Odessa Barbs

[TammyLiz]

If I'm right, they may become red-eyed when grow.

I hope you're right. That would be nice.
I was thinking...Are your barbs as colorful as the picture you posted from liveaquaria? Although mine are much nicer looking than my pictures imply they are not that bright and the males do not have that much black on them. Just wondering because that picture looks a little touched up although maybe it is possible for them to look that nice. I notice that the female there does not have a red eye.

 

[Barry P]

I know i started this post but ive been away and didnt get a chance to reply. My 4 fish started off dull in colour but are now as colourful as the 2nd picture posted to this thread, bright red/cherry acros the side and they have a almost neon blue under there bellies....im assuming that if they are coloured they are happy..?

 

[mikev]

If I'm right, they may become red-eyed when grow.

I hope you're right. That would be nice.
I was thinking...Are your barbs as colorful as the picture you posted from liveaquaria?

The male image is what I have. The female image is not exactly: mine are halfway between the male and female images in intensity. But: the female image was correct back in December, and is also pretty good in the morning.

You might have noticed that Odessa's are much paler when you turn on the light, it takes them maybe 30 mins to become bright.

The other thing with mine is that I messed them up a bit: I change the light to a little stronger (single strip to a double) so I can put in some plants. This quickly made all barbs of much brighter red, and also much darker on top, just like on the male image above.

I liked the previous appearance a better....it is now difficult to tell males from females.

I notice that the female there does not have a red eye.

Unfortunately I don't remember if they had red eyes in December.... But they all do now, and this includes my mutant #8 which has no red stripe at all: I would have classified this one as a rosy or golden, based on the appearance, but it does have red eyes.

I'll try to get pictures. I cannot do it myself, but someone better than me will try. If this takes a few days, I'll alert you by a PM.

 

[Barry P]

Based on the pictures i must have 4 males as they are all bright red along the body with blue underbelly and 2 black dots. They have gone into hiding recently so i cant actually monitor them or take pictures.

 

[mikev]

Hmmm... if you are right about 4 males, you should try to find some females asap.

How big are they now?

Why are they hiding?/What are they hiding from? --- Odessas are not a hiding fish normally...it would make some sense for 3 to hide from the largest one....but this is not what you said...and your list of fish does not seem to include anything really dangerous....

 

[Barry P]

Unless my one remaining guppy has a nasty streak i cant see anything else being aggressive towards them. Maybe i just have too many hiding spots..?

 

[mikev]

It seems to be totally unnatural for Odessas (and probably any barbs) to hide, especially when not bothered by anyone. I'd think something is wrong. How big are they anyway, you never said?

(Note: in my tank they actually have a good reason to hide and there are hiding spots available, and they do hide when light is out. But never during the day. The "good reason" here is a pack of young yoyo's who doubled in size in the last month and now bother everyone else....)

 

[Barry P]

Mikey, i have 4 barbs, 1 is 2" and the other 3 are 1"

 

[mikev]

Sorry, no idea. I though that they might have been all babies, but clearly a 2" is not.

Maybe you should simply start a new thread What makes my barbs hide? -- nobody is reading this one since they think it is Odessa-specific, and people like LL may have some idea.