Evelyn1919

hi guys!
well i've had my cherry barbs for the past week or so and i only have 3 of them left because they like to play with the bubbles and then they get smacked with some of the decorations and hurt and die! so so sad...is there anything i can do about this? 2 are gone and went into my plant. also they don't seem very happy. i never had cherry barbs but these little guys are barely moving and they never come to the top of the tank when i feed them (all the other fish do). could they be sick? also i don't see my rainbow shark EVER eating. a little while ago i fed them some sinking pellets and he came out of his castle but he didn't eat them, he was just swiming around. how can i make sure that he's eating? i've had him for like 2 weeks but i barely see him and never see him eating.

any suggestions?

thanks

Barbrella

Something is definitely wrong. Cherry barbs are tough, fast-swimming little guys and no airstone should knock them around. They should be extremely active and very greedy for their food.

Did you get them all at the same place? It's possible they were sick when you got them.

Are they being harassed by the bigger fish? Cherries are quite timid and they may be afraid of the Tiger barbs and shark, and unable to compete for food.

As for the shark, have you tried putting a pellet in front of his castle after you turn the light out?

Evelyn1919

well the cherry barbs just hang around by the plants and all the other fish don't even pay attention to them. and yes, i did get them all at the same store where i get all my fish. coult it be that the cherries are not doing so good cuz there is only 3 of them? should i get a few more? or are they sick or something?

about the shark-well, i did that but then i don't see him coming out to eat so i just go to sleep and i'm afraid the other fish are eating the pellets because when i put them in and the light is on they are the ones who it it. this morning the shark was out and i could tell he was looking for food cuz he was trying to suck all over the bridge and the gravel but i'm not even sure that the fish leave any food around cuz when i feed them they usually eat everything and all day long they are picking on the gravel to so the food that goes to the bottom of the tank i'm pretty sure they eat it.

COBettaCouple

You could also put a gang valve on the air line to control flow

Blub

I wouldn't get anymore. The tank is well stocked like that - anything more wuld tip the balance.

I've kept cherrys in pairs and trios before. According to my experience and research, they can be kept in small number like that.

Barbrella

Try putting the pellet in about 20 minutes after you turn off the light.

As for the shark looking for food all the time - that's normal behavior even if he's well fed.

3 cherry barbs are fine, if you have 1 male/2 female.