TIGER BARBs!

[hockeydude15]

i just put 6 tigerbarbs into my 10 gal tank w/ 4 neons, 2 gold tetras, and 1 platy. I know that tigers are known to nip at fins put they bully everyone even fish that are larger than them. And i thought that they only nip at wavy fins like a guppy, but i guess not.

would a big fish like a silver dollar or gourami solve they bully problem?

 

[TankGirl]

I love tiger barbs, but IMO you were fully stocked before the addition of the tiger barbs, so putting them in there will make them a little stressed - that is a small space. I don't think there is any solution but removing them, unfortunately.

Silver dollars actually get quite large and are schooling, too, so they are best for 55gal tanks or so.

 

[westward13]

From what I learned about tiger barbs, keeping them in larger schools is supposed to eliminate their tendency to mess with other fish in the tank but it doesn't sound like your barbs are following that rule... I had 3 tiger barbs in with my 3 opaline gouramis, 3 swordtails and 3 giant danios and they didn't mess with any of them. The three were content to just swim up and down the walls of the tank together. Mine had a 75 gallon tank to swim around though so the closer quarters might be causing them to be a little more aggressive with the other fish you've got in there with them. Personally, I don't think a larger fish would help much because the tiger barbs tend to be pretty fearless(at least mine were). It might just add one more fish for them to nip at. I could be wrong, though...

 

[Endgame319]

I'm beginning to think that the size of the group doesn't have much to do with the nippyness of tigers. I ofter hear stories of single barbs being completely peaceful. And many people including myself have had large groups of tigers be very nippy.

 

[poppab02]

The barbs are way too crowded in that small tank. Keeping them in a group does keep them from nipping as much but in that small of a tank nothing will keep them from nipping. Adding the larger fish isn't going to help, expecially since you are already well on your way to serious overcrowding issues.

Keeping them in a small community tank rarely ever works because the barbs get stressed in the small tank and become even more agressive and the other fish have nowhere to escape to.

 

[hockeydude15]

the only other tank that i can put them in is a 40gal malawi cichlid tank w/ 4 yellow labs, and 2 johannis. I dont know how well they would do in there

And imo overcrowding is def. not an issue in that tank right now so i dont know why you think that. Hating on the ten gallon i suppose

 

[grimlock3000]

No one if hating on the 10g, you simply have a poor combination and ammount of fish for a tank that small. Simply put, you are going to have issues with 6 Tiger Barbs in a 10g communitry tank. Adding a larger fish would just give the Barbs a big and slower moving target to pick on.

 

[hockeydude15]

lol, i was just kidding.

although I moved the barbs into my cichlid tank and theyre doing great. They are perfect dither fish. There is an ocassional chase because of being too close to that fishes territory but they look great in there.

 

[Menagerie]

I have heard that barbs can stand up for themselves with the lesser aggressive Mbuna. Good Luck and keep us updated!

 

[TankGirl]

I was just gonna say, those barbs are often recommended for such a tank, since they are fast and excellent dither or target fish. I am happy they have a more appropriate home. I am definitely not a 10-gal hater, since I have a 10, a 12 and a 5.5. These are the trickiest tanks to stock, hands down.

 

[hockeydude15]

thanks for all of your help. They seem to be having a lot of fun and they all group together. Noone has been chased around the tank which surprises me. The hardest thing to do though is feed them. Becasue when its time to eat its hard for those little barbs to get in on the eating.

 

[hockeydude15]

they have definitley made themselves at home. And they all stick up for themselves when chased another interesting thing!

 

[Menagerie]

Try feeding at both ends of the tank. That's what I do to make sure my Mbuna all get fed.