more you've got the more the aggro is dilluted. If you've got place in your tank for more, then yes, adding them at the same time will help.

Another trick when adding the new is to move the tank decor around. The resident fish will then find themselves in unfamiliar territory and will take a time out to adjust, often helps.

 

[Majjie]

Thanks Lateral - don't know why I didn't think of moving the decor around - I've done it before with my gouramis.
Any thoughts on the size issue. I have one very dominant male - is he more likely to accept new fish if they're small - or should I get some his own size?

 

[Biulu]

Thanks Lateral - don't know why I didn't think of moving the decor around - I've done it before with my gouramis.
Any thoughts on the size issue. I have one very dominant male - is he more likely to accept new fish if they're small - or should I get some his own size?

What about changing this dominant male for another tiger barb? Most lfs are willing to change fish. I've done so in several ocasions wit overdoiminant fish, and it has worked out fine for me.

Good luck!

 

[Majjie]

What about changing this dominant male for another tiger barb? Most lfs are willing to change fish. I've done so in several ocasions wit overdoiminant fish, and it has worked out fine for me.

Good luck!

Thanks Biulu - it's an idea. I'd feel so guilty, though. I kinda feel responsible for all my fish (I'm struggling with the idea of taking my young guppies to the LFS - even though I know I have to) - it's just so likely that they won't get treated right (not deliberately - but just from Newbie ignorance - I did it myself, before I knew better!)

I'd take him if he was in the wrong environment or had the wrong companions - but if I take him back to the lfs, he'd only be a problem in someone else's tank.
I think I'll try a few more companions and see if that solves the problem (I can always change my mind and get rid of him later )

 

[millym]

hi
in our experience the little tiger barbs can be the biggest terrors so personally i would try & get one the same size. this may not work but we had the experience last year of a teeny green tb who turned out to be one holy terror he chased the bigger established tbs to the point where they started hiding all day & only popped out in the moonlights. ( terror tb was around 1/2 an inch big at the time the biggies were nearly 2 & a half inches in size.) it really surprised us as we were worried about putting mr teeny in with the bigger established pack. anyway after about 5 weeks when we were getting very worried a bigger tb decided to have a go & stood up & beat the teeny terror nose to nose & since then things have been fine. mr teeny (now same size as the others) still has the odd scrap but no where to the extreme we saw before & he gets beatedn regularly. all our tbs are all out & about in daylight as before & have been since the teeny terror lost his first fight last year.
i understand how you dont want to rehome your barb i feel the same.once i have a fish i feel responsible for it & couldnt bear to take it back to a lfs little tank after its experienced life in our big tank. i also was very upset when we had to take 50 baby swordies ( our swordie pair had a mega batch that all survived) to the lfs for rehoming as we obviously couldnt keep them, i hated doing it & worried so much about them that i went to visit them regularly ( pathetic i know but i couldnt help it!!!!!!)

 

[Majjie]

Thanks Millym - I think you're probably right about the size of the tiger barbs. I added two little albino ones (now deceased) a few years ago and they were right little terrors - but I wasn't sure whether that was a colour thing. I'll have a look for some bigger ones - as soon as Tigerella has grown her fins back She's looking quite chirpy now and has chased a tetra or two - but nothing too bad.

(And I know exactly how you felt about those swordies - pathetic or not )

 

[Lateral Line]

I would also go with larger fish if you can get them.

 

[Majjie]

OK thanks

I can make a trip up to Wharf Aquatics (whose wonderful reputation admittedly might not have reached as far as Denmark!) - they usually have some larger ones.