# School of Tiger Barbs attacking everything



## SuperDupe (Nov 1, 2007)

I have recently added 8 Tiger barbs to my aquarium, 4 normal and 4 emerald. I know that you want large schools of them so that they leave other fish alone, but this is not the case. In one night they have managed to kill 2 of my neon tetras and 1 phantom tetra. I've been watching them and they swarm around the other fish like piranhas and just nip away until the fish manages to escape. Is there anything I can do besides getting rid of the tiger barbs or waiting for them to kill off everything?


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## xingumike (Oct 20, 2006)

hmmmm by emerald do you mean the green ones, aka moss tiger barbs?

that is strange though, 8 is normally enough, my gf kept 8 successfully with a group of angels


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## SuperDupe (Nov 1, 2007)

Yes the green ones. The greens seem more timid than the normal ones though. During an attack they usually just watch while the regular tigers deal all the bites.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hi
how big is the tank ?
and is it planted ?


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## SuperDupe (Nov 1, 2007)

60 gallon with real plants


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hi
sounds like you got a mean bunch then. 
well there are a couple of things i can think of.........
1.take back the regular tigers and exchange them
2.re arrange the decor(sometimes stops agression)
3.keep it as a species tank only.
4.exchange the tigers for a different barb.
i know this is not the best advise,but i can't see the
situation improving with this bunch,you
could increase the tigers(not the greens)
to more, to see if that helps however it's a chance
to take because if it dosen't help you have more fish
on your hand.


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## SuperDupe (Nov 1, 2007)

I've tried adding food when they get nippy and that seems to make them behave for a little while afterwards. Maybe they're just a hungry little bunch and need to be fed a lot? I'm planning on getting an automatic feeder soon, hopefully I can schedule it so that the tigers don't get hungry. They never go after my 2 snakeskin gourami though, in fact when one of them swims towards the group they all scatter. If the tigers kill off the rest of my neons and phantoms (3 neons and 2 phantoms left) I'll try just getting larger fish like gourami.

edit: 1 phantom left now, one died from injuries caused by the hungry tigers this morning before i could feed them. I have to feed them so much for them to leave other fish alone...


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hi
to be fair on the other little fish,have you not got another
tank,or a friend with a tank,as there little lives will
not be much fun at all.
what do you feed them ?
i have a gourami in with my barbs,and they pay him no attention
at all either,he will chase them.
i think odessa barbs are nice,you could add them,
they get to about 2inches,and have nice colour in the males.
good luck with your choice of tank mates for them.


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## miagrrl (May 3, 2007)

sorry to hear you are having a bad tiger barb experience! they are my very favorite fish! I keep a tiger barb tank- with all three colorations and i have a lot of experience with them. sometimes, 6-8 is not enough to reduce aggression. if you get an aggressive bunch, feeding them properly will reduce aggression. i feed mine twice a day, and if i don't they begin to pick on their tank mates (some danios). keep them only with faster moving fish- that also helps.


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## beetlebz (Aug 2, 2007)

I have 11 tigers in with my severums and gouramis. they DID pick on my rainbow shark until one day i guess dog (my shark) had enough. he kicked the ever living CRAP out of one of those barbs, they never did it again lol

im wondering if maybe the greens (different strain perhaps?) mixed with the tigers isnt really being seen by the tigers as a group of 8, as much as a group of 4 with 4 other buds. maybe take the tigers back and get 4 more greens?


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## SuperDupe (Nov 1, 2007)

I ended up getting rid of the tiger barbs and now the tank is as peaceful as it could ever get.


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