[hassan]

hi guys

i just added 6 Albino tiger barbs to my tank, they're almost 3 inches and are pretty fat and active. i have 4 red honey gouramis in there, and occasionally one of the barbs goes and nips my gouramis and it darts off.

the tank is 35 galllons and its been up for a few months now without any problems , until now...that i added these barbs

should i take the barbs back? or is the occasional nipping okay

 

[mistergreen]

You can try to add 3 more barbs and see what happens... Tiger barbs should be kept by themselves or with fast fish in a large tank. They'll eventually kill your gourami.

 

[KDahlin]

That isn't good. At the very least that will be a continual source of stress for the gouramis making the fish much more susceptible to disease.

 

[bulrush]

I have heard that most barbs can be pretty nippy and should be kept in a barb-only tank. But I don't keep barbs myself (because of this).

 

[hassan]

damn, i guess i'll go return them

the gourami's learnt to keep away, but yea its like always wary and on the look out for a barb so it doesn't get nipped.

=(

 

[spypet]

my barbs fake nip the gouramis
but actually nip each other, so
I watch for any scale damage,
then isolate the offender for
a few days in a breeding cube
as a sort of "time out" which
can help over the short term.
a higher stem plant density
also helps reduce the stress.

 

[hassan]

oo, well the gourmis didnt' get any damaged scales or fins
but they do seem extra catious and not at ease like they used to be

oh well, i think i am going to get some rainbow bosemani's ^^

 

[Cheesenip]

i have 6 tiger bars , 6 gold gouramis an 4 blue gouramis and my tiger barbs dont come near them. I have a 55 gal tank