Tiger Barbs Acting In A Funny Way!

[M.R Otter]

Hi fellas!!

Fellas, I have a shoal of tiger barbs in 50 gallon tank, and one of my tiger barbs started to point itself downwards and it's color change's a lot while it's doing this behavior..... and the other tiger barbs are starting to look at him but the big ones are nipping on his sides!!

What is this behavior?

Is it good?

 

[Mr Bliss]

It's not good. Headstanding usually indicates an internal infection. I'm hopelessly out of the loop on treatments as I haven't had to deal with a fish disease in over a decade (*knocks on wood*), but searching or posting in the Tropical Fish Emergencies section should help.

The nipping happens because he's weak and acting weird; the other barbs want to drive him away (an evolutionary adaptation to avoid contagion) but he has nowhere to go.

 

[M.R Otter]

I'm sorry but... my tiger barb is not sick!! he is doing that just for awhile for just few seconds.... and he jump's and dash's quicly when it is food time, he is just doing that only infront of the fat tiger barbs wich I think they are females.......the water is acidic and normal....

 

[Mr Bliss]

Let's hope he's just standing on his head to impress the ladies then.

Your post made it sound like classic headstanding, which is never a good sign. Might have mentioned that he only does it a few seconds at a time. I assume he's not pointing his head straight downwards either (because if he is, I'd still be concerned)? A position where the tail points upward in a roughly 45 degree angle and the fins are spread is a typical display pose, used to impress the females and intimidate the males.

 

[drobbyb]

Just to be clear, but his coloration is darkening as he is doing the headstanding, or is his color dark all the time?

 

[avfc-tim]

I have to agree and say that when I have kept tiger barbs in the past, this behaviour of isolating itself from the rest of the shoal and standing on its head was not a good sign.

 

[M.R Otter]

Fellas good news!!...

the tiger barb that was pointing downwards had just spawned with one of the females between the plants... looks like that pointing down was good but there is no use..... the eggs will be eatin soon ...... Maybe just maybe the pointing downwards was not a sign of sickness just courting!! YAY for me!!