HELP!! Tiger Barb Die Off!!

[Buckfins]

Listen y'all...I have a 55gal with several Tigers, 1 blue, 1 gold gourami, 1 dragon betta, 1 redtail shark, 4 panda cats, 2 clown plecs and a rubber lip plec. My barbs are DYING OFF!! And only the barbs! Niobody else is going to "the sea in the sky" I have had all these guys for a very long time. Never had any aggression toward anybody and all of a sudden my entire barb group is almost gone. Every night before bed I take a head count. Next morning...one or two will be in a filter intake dead. These are healthy fish, fed a good diet, with a super clean tank. I am a little distressed because the Tigers were my center piece.

 

[Zimmanski]

Listen y'all...I have a 55gal with several Tigers, 1 blue, 1 gold gourami, 1 dragon betta, 1 redtail shark, 4 panda cats, 2 clown plecs and a rubber lip plec. My barbs are DYING OFF!! And only the barbs! Niobody else is going to "the sea in the sky" I have had all these guys for a very long time. Never had any aggression toward anybody and all of a sudden my entire barb group is almost gone. Every night before bed I take a head count. Next morning...one or two will be in a filter intake dead. These are healthy fish, fed a good diet, with a super clean tank. I am a little distressed because the Tigers were my center piece.

What are your water parameters? And how are you testing/with what are you testing?

 

[Buckfins]

Water is good. All parameters are where they are supposed to be. This is an established tank. I just don't get it.

 

[Cynic]

Have you recently added anything like medication or fish to your tank?

If not my money is your betta has snapped Governor style

 

[jcolon]

Listen y'all...I have a 55gal with several Tigers, 1 blue, 1 gold gourami, 1 dragon betta, 1 redtail shark, 4 panda cats, 2 clown plecs and a rubber lip plec. My barbs are DYING OFF!! And only the barbs! Niobody else is going to "the sea in the sky" I have had all these guys for a very long time. Never had any aggression toward anybody and all of a sudden my entire barb group is almost gone. Every night before bed I take a head count. Next morning...one or two will be in a filter intake dead. These are healthy fish, fed a good diet, with a super clean tank. I am a little distressed because the Tigers were my center piece.

How long is a long time? Their life span can go from 3 - 6 years ... or so.

BTW if they are dying on you during lights out, you may have a killer on your hands. The RTS would be my first culprit.

 

[Zimmanski]

Have you recently added anything like medication or fish to your tank?

If not my money is your betta has snapped Governor style

Please let this be a "Walking Dead" reference, I love it haha

I'd probably put money on one of the nocturnal fish doing the damage too

 

[armymp327]

Water is good. All parameters are where they are supposed to be. This is an established tank. I just don't get it.

can we get your exact numbers for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?

just to be sure that, that is not the issue

 

[Buckfins]

All levels are zero. I do 20% water change weekly with RO water. Top off with tap water if needed. I don't think its the age of barbs cause they are ALL going. The RTS is the newest but has been in there for 3 weeks and he has been peaceful. The barbs are quick so if it was the RTS being a midnite snacker...why not munch up the betta's fins? This is just p*ssing me off. The tigers were big and so well marked. I have 7 left and they look healthy right now. I am to old for mysteries.

 

[LeafsFan]

I had the same thing happen to me about 4 months ago. I had 10 barbs, 3 clown loaches and 2 german rams. Over 2 days lost every single barb. Numbers were fine in my tank.

I have always had barbs and the one thing I noticed is they seen to die in groups. since the last issue, I am now just focusing on rams.

 

[Cynic]

All levels are zero. I do 20% water change weekly with RO water. Top off with tap water if needed. I don't think its the age of barbs cause they are ALL going. The RTS is the newest but has been in there for 3 weeks and he has been peaceful. The barbs are quick so if it was the RTS being a midnite snacker...why not munch up the betta's fins? This is just p*ssing me off. The tigers were big and so well marked. I have 7 left and they look healthy right now. I am to old for mysteries.

How long since you added the RTS and was he quarantined?

 

[Buckfins]

Cynic... RTS is three weeks in the tank and was isolated for 2 wks before he joined....

 

[Buckfins]

RTS has been in the tank for 3 wks. Isolated 2 wks prior. Another two barbs went down last nite. I can already see the other two that will be next. Im just gonna let it run its course. Don't know what else to do. Thank God that the others aren't affected.