carnivorous barbs?

[dozer]

Anybody ever heard of tiger barbs killing and completely eating each other? I was wondering because this is the second time I lost a fish without a trace...my tank is completely covered except where the filter water returns to the tank. (I checked the filter too, just in case he did the 'finding Nemo' thing). The first time it happened, I took it as a very slight possibility, that he jumped out of the tank through that very small opening and then the cats ate him. Now I'm wondering...the chances of that happening are soooo small. I know how aggressive barbs can be. I had a snail that died...I was going to remove it, but left it to see what they would do. After I flipped the snail over, it was devoured in about 5 minutes. I have a 29 gallon tank, with fake plants and 9 (now eight) barbs. 3 tiger barbs, 3 rosy neon barbs and now 2 green barbs. I'm pretty generous with the food, so yesterday I skipped a day of feeding...could they have been that hungry? They are all about an inch to an inch 1/2 big.

 

[malkore]

Rose neon barbs? Never heard of those... I hope they aren't 'painted'.

Barbs are meat eaters. Green barbs are notoriously inbred, and thus tend to suffer from unknown die-off (about 50% of my new green barbs will last 6 weeks...compared to 99% of albino or standard tiger barbs living much much longer in my tank).

I find it more likely that the fish died, adn the 8 remaining fish devoured him. Tiger barbs will eat if they need food or not.

I wouldn't stress it too much.

 

[savga]

I think he is refering to neon rosy barbs which are a naturally bred variety with more reflective scales. I have barbs in my tank, and I have no doubt they have eaten a corpse or two.

 

[dozer]

Yes Savga...you are right about the rosy barbs....gosh, no...I won't get one of those unnatural bright fish...I heard they inject them with dye...thanks for the info about the barbs...i'll stop looking for him....just a shame.....he was one of my strongest fish...can't imagine him dying overnight, as was fine the the day before.....

 

[FawnN]

I personally feel that Tiger Barbs are the most aggressive out of the barbs.

IMO, all fish are somewhat carnivorous. Think about it, what fish out there wouldn't love live food, let alone one that is dead in a corner somewhere.