[SpaceLord]

I have 2 Black Ruby Barb in my aquarium.

They started out kind of shy and peaceful but I recently saw one nipping at other fish around some shrimp pellets I dropped in the tank.

Could this aggressive behavior be because there are

1. Only males in the tank
2. Only 2 Black Ruby Barb instead of a schooling amount?

I am wondering if I should separate them into a smaller tank or purchase like 2-4 females Black Ruby Barb to make more of a schooling number as well as not having only males.

What do you guys think?

Thanks.

 

[SpaceLord]

Does anyone here have black ruby barb?

If so, what has been your experience with them as far as aggression in a community tank?

 

[somewhatshocked]

Combined these threads for you.

 

[irishspy]

I haven't kept them myself (though I want to), but a friend who did one said he only had one or two and had an aggression problem, until he added four more. Then the whole group spent their time chasing each other.

 

[SpaceLord]

I haven't kept them myself (though I want to), but a friend who did one said he only had one or two and had an aggression problem, until he added four more. Then the whole group spent their time chasing each other.

I have 2 males in the tank and I was considering either buying 4 females or taking the 2 ruby barbs out of the tank and doing something else with them.

They were really expensive, I paid like $8 a fish! Basically, I asked for a Rummy nose barb and the women who did not speak English gave me these instead. Ugh!

It nipped a golden barb and now there is like a red spot on his side where the black ruby barb nipped.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Diana]

I find them a lot better than Tiger Barbs (Puntigrus tetrazona), but they can still be just a bit pushy, especially when they are not kept in a school. But in a larger group they keep their antics to themselves and are good community fish for a slightly larger tank. When you get 6+ there is quite a bit of bioload, too much for a smaller tank with other fish. 2-3 males + 4-6 females sounds like a reasonable ratio.
Just looking at the tanks and stocking in your signature, I would put them in the 75. The 55 is also big enough, but I would not trust them with shrimp.

 

[SpaceLord]

I find them a lot better than Tiger Barbs (Puntigrus tetrazona), but they can still be just a bit pushy, especially when they are not kept in a school. But in a larger group they keep their antics to themselves and are good community fish for a slightly larger tank. When you get 6+ there is quite a bit of bioload, too much for a smaller tank with other fish. 2-3 males + 4-6 females sounds like a reasonable ratio.
Just looking at the tanks and stocking in your signature, I would put them in the 75. The 55 is also big enough, but I would not trust them with shrimp.

I only have small mouth fish in my shrimp tank. Fish I have researched will not eat shrimp.

My 75 is a slightly more aggressive tank however I still like to have a relatively peaceful community fish tank.

The 2 males I have almost act territorial around shrimp pellets chasing all the other fish away even the little baby fish.

I sure hope that adding the females will help and not add to the problem. I am kind of considering returning them after I saw how aggressive they were to my other fish. So far, no deaths or serious injury(just a red spot on the belly of a golden barb)

Hopefully its bark is worse then its bite.

Thanks.

 

[bigbadjon]

I have a have about a dozen of various sizes with slightly more males than females with no aggression problems. Their tank mates are about 24 tiger barbs, 7 cherry barbs, and a dojo loach. It has been my experience that most round bodied barbs are pugnacious in small numbers but well behaved in large groups.

 

[Diana]

Scatter the food so that any one fish cannot hog it all.