What is important to know about cherry barbs? I've read that they're shy of their own species and you should only get a couple. I'm confused because I thought barbs were schooling fish. I really like the coloring of this fish and would like advice on housing them properly. Thanks.
Cherry Barbs
- Thread starter Fancyrat
- Start date
Hi fancyrat. I too read about cherry barbs being shy. But that hasnt been the case with mine. I have a 38 gallon tank set up with 12 cherry barbs and 1 male betta. They dont seem to be shy to me. They are always out swimming around, not hiding to much. They are not a schooling fish, they just all kinda do their own thing. I really like them. They show up very well in the tank, especially against the green plants.
Have fun, hope you enjoy them. I recomend them!
Amy
Have fun, hope you enjoy them. I recomend them!
Amy
Actually Franky, cherry barbs are a schooling fish. The fact that yours don't school is an indication of how comfortable and happy they are in your tank. Most schooling fish will relax and do their own things when they don't feel threatened or stressed out.
Cherry barbs are delightful little fish with amazing colors and are pretty hardy. I would house them in a group of 6 or more if you have the tank space, and if not, a trio is usually considered the minimum accepted number. The best ratios I've seen to keep them in is two females to every one male.
To tell the differance between male and female is pretty easy on cherry barbs. The males are bright red and smaller, the females are orange and slightly plumper. A school of all males would probably be "species shy" simply due to aggression, but mixing males and females will insure that everybody has a mate somewhere and are getting along.
Good luck with your cherry barbs, they're one of my favorite fish.
~~Colesea
Cherry barbs are delightful little fish with amazing colors and are pretty hardy. I would house them in a group of 6 or more if you have the tank space, and if not, a trio is usually considered the minimum accepted number. The best ratios I've seen to keep them in is two females to every one male.
To tell the differance between male and female is pretty easy on cherry barbs. The males are bright red and smaller, the females are orange and slightly plumper. A school of all males would probably be "species shy" simply due to aggression, but mixing males and females will insure that everybody has a mate somewhere and are getting along.
Good luck with your cherry barbs, they're one of my favorite fish.
~~Colesea
Actually, their shyness, schooling behavior depends on the envirnment their in, the fish kept with, and how many cherry barbs you have.
I had 4 kept in a tank with a lot of active fish. They were shy.
I had 6 of them in a tank with a few danios, the male was actually very aggresive, as he was ready to breed.
I have kept 8 of them in a fully planted tank, and they paired off, kinda shy and hanging out.
Now I have 3 males and 2 females left, they are a few years old, and they don't really school, they just pair up, or three of them will swim half way across together. They are in a very active tank, and are not shy at all.
My males don't even bicker, so 3 and 3 would be the way I would do it. Right now it is 3 males and 2 females for me, and there is not a problem.
Great fish!!
I had 4 kept in a tank with a lot of active fish. They were shy.
I had 6 of them in a tank with a few danios, the male was actually very aggresive, as he was ready to breed.
I have kept 8 of them in a fully planted tank, and they paired off, kinda shy and hanging out.
Now I have 3 males and 2 females left, they are a few years old, and they don't really school, they just pair up, or three of them will swim half way across together. They are in a very active tank, and are not shy at all.
My males don't even bicker, so 3 and 3 would be the way I would do it. Right now it is 3 males and 2 females for me, and there is not a problem.
Great fish!!
R
I have a 100 gallon tank I stocked with different barbs and sharks (my favorite fish) my cherry barbs that I got from the LFS had some strange growth all over them after the second day I had them, I put them in quarentein where 4 out of the 6 I had died. Now I was left with two females, I introduced them into my tank with the tought I would soon get more to keep them happy... but the next day my Bala Sharks (I have 10) "adopted" the cherry barbs. if any other fish would attempt to harm the two barbs, the Balas would drive away the attacker! Has anyone ever seen this happen before in their tanks?