Rosy Barbs - - - - - MOVIE!

[workfortheman]

Can anyone tell me what in the world my rosy barbs are up to? Is this some kind of mating ritual?

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Thanks, let me know if the links don't work!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Can't get them here.

 

[workfortheman]

I changed the permissions and modified the link . . . . try again? I'm curious to see if these work . . . . I think they require Quicktime and I don't have that at work ~

 

[cJw]

They loaded fine for me, but I have no clue; territorial defense? Is it always the same two barbs that are chasing/fighting?

 

[Meredith]

My male guppies spun around like that when they were fighting. Is anyone getting damaged?

 

[workfortheman]

There are only two barbs in there, so it's gotta be the same ones . . . . I thought that one was male and the other female, as one has more green on it's "back". But I could be wrong.

Meredith, there does appear to be a little damage to one of the barb's side. Just a couple of darker spots, but I'm sure it doesn't feel good.

okay, I read at http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cyprinids/rosybarb.php:

When kept in a school, the males display an interesting behaviour. They will continually swim around each other with their fins spread out, showing off their best colors.

But I also read at http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile33.html

The pair will wrap themselves around each other and shake until the eggs are laid.

So I don't know. After more research I'm guessing I probably have 2 males, and that they might hurt each other

 

[rich311k]

It looks like fighting to me. The best solution maybe more barbs if you have the room.

 

[workfortheman]

Well, you tell me:

2 rosy barbs
2 serpae tetras
1 crenicicla compressiceps
1 adult blue gourami
1 chinese algae eater
1 redtail shark
1 flying fox
2 clown loach
1 botia lochata

29 gallons! I think I'm pretty overstocked with aggression as it is, but "inch/gallon"-wise i've got some room, maybe . . . .

I might just have to remove 1 of em? (Or both?)

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Just got home from work, now I get them. Looks like fighting. As stated above, might need to get more. How are your parameters holding? With the planted tank, if the parameters are very good, I don't see why you couldn't add 3 more, to make 5. Maybe that will stop some of the aggression. Then you would be maxed out.

 

[workfortheman]

Hmm, I might try 3 more, they are really fun fish! Parameters are right where they should be, I should really keep my nitrates higher but they are around 5-10ppm.

Do you think the long-finned variety would be okay? They might get nipped at a little more with all the other aggressors in that tank . . ..

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I'd go with the same as what you have.

 

[Jchillin]

Using the logic from the two quotes above, I'd go with the quote on mating rituals. One says "school" behavior, the other says "the pair". Well, to be sure, I know nothing about barbs...had them once for a little while and it didn't quite work out.

 

[TankGirl]

This is definitely not spawning behavior - which would be done in/over plants and is much more gentle and choreographed, instead of the jerky, aggressive movements over open water.

More fish would help, but these get pretty big when mature and you definitely look stocked. If you do get more I would not get the long-finned variety to mix with short-finned. I have the long-finned ones, and their short-finned cousins would constantly pick at them, making them always look ratty.

 

[benda]

I've only been keeping fish for about a month, so my advice may be incomplete or incorrect, however I have 3 rosy barbs in my 29 gallon. In your first video it appers that both are males, as everything I've read indicates that male rosy barbs have the "rosy" red coloring, whereas females have a noticeably different pale white coloring instead.

My 3 males have not shown any behavior as aggressive as your video shows, but I do have one that, from time to time, chases the other 2 around.

I considered getting more, but realized that rosy barbs are real tank busters because they get big. Sources I've seen suggest anywhere from 3 to 6 inches as an adult. That doesn't leave room for much else.

HTH

 

[workfortheman]

Yea, too bad they get so big. WHY DO MY BABIES HAVE TO GROW UP . . . . lol.

I think I'll just end up returning them to an LFS, maybe picking up some more serpaes. They haven't shown this behaviour again that I've seen, but who knows what happens for 10 hours at work, or after lights out!

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[OceanMaiden]

Uhhh speaking of barbs....How big do tiger barbs get?? Just out of curiousity before I decide later on down the road that I want to get a bigger tank and put some in.

 

[TankGirl]

Tiger barbs usually get about 2.5 - 3", but are rather beefy and add more to the bioload than another fish of the same length.