Tiger Barbs

[Wyld-Fyre]

Have now come to the conclusion that Tiger Barbs, and especially mine, are a right pain up the backside.

It has often been said that you'd need a school of them, just for them to thrive. I am seriously doubting that this is the case, as all they ever do is chase each other around and fin-nip each other to death. This fin-nipping has caused the premature deaths of at least three of their 'buddies' (throughout a year).

Establishing dominance is one thing, but actually causing unneccessary torture....no way!

NOT TOUCHING THEM AGAIN.

 

[jflowers]

Big tank and large school is the key. 10+ and plenty of swimming space, 50G+. Often heard smaller is ok, but the bigger the better.

Jon

 

[chris_1127]

After the fin nipping or injuries occured did you treat with melafix or anything, or increase frequency of water changes to keep water extra clean? how many did you have, and in what size tank? Surprised to hear that theyve been that much of a problem - mine will playfully chase and nip each other a bit, but never to the point of injury or death. currently have a mixed shoal of tiger barbs and black rubies, only fin nipping that ive had a problem with is one black ruby barb, and i'm sure my red tailed shark did that anyway - he extra-dislikes them when theyre in breeding colouration with black fins.

 

[leroy]

I've never heard tiger barbs to cause that much damage to each other. I only have 3 which is not really enough i know, but i have not had any problems with them. They chase each other around sometimes and have little fights where they sorta lock jaws and nibble. but nothing serious and no damage caused.

 

[dancinns]

I picked up 5 tiger barbs yesterday and noticed them "fighting". It's kind of humorous but I think I'll up some more so they have a group of about 8 or so. I got mine at a LFS for 99 cents so it's not like they're going to break the bank.

 

[rrdrummer5]

I have 7. They school with my 6 clown loaches because they have the same coloration. The barbs chase each other but have never hurt anything.

 

[Wyld-Fyre]

I love all fishes, doesn't matter their shape or size, but I have now added Tiger Barbs to a set of fishes I would never touch or buy again. Livebearers being the others.

Over the course of the year, I have had 7 in one tank and 3 in another. Both tanks are 20G, well-planted and perfect in water quality (as in zero's for NH3/4, N02, and N03). Tank mates are chosen to inhabit all three primary levels.

Yes, I did think having them in a school was great to start off with. Even a little bickering, in establishing dominance, didn't give me an inkling that they'd later start fin-nipping each other.

In one tank, I suspect that they are fin-nipping because they are being forced into competition for space (by the Kribs taking over the mid- and bottom levels), and food (by the super-mobile Danio's).

In another, they have even little to suffer from. Tank environments is near similar to the first. So, the question is why they continue to bicker? Or a better question would be, is it a part of their nature to ceaselessly identify and remove 'weaker' fishes?

If so, then perhaps a school of Tigers has been incorrectly assumed to benefit their species.

 

[Xcric]

i've never had a problem with mine, they're actually really tame, they tend to hide from the other fish and not really nip anyone, even each other

my serpae tetra on the other hand...

 

[The-Wolf]

Big tank and large school is the key. 10+ and plenty of swimming space, 50G+. Often heard smaller is ok, but the bigger the better.

Jon

Aggreed

I have a school of 14 in a 62 gal tank
no problems at all.

 

[Cavafish]

I had 10 (5 stripey tigers and 5 green tigers) until I lost two greens to swimbladder problems. The remaining 8 all school together andseem to have loads of fun chasing and playing amongst themselves. They do sometimes 'battle' and go into nose-to-nose spirals with their fins erect but they never do any harm to each other that I have ever noticed. I think it looks really cool (they remind me of roman centurions with the row of feathers in their hats!) and I think it means they are happy as they are able to play out their natural habits.

I also think the key is space. I have a 5 foot tank (400 litres, 88 UK gallons) and although overstocked they have loads of swimming space and room to manouver. I think that you will get problems with any really active fish that doesn't have enough room to swim naturally.

 

[northpaul]

mine are cool its the rtbs that chases and harrasses them

 

[LoachLover]

Well I've never been a big fan of Tiger Barbs myself, but they do need to be kept in pretty large groups just like people say.

 

[Iron Man]

I've always gotten tiger barbs for community tanks and swore I never would again. But those colors....

Anyway....when I had mbuna cichlids in my 55 gallon I thought these would me the perfect dither fish....so I got 13 of them. They fit in perfectly...as long as they moved out of the cichlids' way.

They did have a hierarchy established and the big dominant one was beautiful...never seen one that beautiful in fact. They did chase and have squabbles with each other, but not all the time. They schooled from one end of the tank to the other...a great joy to watch....but a literal pain when I had to stick my hand into the tank to clean or move something...you could imagine what happened. hehe

All that being said....from experience I would never have them in anything smaller than something they can school around in and have plenty of plants and space...and never in a community tank with less aggressive fish....always more.

I had clown loaches in with mine too and sometimes they would get confused as to who was who because of their colors. The clowns and tigers were a joy to watch non stop.

 

[Grouchy]

Heck, I'm on my laptop right now and the dominant male tiger barbs are doing that dance right now. They're nuts. I love'em the little nutjobs.

They look like one of those spinners you can hold in the wind.