One of my Tiger Barbs is ALWAYS hiding -- why?

C

CCSR

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Jul 29, 2006
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Hi everyone, I was the one who had posted about suggestions for a 20G aquarium that already had 4 zebra danios. I ended up going with Tiger Barbs, got 3 of the regular and 4 green tiger barbs. They're all loving their tank, with no sign of problems, a few hid for the first couple of days, but now they are all out swimming around. Well, all except for one. This one hid for 2 weeks -- I couldn't even find him at all, and started to think I was crazy and that I never did buy 4 green tiger barbs after all. Then two weeks later, I see 4 of the green ones swimming around, couldn't believe my eyes, you have no idea how many times I counted to make sure there really were 4! So that same day he got back to hiding again, doesn't even come out to eat (and he never came out during those 2 weeks hiding either). He didn't look sick or anything that one time I witnessed him out and about (now I can find him hiding sometimes, so I know he's still around).

What's up with him? He's not the smallest of the bunch, he's actually towards the bigger sized ones, I have a couple of little ones that are very comfortable in their environment.

Water parameters are good, and have remained stable since they first got introduced to the tank. No nitrites, barely any nitrates (still on the "safe" side of things).
 
That was not my question. My question is why is he hiding -- it is not because he is overstocked, they're an inch long, some are even smaller, so though that might be a problem later, that is not what I asked.

Anyone else would like to help me?
 
The same thing happened to me--not with a happy ending though. I had a green barb that always hid. He'd come out for food and ocasionally to swim around. He recently died due to swim bladder problems. The reason may have been that he was picked on after the lights went off. Tigers actually release a lot of their agression right after the lights go out, so he may be getting picked on. Right now my second largest barb, an albino, gets picked on by the other tigers, but she hasn't taken to hiding yet.
 
Why would the tiger barbs turn on their own kind? Is there anything I can do to help him out? Don't want the poor thing to die! When he did come out, there were no signs of injury, so even if he is being picked on, so far they haven't done any real damage (aside from scaring the hell out of him) yet.
 
Funny, tiger barbs are a schooling fish, in that they swim around picking at each other. It is one of their defining characteristics. They establish their pecking order by chasing each other around and potentially nipping at each other. That is why they are best in a species only tank. If they are not in a big enough group they will focus their agression on the fish that are there to such an extent that it can actually kill the fish. Basically you could get rid of the danios and add a couple more barbs, but that isn't a for sure solution.
 
I have 5 Black Widow Tetras (4 males and 1 female). The males constantly 'push' the female into one area of the tank. They don't hurt her at all, she doesn't seem stressed and she eats well so I just leave them be.
 
hm, my reply disappeared....
anyhow, i was saying that, especially with my recent problems, i might not be the best to reply, but this is my thought on it.

could it be that you have too many males in the tank? i accidently got 2 male and 1 female green tiger barb and one of the males was always more out of the way, he seemed a bit uncomfortable and his color was faded as well where as the other was nice and green and so was the female. so maybe he's just the less or least dominant in the tank and that's part of the problem?
maybe someone else will agree...

Bianca
 
I read how I can differentiate them both but really still not sure what's what -- one of them has really faded color, the green is just not as bright as the other ones, but that's not the one that's been hiding. I spotted all 4 again when I got home yesterday for a few minutes, and the one that hides has a really bright green like the rest of them. I also read somewhere that it could be the too many males and the female been the one hiding, but since I can't figure out the sex, I can't really know if that's what's going on...

Oh yeah, and any idea why the other one (the one that's not hiding) has a faded color as well? It's noticeable, but he seems pretty healthy aside from that.
 
So the tiger barb is still hiding, but still alive, except now he's just lying there with the bottom of his stomach on the gravel in between my (fake) plants. He is still not injured and aside from being scared, nothing looks wrong with him -- does anyone have any idea of what I can do so he won't die? He doesn't come out to eat, so he'll starve himself to death, and he's obviously not ok, if he's just lying on his stomach like that.

Please help -- what can I do?
 
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