Difference between aggression and courting

[NigelK8485]

I received five rosy barbs, I'm assuming three males and two females. The three males are this brilliant deep red and the two I assume are females are more of a golden/pink. The males have constantly been going at the females, shoving them around, nipping at them, underneath them, just relentless. I've never tried to breed fish so to me this looks like just aggression, but there are no signs of nipped fins or scales removed, and half the time the females just kind of swim along picking up pieces of food off the bottom while it's happening.

I did have the water in the tank a little warmer than they prefer which I read can induce breeding behaviors and since turning it down to a more acceptable range it seems to have calmed the fish down quite a bit. Does this sound like something I should worry about or just breeding behaviors?

I am on the look out for about 4-5 more female rosy barbs if anyone has any willing to sell. I've got a few ads up and will be checking out the pet stores around here if the weather allows for it tomorrow.


Edit: They're about 2-2.5" long.

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[Chesmok]

Also depends on your tank size. Put any fish into a cramped space and they are bound to get antsy and nippy. Also, higher temperatures promotes aggression. So keep it lower. Other than that...I don't know too much about rosy barbs.

 

[NigelK8485]

They were in a 45 gallon for quarantine. They've been moved to my 150 and I was able to get four more females for a ratio of 1m:2f. They all still seem to mainly go for one female, she must be a special lady. But it's calmed down for the most part, just a little chasing in the morning and she doesn't seem too bothered by it. The females have also taken up schooling with my rainbows and the rainbows will chase away the male barbs if it gets too crazy.


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