# My Tiger Barbs Are Disguised Piranha



## SgtStryker0331 (Sep 19, 2010)

As a kid, I had oscars, a gar, and a snakehead over time, so I when I read that tiger barbs were a little nippy, I didn't associate their aggression with that of piranha.

My 29 gal tank had a small school of zebra danios from its cycling days. Four months later, I introduced six tiger barbs. My research indicated the fast swimming danios would be ok with the nippy barbs. I also read that six would be a good number to keep their aggression low.

The morning after introduction, one of my danios was floating headless. A few days later, another is a skeleton. Last night he was ok. Today he's a skeleton. I'm in disbelief. I kept counting fish to make sure it wasn't dead three months and hidden or something. 

Despite having fish as a kid, my skill level is that of beginner now. I'm just really surprised at the aggression of these guys. I feed them twice daily, one crisp per inch of fish, approximately. I've read that it should be enough food for fish to eat in 3 minutes and my barbs finish off their meal in 39 seconds last I timed it. So maybe I'm under-feeding them? But I'm afraid to push it since over-feeding is more dangerous, right? (But maybe not to the danios....)

Jim


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## JRMunroe (Feb 13, 2011)

For quite a few years I've had 30-50 Tiger Barbs in a 215 gal planted tank containing angelfish, zebra danios, some tetras, a small discus and maybe some others I can't think of just now. 

None have ever caused trouble. 

Often I forget to feed them for a day or two, with no effect whatsoever.

Tiger Barbs aren't vicious. They play a game where only they know the rules. If they have enough interested buddies to play with, all goes fine. If they don't, they try to play with other kinds of fish (who don't know the rules) and then the trouble starts.

Since I doubt that you can teach the other fish the rules of the Tiger Barb game, simply add more Tiger Barbs, if your tank will hold them.


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## automatic-hydromatic (Oct 18, 2010)

JRMunroe said:


> Tiger Barbs aren't vicious. They play a game where only they know the rules. If they have enough interested buddies to play with, all goes fine. If they don't, they try to play with other kinds of fish (who don't know the rules) and then the trouble starts.
> 
> Since I doubt that you can teach the other fish the rules of the Tiger Barb game, simply add more Tiger Barbs, if your tank will hold them.


that's an interesting way of looking at it  nice explanation!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Have you seen the barbs chasing the danios? Are the other Danios hiding, have torn fins or showing other signs of bullying? Just a thought but adding the 6 tiger barbs may have caused a mini cycle and an ammonia spike the danios may have been weakened from going through the cycle the first time and died as a result of the new ammonia spike.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

snail said:


> Just a thought but adding the 6 tiger barbs may have caused a mini cycle and an ammonia spike the danios may have been weakened from going through the cycle the first time and died as a result of the new ammonia spike.


Thats what I was thinking.Never heard of tigers being this aggressive,but they will munch on dead fish.


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## SgtStryker0331 (Sep 19, 2010)

snail said:


> Have you seen the barbs chasing the danios? Are the other Danios hiding, have torn fins or showing other signs of bullying? Just a thought but adding the 6 tiger barbs may have caused a mini cycle and an ammonia spike the danios may have been weakened from going through the cycle the first time and died as a result of the new ammonia spike.


Hmm. I'll test the ammonia. Thank you.


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