gunner13

I currently have 5 ruby barbs which have been great since adding them 3 months ago. About 2 weeks ago i bought 2 dwarf gourami's and a large angel and everything was fine. Then i noticed the barbs giving the DG's grief even though they were hiding behind the large amazon swords i have. I sat and watched them and they were hunting them down and attacking them. Next morning both DF's were dead. So now they had nothing to hassle, or so i thought. They then turned there attention to the angel chasing it constantly and attacking it but they leave all the other fish alone. I wanted to pick them out 1 by 1 and tan their hides for being naughty. Any way before i left for work this morning the angel was dead and the BAD BARBS were swimming up and down with the pakistani loach in tow without a care in the world. They obviously didn't like their tank mates very well. I might create a fishy prison for when they miss behave so they can reflect on their BAD behaviour. BAD BARBS.

Nick

Diggly

Its common knowledge that barbs dont play well with gouramis, angels and any other fish with long flowing fins, I hate to be harsh but I believe it was lack of research on your part or bad advice from the LFS that caused this.

aquarist48

Hello Nick. Sorry to hear about your losses.
Here's one for your Barbs
Ken

gunner13

Yeah i know barbs are a pain sometimes. I used to have tiger barbs a few years ago and i'm aware they are nippers but these were all out hunting not just fin nipping. How do your rubys get on with your gouramis.

Nick

Diggly

no problems but mine are in a heavily planted 125g tank which breaks up the view.

Never had a problem with fin nipping but then my gouramis are 4x the size of the barbs so that probably helps lol.

I think it depends on the barbs personality aswell as other factors.

They also dont touch my apistogramma and he has gorgeous flowing fins.

Edit: please dont think I am insensitive I know it is hard to lose fish and I am sorry for your loss. Just out of curiosity were the barbs in the tank first?

gunner13

I have a 240ltr(70g) which is heavily planted with big well grown amazon sword so they could hide but they were victimised. Still a lesson learnt just a pity it was the hard way.
Nick

Yeah the barbs were in there first. Hey its cool.

Diggly

I think I see the problem.

You could get away with gouramis but you need to re-establish territories first and I would do the same with whatever fish you decided to add.

Firstly I would remove the barbs and move around all the plants and caves, the add the new fish and leave them for an hour before adding the ruby barbs in 1 by 1.

This should break up territories and the "pack" behaviour they have going.

gunner13

The problem with moving everything around is that the other fish(ie; cats and black shark) have established their own territory's and i don't want to start mucking them about for the sake of adding gourami's if that makes sense. I will think my next additions through wisely. Denison barbs or tinfoils maybe.

Nick

Diggly

I would still remove the barbs before adding them just as a precaution then readd the ruby barbs after. If they see the tank as theirs they may attack anything that goes in there but then they might not. I am always over caustious with my fish anyway lol.

gunner13

I'm gonna leave them too settle down for a few days and keep an eye on them. I noticed a male and a female on their own the other day and he was jigging and dancing around her and he had coloured right up(deep red and black), he was also chasing the other male away vigourosly. Mating behaviour maybe

Thank for the words of wisdom DIGGLY

Nick