Fin Pickn' Tiger Barbs

[fab5valentine]

I have 8 tiger barbs in my community tank and they seem to find the weak link in the tank and fin pick to a point of high stress & death. A red eye tetra turned white and stuck to the filter strainer fins a mess. I'm re-introducing my angels into that tank and they immediately went after them. If they fin pick to this extent they go and live with the paltty's. Do you think they are just fin pickers or finding the stressed fish? I'm just coming off a nitrate spike that wsa off the charts for 2 weeks but that is now cured with a bigger filter, WC's and Seachem Stabalize.

-fab5

 

[knifegill]

They should be in an odd number. Try seven or nine. They are attacking because they need a bottom fish. And that ought to be tiger barb number nine. Unless your tank is just too small. Tiger barbs typically will never adjust to a tiny tank very well. It takes about 30gal minimum to successfully keep a stable school(shoal?) of this species in most cases.

 

[12 Volt Man]

tiger barbs will tend to pick on slower moving fish.

I have kept them in large groups (6 or more) without issue with semi agressive cichlids (like severums, sajicas) but something like angels are going to get nailed..

 

[fab5valentine]

46 gal. BF, they're sneaky..

-fab5

 

[livebearerfreak]

hmm what other fish do you have? and try adding more to the group. like 12,

 

[fab5valentine]

Red eye tetras, guppies, neon tetras, algae eaters, cory cats, plocastomus' small, would like some Gourami's -dwarf, and a fire eel, and some more guppies.. Tank as of now still looks empty.. 5 or six more angels from my 10 gal hold tank.

-fab5

 

[dmopar74]

tiger barbs are notorious fin nippers, although pretty they do best in a species only tank.

 

[MonsterMinis]

You have semi-aggre w/ community.. get rid of the barbs or get rid of the community fish. I've never personally had luck keeping "docile" tiger barbs. no matter how many I had or how large a tank. They will pick at smaller easy to catch fish. particularly tetras ime.. either the body shape or color always seem to trigger aggression. 12 Volt pretty much said it well. CA/SA cichlids seem to make good tank mates. and a fire eel just a fyi will need a bigger tank in about 1 year, and may eat your guppies.

 

[AOmonsta]

My longest living fish has actually been a tiger barb. What are sizes they may reach?

 

[knifegill]

Some sources say 3" but I've seen them at 4", and they stay about as tall as they are long. They even get thick like pacu. Seeing the thin fry at Petsmart really hampers the mental image of their adult glory.