Problems For Tiger Barbs

[Dwu280]

I'm a newbie and I just got a little 5 gallon tank around 5 days ago. It came with a filter and a bio wheel and everything and I also got a little heater and some plants and hiding spots for it. I've put in the tiger barbs 4 days ago along with a 12 cent feeder (my friend gave it to me). My temperature has always been at 78 degrees or near it. Water quality looks good, as the water is not cloudy or murky. All fish behavior is fine.

However, I do have a concern. Sometimes I see that some of my tiger barbs stay motionless for awhile and just point their heads downwards, sometimes behind the filter in the back corner of the tank. I've heard this happens because of overfeeding (I think I might've overfeeded my fish a couple of times, but today I didn't), or it happens because of poor water quality. Some (if not all) like to do this when they are sleeping also. Can someone please tell me if I have a legitimate problem here or am I worrying too much. Thanks!

 

[WILDER]

What type of feeder is the fish.
Tiger barbs are active fish and shouldn't be in a 5 gallon tank.
You need to read up on cycling a tank.
Increase aeration.
Do you have water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

 

[Dwu280]

feeder is a rosy red minnow (i'm probably going to move it later on)

my tiger barbs are usually always active, including now. i always see see them swimming around together or chasing each other around trying to nip at each other's fins.
its only that sometimes one of them likes to veer off and just stay motionless with its head pointed downward in the top back corner of the tank. he does this but then sometimes just swims with the others again.

my tiger barbs aren't aggressive to my other fish (the rosy red minnow), they just like to chase and try to nip at each others fins sometimes.

anyways i know what is fishless cycling, but petco customers told me i don't need to do that for just a 5 gallon tank. my tiger barbs have been doing fine so far and i haven't noticed any other problems besides the one i just mentioned. temperature is 75-78 degrees.

also i heard the tiger barbs won't grow up to the full 3' if they are in a smaller tank like mine.
thanks for the help, i've seen you helping a lot of other people on other threads too.

 

[brett174]

I really wouldn't recommend keeping tiger barbs in a 5 gallon tank. Not only is it cruel, but more than likely their growth will be severly stunted as well as suffering from disease and stress. I'd say they will probably all die within 6 months in a tank that size.

I have 6 tiger barbs in a 32 gallon tank and at times I think even this isnt big enough. They are such an active fish, they really need a lot of swimming space, mine arent even fully grown yet.

Unfortunately it seems, most pet shops and aquarium stores really only care about $$ and not the welbeing of the fish they sell. I made the same mistake when I first got into the hobby. I bought a clown loach for my 10 gallon tank because i was told by the LFS it would be fine in a tank that size. After a bit of research I discovered they grown upwards of 25cm!! and need alteast a 50 gallon tank. I'd also recommed, as Wilder said, that you get a test kit for your tank and keep up with regular water changes.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Five days is far too short a time to judge whether fish are going to be able to cope in a new environment.

In your case, I'd say the likelihood is against it: too many fish introduced in a new uncycled tank.

Even if they should by some miracle survive both the ammonia spike (which has probably already started) and the nitrite spike (which will follow within the next few weeks), there is still the very serious risk that they will kill each other as they grow, as the tank isn't really large enough to allow all the sparring that these fish need to indulge in to establish their hierarchy.

It is not just about size, it is also about what is natural behaviour for this particular species.

Incidentally, stunting doesn't work for all species of fish: some just die if conditions are unsatisfactory.

 

[TigerLotus]

brett174 great post, I agree entirely. If those barbs aren't having problems soon they will not long for now. A 5 gallon tank is to small for most, if not all fish. The only think I would but in that is a betta, shrimps or snails. Tiger barbs are entirely to active to be in a 5 gallon tank. For a group of six(the recommend group size for them) they IMO should be in a tank no smaller than a 20 gallon. I personally wouldn't even put them in that but that's the minimum.

Your tiger barbs activity can be a number of things. Sometimes its just something that they do to rest, when they are ill, and/or in poor water. What are you water stats?

Petco advised you wrong and its always best to do your own research first and get the right information first before buying fish. Many people working at pet stores are in it for the money and will sell you anything and tell you anything to make a sell. With buyers not doing their own research first, they buy animals and fish in this instance, and put them in unsuitable conditions.

Keeping fish in less than suitable condition and willing stunting their growth is not something that I would advise. Not all fish stop growing because their in a tank that is to small.

TigerLotus

 

[Dwu280]

thanks so much for the help guys,

i'll try to get a master testing kit asap and im looking to either give these baby tiger barbs to a friend of mine or try to sell/trade them for something.

the instructions that came with the aquarium said do a 10-25% water change every 2-4 weeks, and my LFS said around once or twice a month, that also includes getting a new filter cartdrige. is that ok or were they also lying about that?

 

[WILDER]

You need to preform water changes in a cycling tank to help the fish get through the ammonia and nitrite process.
It's very inportant to have liquid test kits especially when the tanks cycling.
Also it better to have plenty of aeration in a cycling tank
.Once the tanks cycled you maintain the tank once a week, by doing a gravel vac, water change, replacing filter floss or rinsing it.

 

[dwarfgourami]

For normal tank maintenance, most people on this forum do a weekly water change, though you would have to be prepared to do more if your tank is overstocked.

In a cycling tank, I would test the water every day and be prepared to do a water change whenever the ammonia or nitrite went up to 1ppm or more.