Long Finned Rosey Barb Problem

[tz29]

I have two long finned rosey barbs in my tank, one is male and one is female. For the past 2 or 3 days i have noticed the female is hiding inside of a rock, or almost laying on the bottom of the tank. At one point i thought she was dead, but every now and then she gets up and swims. I also noticed that when the female would come out, the male would chase her until she hides again. She is eating normally, its just that she keeps hiding. Is there anyway to perk her up, or keep the male from harassing her?

Tank Specs:

-5 Gallon hexagonal tank
-20% water change on Tuesday
-Fed with tropical flakes
-Water is fine (ammonia, nitrates, nitrites)
-Added some cycle when I saw she wasn't doing well

 

[Yetti]

I don't have barbs of any kind, but I assume that they would need a shoal and a male to female ratio of which I am not sure of, but you would need a bigger aquarium for a good shoal.

 

[Fin & Feather]

Adding a couple more Barbs in that sized cycled tank would take the pressure off the female. Even without the sexual tension, Barbs like to play and chase. Plants and other ornaments or rocks obstruct the male's sightline and provide more hiding spots. Plants improve water quality. Good luck. - Mont

 

[Colin_T]

are you sure it is a female being picked on and not a young male?

barbs are schooling fish and naturally occur in groups of hundreds to thousands. The minimum number for an aquarium is about 8-10 or more. However, your tank is not big enough to sustain a group that size.

if the bullying (assuming that is the problem) continues I would return that fish to the petshop and not add any more. Alternatively, get a bigger tank and add a group of them so they can swim around together.

if you could post a picture or short video of the fish, it might help us identify any health issues affecting the fish.