Rosy barbs

[Aussie_Bristle]

Happy Easter everyone!! Hope you are enjoying and staying safe.

I have 7 Rosy’s, when I got them were all supposed to be male but I have 4 female and 3 males. I live the little guys to bits with their huge personalities but they eat EVERYTHING!! My ambulia, eggs, fry, feeding the fish is a nightmare as they just don’t leave much for everyone else and then they go and eat the algae waffles for the bottom feeders.You name it they eat it. How can I fill them without over feeding them? I know they are an opportunistic feeders but their eating habits are driving my crazy

 

[Retired Viking]

Happy Easter, So they are eating machines(note to self take rosy barb off my list for new fish) I have a 55 gallon and when I had Angelfish which also are prolific eating machines I would lure them to one end of the tank and feed them while feeding the other fish at the other in. I had to stretch my arms to do it but it worked. Just a suggestion at feeding time but will not help much with slow eating fish.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Maybe if you have some large shrimp to eat any leftovers just feed a little extra and do slightly larger water changes

 

[CassCats]

Lure the barbs up top on one end of the tank, use a turkey baster wih aquarium water and food to add food for slower feeders near the bottom on the other side of the tank.

Or drop the algae wafer in after lights out if its for bottom feeders like shrimp, plecos, etc.

Though i like giving my barbs a wafer once a week too since they like vegetarian foods... i have to hand feed my apple snails specifically or the other fish swipe their foods too lol so i hear you

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

Lure the barbs up top on one end of the tank, use a turkey baster wih aquarium water and food to add food for slower feeders near the bottom on the other side of the tank.

Or drop the algae wafer in after lights out if its for bottom feeders like shrimp, plecos, etc.

Though i like giving my barbs a wafer once a week too since they like vegetarian foods... i have to hand feed my apple snails specifically or the other fish swipe their foods too lol so i hear you

They love the algae waffles. That’s funny, I got to get the waffles down for the bottom feeders before the snails get to them lol so when the feeders are gathering around the front of the tank that’s when I know to drop the waffles in and they go for it as they have realised once the snails get to them they have no hope

 

[Colin_T]

What are you feeding them?

I used fed mine flake first, then marine mix and marine green, which are made from prawn, fish, squid and marine algae. Then either brineshrimp, bloodworms, mysis shrimp or daphnia.

The meat foods fill them up more than dry foods and once the barbs have eaten their fill, the other fish can eat.

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

What are you feeding them?

I used fed mine flake first, then marine mix and marine green, which are made from prawn, fish, squid and marine algae. Then either brineshrimp, bloodworms, mysis shrimp or daphnia.

The meat foods fill them up more than dry foods and once the barbs have eaten their fill, the other fish can eat.

The flakes, brineshrimp every other day and they get into the algae waffles too. Do you think I should use the brineshrimp daily Colin?

 

[AquaBarb]

I know your pain lol i have the same problem with feedin my oto's. Barbs will eat till their blue in the face. Clever little things too. I tried to fill mine with duckweed but they ate the whole lot in 2 days. (It covered the surface there was that much duckweed)

I put waffles/veg in twice a week but put it in 1 hour after lights out at night when the barbs are a sleep

Happy easter

 

[Colin_T]

The flakes, brineshrimp every other day and they get into the algae waffles too. Do you think I should use the brineshrimp daily Colin?

Flakes to fish are a bit like biscuits to people. You can eat heaps and not feel full. I would add more marine meats (prawn, fish, squid/ octopus), and yes you can add the brineshrimp every day.

The next time you go to a pet shop, look for a few different types of frozen food to offer them.

You can buy frozen prawn/ shrimp from most supermarkets. Get some and keep it in the freezer. Each day or two, you can get a frozen prawn and defrost it. Remove the head, shell and gut (thin black tube in body) and throw these bits away. Use a pair of scissors to cut the remaining prawn tail into small bits and offer a few bits at a time. Feed until the fish are full. Remove uneaten food after feeding. All the fish can eat the prawn.

Monitor the water quality when feeding meat foods because they can cause ammonia spikes if the filter isn't well established.

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

Flakes to fish are a bit like biscuits to people. You can eat heaps and not feel full. I would add more marine meats (prawn, fish, squid/ octopus), and yes you can add the brineshrimp every day.

The next time you go to a pet shop, look for a few different types of frozen food to offer them.

You can buy frozen prawn/ shrimp from most supermarkets. Get some and keep it in the freezer. Each day or two, you can get a frozen prawn and defrost it. Remove the head, shell and gut (thin black tube in body) and throw these bits away. Use a pair of scissors to cut the remaining prawn tail into small bits and offer a few bits at a time. Feed until the fish are full. Remove uneaten food after feeding. All the fish can eat the prawn.

Monitor the water quality when feeding meat foods because they can cause ammonia spikes if the filter isn't well established.

Fantastic I will do that this week. Thanks Colin

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

I know your pain lol i have the same problem with feedin my oto's. Barbs will eat till their blue in the face. Clever little things too. I tried to fill mine with duckweed but they ate the whole lot in 2 days. (It covered the surface there was that much duckweed)

I put waffles/veg in twice a week but put it in 1 hour after lights out at night when the barbs are a sleep

Happy easter

Oh they are like naughty little kids getting into everything aren’t they!! I absolutely love their personality tho, they are so funny. Just their eating habit is like a kid going through a grow spurt never stop eating

 

[AquaBarb]

Oh they are like naughty little kids getting into everything aren’t they!! I absolutely love their personality tho, they are so funny. Just their eating habit is like a kid going through a grow spurt never stop eating

Ive got Odessa and black ruby's with my Rosy's barbs and when i go to feed them in the mornings the Rosy's are practically out the water waiting to catch the food lol.

Certainly got bags full of personality and never dull to watch

 

[Aussie_Bristle]

One of my cory’s was spawning the other day and I found them nipping at her fins trying to get her eggs which got her really stressed out as well as chasing her around the tank waiting for her to spawn the eggs. So I made the decision and asked my produce store if they would take them for me. I was so bummed as I loved the little guys but my cories mean more to me and I don’t want the aggression to get worse.

 

[Retired Viking]

You did the right thing

 

[seangee]

One of my cory’s was spawning the other day and I found them nipping at her fins trying to get her eggs which got her really stressed out as well as chasing her around the tank waiting for her to spawn the eggs. So I made the decision and asked my produce store if they would take them for me. I was so bummed as I loved the little guys but my cories mean more to me and I don’t want the aggression to get worse.

Such a pragmatic approach. When faced with a similar dilemma I bought another tank and rehomed the offenders.