Gold Barbs Wreaking Havoc

[HoosierInFL]

I put 3 gold barbs in my tank. I read that they are peaceful community fish, but they have turned out to be anything but. They chase and harass the other fish virtually non-stop. I have 3 rasboras that get it the worst. They now confine themselves to one corner of the tank, but that doesn't always help since the gold barbs seem to come looking for them.

Is this normal and/or bad behavior. Is there anything I can do to curb it? I don't want all my fish stressed out.

 

[chibi]

How big is your tank? I'm guessing it's a bit small, and gold barbs get to be about 4 inches long. I'd get rid of them by selling them or taking them back to the fish store.

 

[HoosierInFL]

How big is your tank? I'm guessing it's a bit small, and gold barbs get to be about 4 inches long. I'd get rid of them by selling them or taking them back to the fish store.

It's a 30 gallon tank.

 

[Tsi_User]

What is your stocking list?

Do they have plenty of places to hide?

Believe it or not, most people suggest adding a few more obarbs becuase once you have a large enough group of them they harass each other (becaue of the pecking order) and don't pick as much on the other fish.

 

[HoosierInFL]

What is your stocking list?

Do they have plenty of places to hide?

Believe it or not, most people suggest adding a few more obarbs becuase once you have a large enough group of them they harass each other (becaue of the pecking order) and don't pick as much on the other fish.

I have:

3 gold barbs
3 rasboras
2 white cloud minnows
1 opaline gourami

To finish out the tank I was thinking of getting a bolivian ram and an algae eater. The thought had occurred to me to get a couple more gold barbs and see if that would settle them down. They are by far the most active fish I have and I like watching them, but they sure do give the other fish a hard time. It surprises me because I have kept them before and they were totally docile.

 

[Tsi_User]

how big is the tank? I'd suggest more barbs and/or more places for the fishies to hide before you stock with another species.

Is the tank planted?

 

[Liam]

I have kept them and they were very active but totally peaceful, they were the first fish I kept and I really like them. Are they actually biting the other fish? maybe adding another three if you have room would keep them busy with each other, the other possibility is to add three more rasboras so they would feel safer in a group of six, it would divide up the aggression against them. Hopefully the Lfs will take them back if you dont find any other solution.

 

[HoosierInFL]

I have kept them and they were very active but totally peaceful, they were the first fish I kept and I really like them. Are they actually biting the other fish? maybe adding another three if you have room would keep them busy with each other, the other possibility is to add three more rasboras so they would feel safer in a group of six, it would divide up the aggression against them. Hopefully the Lfs will take them back if you dont find any other solution.

It has what I believe to be several hiding places but the rasboras don't use them. It does appear that the gold barbs do "bite" the other fish at times, although it's mostly chasing them over and over again. The tank is not planted. While I realize the benefits of a planted tank, this will not be one.

What I'll probably do is add 2 or 3 more gold barbs and see how that goes.

 

[HoosierInFL]

Well, I put in two more gold barbs but that didn't see to curtail the problem. I started reading about rasboras and found that they prefer a water temperature a couple degrees below what I had mine at. Since I was running a tad in the high range, lowering it wasn't a problem.

Since then, the rasboras are now chasing the gold barbs around! I walked into the room the next morning to see the golds running for their lives and I just had to laugh.