How do I know if my Tiger Barb is being aggressive?
Okay yesterday I bought 4 new fish for my fish tank. A Green Tiger Barb, Tiger Barb, Albino Tiger Barb, and a Bala Shark. My Green Tiger Barb is almost certainly a Female because of the bulge beneath the stomach, while the Tiger Barb is a male because no bulge. Almost immediately these two took off chasing each other all over the place while the Albino and Bala Shark just sort of rested towards bottom.
I got all these fish on 6/26/09, now this evening on 6/27/09 the Albino and the Bala are still doing their thing except moving around a lot more, the Bala can dart pretty fast but I noticed the Tiger Barb was just resting near the top under the waterfall for my filter. Later I noticed it was at the bottom of the tank in a corner and sometimes the Female Green Tiger Barb would chase it around and do what I would think appears to be nipping at it but so far I haven’t actually seen any torn fins or anything like that. I also noticed the Tiger Barb wasn’t really chasing the Green Tiger Barb anymore like it was earlier. Is my Green Tiger Barb turning into a bully on this one fish? It chases the Bala and the little baby Albino but never does anything that looks like nipping. Could this be mating possibly? Searching online I have found nothing that can accurately describe what I am seeing.
Also just a side note whenever I have my light on for the fish tank the Albino and the Bala move alot less but as soon as I turn it off the Bala starts wandering and the Albino starts zipping around.
I appreciate any help. I don’t mind if they die because I screwed something up but I don’t want one of them killing the other. I did do my best to research these fish before I bought them, well I researched the Barbs beforehand. The Bala was on impulse. I dunno if I can keep him until he dies considering he can grow up to 15 inches…I digress.
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I’ve always heard that Tiger Barbs do best in a school of 5 or 6 individuals. That way, they’re so concerned about keeping each other in check that they don’t bother other fish.
Also, as far as my experience goes, new fish always tend to be a little shy, some longer than others. In a few days they should all hopefully be zipping around
Good luck with your new fish, it really sucks if they die after you just get them!
What you’re seeing is aggression, not breeding behavior. Tiger Barbs are insecure fish that school specifically for that reason– they need a group for protection, and when not allowed a sufficiently large group (5+ fish of the same species and color morph), they become nippy. If you allow them to continue as they are, the fish will end up stressing one another out so greatly that you’re sure to have trouble. As I recommended in your other question, return them and get a school of 5-6 Tiger Barbs of a single color morph (provided your tank is 20+ gallons). The Bala will definitely not work out unless you have a 6+ foot long tank lying around. They get big (as you know), need schools, and are VERY active, which is why they need a LOT of room.
Tigar Barbs are very aggressive fish. Like Soup said in a school they are ok but I had two green barbs and they were so aggrssive I had to get rid of them. They eat the tails off all my other fish.