Killer Barbs!!

[Xanthochroid]

One of my tiger barbs has killed, KILLED! a green barb and is now after the other green barb, is this normal, are fish normally this mean?? it makes me want to *crazysmil it, bwahahaha, i wish i could take it back to the store i got it from ~sigh~

 

[CAPSLOCK]

How many tiger barbs do you have? They usually aren't aggressive if you've got them in a group of at least 5, but sometimes you get a particularly aggressive one.

Do you have a net breeder or something you can seperate the other green barb into?

 

[phOOey]

if it was only those 3 tiger barbs in there, then it doesnt really surprise me. it is recommended that you get atleast 5 as this will spread the aggression around. if i were you i'd go get 4 more, idealy of the same size or bigger than the aggressive one as this should help calm him down.

 

[cybersymes]

One of my tiger barbs has killed, KILLED! a green barb and is now after the other green barb, is this normal, are fish normally this mean?? it makes me want to *crazysmil it, bwahahaha, i wish i could take it back to the store i got it from ~sigh~

i've been told that tiger barbs need to be in a shoal of 6 or more...
and if you keep those barbs...that's all that should be in the tank...
they are renowned fin-nippers...and can be violent...

sounds like good advice in the replies above...get more barbs...

[how big is your tank...???]


edit...
just had a thought...why can't you take it back to the store...
trade in your barbs[plural]...and get more peacefull fish...

at first i wanted barbs...but as i watched them at the lfs...
i saw that they were mad...frantic...crazy...nutso...
that was ok for me a few years ago...but now i like to chill...

so i'm going for laid back dudes in my tank...
groovy swimmers like tetras...platties...hatchetts...cories...
relaxed times ahead...i hope...

i think my lfs would allow me to 'trade in' un-suitable fish...
why not ask at your store...good luck...

 

[Xanthochroid]

thanks for the replies, i didn't know that tiger barbs were more aggressive than the other barbs until after i bought them... the lfs told me a mixture of barbs would be fine and would contain their quarrelling amongst themselves... i'm going to try to take them back, but he has a policy of not taking fish back for any reason =-(

i obviously am a newbie at this and have a 55 gallon tank

 

[cybersymes]

thanks for the replies, i didn't know that tiger barbs were more aggressive than the other barbs until after i bought them... the lfs told me a mixture of barbs would be fine and would contain their quarrelling amongst themselves... i'm going to try to take them back, but he has a policy of not taking fish back for any reason =-(

i obviously am a newbie at this and have a 55 gallon tank

go for it dude...
be all nice to the shop...
zap them with your positive vibez...

me's a newbie too...40gal[imp]...

 

[JWright]

Greens and tigers will get along just fine, so long as you have enough of them. In a 55, so long as it doesn't push you over your stocking line, I'd go with 10+ barbs. The more the merrier.

~JW

 

[GIS Guy]

I had barbs a while ago. I had a mixture of tiger, green, albino tiger and cherry. In all there were probably 12 in the tank, 20g. All of the barbs were great together but 1 of the tigers. It attacked every fish in the tank, except the cherrys. When all the barbs died, except the mean tiger, I through some African Cichlids in the tank that were 3 to 4 times the barb's size. That tiger held out against them pretty darn well. It surprised me how aggressive the tiger barbs could actually be.

 

[Xanthochroid]

I have found the same thing GIS, i started with a mixture of 8 and they were all doing fine for threee months until about a week ago when my fav. tiger went crazy! he is now in a breeding net of his own and hopefully i will have time next week to make the hour drive to take them all back and get some peaceful fish