Fighting Barbs?

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TonyN

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Mar 31, 2004
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Yesterday I looked in my tank, and my green tiger barb and my albino tiger barb were fighting like maniacs. I've never seen any fish going at it like these guys were. They were nose to nose, and biting, and twirling around each other. This was an ugly scene, so I stuck my net in there and they separated for a while, but then got right back together and were going at it again. Finally, I dumped some food in and they got interested in eating and stopped fighting.
This morning, I can see the albino, but I can't find the green. I have a very heavily planted tank, so he could be hiding anywhere, but he could also be dead or badly wounded. I don't know.
I've had tons of different kind of fish in my time, but I've never seen such a viscious fight as these guys were having. I mean, this was going on for at least ten minutes before I put the food in, and I dont know how long it had been going on before I noticed.
Has anybody else had something like this happen? I've had these guys in the same tank for many months and it never happened before, that I've noticed.
Oh yeah, one other thing. I have two regular tiger barbs that were swimming around these two, the whole time they were fighting. All the other fish were keeping well away.
 
It's funny that I see this post today, I just took a tiger barb I had back to the pet store I got him from... he had a major piranha complex! I had bought 4 angelfish and 4 tiger barbs to start off my new 125 gal tank. Everyone was happy as a clam except for this ONE barb. I have had many barbs over my 15+ years of tank keeping, but i've never seen one with an attitude like this guy had. He harrassed everyone in the tank ALL the time. He'd break to eat and then go right back at it when all the food was gone.

The guy at the LFS told me that fish are just like people... Most of them get along, but you always have that one bad seed pop up here or there!

So, I took him back to the store, they gave me a different barb, and all is right with the world again in my tank! Everyone's happy!

Maybe the sassy guy just needs to find a different home!
 
mine before the entire tank of fish died the other week never went toe to toe like that but sounds like maybe a bad apple or maybe a territory thing mine would stake a part of the tank out as theres when they wanted to just kinda hide and not be a part of there school. But most of the time they just schooled around and chased eachother round the tank
 
Well, it's been a couple days now, and the Green tiger barb finally showed up and seems ok. Everything has been very peaceful since then. Go figure.
Maybe they settled a territorial dispute, and now it's all sorted out.
 
You need a group of tiger barbs or this will continue, it's typical schooling fish behaviour.

aknif: Angelfish and tiger barbs will not work, the barbs will harass the angels. Barbs are too nippy to be kept with fish like angels that have long flowing fins. In a large tank like yours you won't notice very often but it does go on, and you'll notice more and more the angels fins will be nipped over time.
 
TonyN said:
Well, it's been a couple days now, and the Green tiger barb finally showed up and seems ok. Everything has been very peaceful since then. Go figure.
Maybe they settled a territorial dispute, and now it's all sorted out.
Click to expand...

Nope. You changed the school size, and therefore changed the pecking order. Now it will have to be reestablished. Expect another brawl. Keep an eye on the tank.

The more tiger barbs you put in the better. Six is the least amount I would have together. This way, their aggression is spread over more fish. And the aggression will stay within the school. What other kinds of fish do you have in the tank? What size tank? If you can't put more tiger barbs in, I'd take them back, and add a more peaceful type of fish.

Mike

PS - No angels and TB's together.
 
But I haven't changed anything. I have two regular tiger barbs, one Green tiger barb, and one Albino tiger barb. I've had them for months. I don't have any angels.
If I get a couple more barbs, is it ok to mix them like stated above? I could go out and get a couple more today. Or maybe four more.
As I've said, right now it's peaceful, but I don't want it happening again.
Thanks for all the replies.
 
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