Single Tiger Barb

HI All. Thank you for letting me join your forum. I am quite new to fishkeeping. I bought a second hand 180 litre (79 us gallon) community tank complete with fish. I've had them 6 month and all has been well until the last few weeks. I (did) have 3 tiger barbs. One of them had tail and dorsal fins nipped badly. I removed the two aggressors to a 57 litre tank. One of them was terrified. Pinned up against the glass and was threatened by the other every time it moved. I put it back into the main tank. It attacked the other tiger that was there and killed it. I now have one tiger in the main tank that appears to have settled down. And a lone tiger barb in the 57 litre tank, which I know is not good for a schooling fish. I don't really want to get a school of tiger barbs in case the aggression continues. And the tiger in my main tank is stopping me stocking guppies/frilly fish. Any suggestions?

 

Is it possible to find them their own new homes? Or are you set on keeping them?

I do know theyre very aggressive though they may be like tetras where keeping a larger group makes them less aggressive towards one same individual...

 

I'd say just give them to your LFS and let them deal with them. If you want to keep them a school usually brings down the aggression instead of bringing it up.

 

Tiger barbs are known for being aggressive. Honestly I think they're best in species only tanks. I'd just take the remaining to the LFS and get the "frilly" fish you like <3

 

Welcome to FishLore! I hope you enjoy the site.

 

Is it possible to find them their own new homes? Or are you set on keeping them?

I do know theyre very aggressive though they may be like tetras where keeping a larger group makes them less aggressive towards one same individual...

Thanks. for your reply. I feel guilty giving them away. It just feels like passing the problem to someone else. If I decide to keep them in a same species tank (57litre) how many do you think would be a good number in total? And how best to add the new fish? At the same time as the one from the main tank, that was being bullied? I know the ones in the LFS are a lot smaller than the two I have. Do you think they will be safe?

Welcome to FishLore! I hope you enjoy the site.

Thank you. So much info on site. Well done all contributers! So much knowledge

 

You are welcome. And yes, you can gain a lot of knowledge here. We have some very knowledge and helpful members.

 

From what I hear about Tiger Barbs I think you would be better off in this hobby if you choose another species.

You will gain more satisfaction by researching and choosing carefully and checking your plans with people on this site.

I don't think adding small ones is wise and I believe that with this species you may have a situation where the weakest is picked on, then the second weakest and so on until you only have one left. This is the impression I have got from some people although there are apparently exceptions.

I was lucky. The fish I most desired, Clown Loach, is a very sociable fish with its own kind although a large aquarium is necessary to house them. (There is a smaller kind called the Sid or SidthimunkI Loach which is otherwise almost identical in behaviour.)

25 years later I am pleased I made the right choice even though information about them was virtually non-existent or worse, wrong, when I started.

 

Tiger barbs are known for being aggressive. Honestly I think they're best in species only tanks. I'd just take the remaining to the LFS and get the "frilly" fish you like <3

Thanks for your advice. I

From what I hear about Tiger Barbs I think you would be better off in this hobby if you choose another species.

You will gain more satisfaction by researching and choosing carefully and checking your plans with people on this site.

I don't think adding small ones is wise and I believe that with this species you may have a situation where the weakest is picked on, then the second weakest and so on until you only have one left. This is the impression I have got from some people although there are apparently exceptions.

I was lucky. The fish I most desired, Clown Loach, is a very sociable fish with its own kind although a large aquarium is necessary to house them. (There is a smaller kind called the Sid or SidthimunkI Loach which is otherwise almost identical in behaviour.)

25 years later I am pleased I made the right choice even though information about them was virtually non-existent or worse, wrong, when I started.

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Yes, I think you are probably right. My dear was exactly that they'd be picked off one by one. Others (not on this forum) have said increasing the numbers settled them down. I can't understand why the behaviour changed from passive to aggressive though. Do you think it's cruel to leave the most aggressive tiger barb in a tank by himself?

Sorry, typo. Meant fear not dear.

 

I don't think its cruel.

You may need to be careful choosing tankmates, however.

I once bought a single male Cummings Barb (very similar to Tiger Barb). No other specimens of this species were ever stocked at the LFS in the two years I had him so I could not purchase any more.

One day he decided to attack and kill his tank mates and so I took him back to the shop where he was purchased and told the shopkeeper what had happened.

I have noticed that some more aggressive fish e.g. Piranha, Exodon and even Silver Tip Tetra and Penguin Tetra (from my own experience) often thin out the shoal by picking on the weakest fish. No doubt this happens in the wild also, part of the natural selection that keeps the species strong.

I'd recommend getting a social fish where they like to be in a group and this behaviour does not happen.

 

Welcome!

To start with, isn’t 180 litres just under 50 US gallons, not 80? I’m not sure but that’s what I thought. Anyway, in my opinion, tiger barbs are too difficult to keep for a new hobbyist, as they are a pain and fight to the death sometimes. You should rehome them or send them to the LFS and then start with some livebearers like guppies.

 

I kept tiger barbs in a 50 gallon tank with other, larger, equally aggressive fish - namely a large moonlight gourami and a rainbow shark. They do best in a larger school - some suggest 5, but I'd do no less than 7. They have a very stringent pecking order in the school, and they alternately swim and squabble. A school of them together is a very cool sight. A school big enough where no one aggressor ever really has a chance to bully anyone is even better. I agree that they are not a community tank species. They're just one of those fish you have to accept for what they are and decide if that's the route you want to go. I think they are a great addition to a "semi-aggressive community" which is usually what I end up with.

 

Welcome!

To start with, isn’t 180 litres just under 50 US gallons, not 80? I’m not sure but that’s what I thought. Anyway, in my opinion, tiger barbs are too difficult to keep for a new hobbyist, as they are a pain and fight to the death sometimes. You should rehome them or send them to the LFS and then start with some livebearers like guppies.

HI Patrick Morris. Apologies. You are quite right about the size of the tank. I have another tank that I will be setting up soon. That's the one that is 79/80 Us gallon I think you Re right about the tiger barbs. They have gone from peaceful community fish, that came with the tank and other barbs, to aggressive fish. The one that's back in the community tank seems to have settled down. But I'm reluctant to put the other back one back in..

 

HI All. Thank you all for your advice. I just want to update you on my tiger barb situation. The tiger that seemed to have settled down in the main community tank started to bully and fin nip again. I moved him back into the smaller tank with the other tiger where he became bullied again. He was so stressed and lost a lot of his colour. Especially his orange nose. I hoped they might settle after a couple of days but it didn't happen. Reluctantly

HI All. Thank you for letting me join your forum. I am quite new to fishkeeping. I bought a second hand 180 litre (79 us gallon) community tank complete with fish. I've had them 6 month and all has been well until the last few weeks. I (did) have 3 tiger barbs. One of them had tail and dorsal fins nipped badly. I removed the two aggressors to a 57 litre tank. One of them was terrified. Pinned up against the glass and was threatened by the other every time it moved. I put it back into the main tank. It attacked the other tiger that was there and killed it. I now have one tiger in the main tank that appears to have settled down. And a lone tiger barb in the 57 litre tank, which I know is not good for a schooling fish. I don't really want to get a school of tiger barbs in case the aggression continues. And the tiger in my main tank is stopping me stocking guppies/frilly fish. Any suggestions?

HI All. I'd like to thank everyone for your advice and update you on my aggressive tiger barbs situation. The tiger that had calmed down in my community tank started to be aggressive again. I had no option other than put him back in the smaller tank with the other tiger. Of course he was immediately bullied and spent his time hiding in the plants or pressed up against the tank sides. No life for a fish. I left them for a few days to see if things calmed down but they didn't. I eventually found a LFS that re-homes fish and they took them in. They have a viewing tank with a community of barbs that are not sold. Hopefully after assessment they will be headed there and will have a happier life . Sad to see them go, but I have protected my other fish and learned a valuable lesson too. Thanks again everyone.