Seeking experieced tiger barb keepers.

[gilpi]

So I have a question, not new at the fish keeping hobby and have owned cichlids for decades (yes Im an old guy) but got tired of the aggression cichlids have and eventually slowly got rid of all of them. Thinking of something different I started looking at schooling fish and fell in love with tiger barbs so I got myself 14 medium sized and put them in a 40 breeder. All fine for about two weeks, swimming and acting like schooling fish do all together in a group constantly. Two weeks later, there is a terrorist in the tank keeping the group scattered about constantly chasing any other barb that gets in his sight, relentless, non stop. Im keeping a species only tank.

Would removing the aggressor give way for another one to follow as the aggressor?
Adding more barbs?

 

[Delapool]

The little nippy darlings! Never a dull moment with them. Ime removing the bad apple helps and the tank will settle back down. But I’ve only kept them in a mixed, larger tank.

School size sounds good. I had found keeping 6 is too small and a dozen is needed where they seem to get on better.

 

[gilpi]

The little nippy darlings! Never a dull moment with them. Ime removing the bad apple helps and the tank will settle back down. But I’ve only kept them in a mixed, larger tank.

School size sounds good. I had found keeping 6 is too small and a dozen is needed where they seem to get on better.

Thanks for the reply. Tiger Barbs are a new game for me, so learn as I go type of thing and I do love how active and "cute" they are. Not sure exactly yet what I'll do, they're med to small in size but if it keeps going, I might try separating him, definitely a male, bright red nose and red dorsal fin.

 

[gilpi]

Couple of days now without the psycho fish (removed from the tank) and the group is acting more like schooling fish than running scattered all over the tank. The psycho fish had a mission! We’ll see if the next on the pecking list takes over sometime.

 

[libertybelle]

I have an astonishingly calm group of only six so it is possible. Removing the aggressive one was probably a good idea.

 

[Delapool]

How are the tiger barbs going?

I’m not sure on expanding my population or not. Several with nipped tail fins here. Even the cichlids are better behaved (my groups anyways)