What Is Up With My Tiger Barbs?

blindcavefish · Aug 20, 2009

Hi all, I haven't used this forum before. Looks great.

I hope you can help with this weird problem.

I have a 70 litre tank - well established.

3 very large blind cave fish
2 very large Buenos Aires tetra
3 bronze corries
1 large spotted synodontis - 5 inches
1 small kissing gurami
2 bristle nose plecs

and now some relatively small tiger barbs

I put 6 tiger barbs in and they seemed fine. All the fish seemed to get on. The barbs shoaled and just got on with being happy in the tank.

When I turned the light off I could hear all this commotion, splashing and fish hitting the underside of the tank lid. This had never happened before so it had to be the tiger barbs - why were they doing this.

My only thought was that it must be something to do with the synodontis, it's the only fish that comes out exclusively at night and the only fish big enough to have a pop at the barbs.

In the morning one of the barbs had gone. This repeated until I only had 3 left, but they survived for another week, but the noise from the tank would happen every single night as soon as I turned off the light.

Yesterday I bought 5 more. Again the same thing happened, plenty of noise and splashing. I sat by the tank but couldn't see anything. The noise and commotion only happens when the room is in complete darkness. I tried flicking the switch to see what was happening and all I could see was the synodontis swimming around and a few of the barbs cowering at the top of the tank.

Today there are only 5 left, that means that 3 went in the night. Although this time I actually found the bodies, which is a first.

What the hell is happening - is it just the bug synodontis taking a weird disliking to the barbs? He's never bothered any of the other fish at night before?

Whitester · Aug 20, 2009

welcome..

I must warn you.... some might have a go at you for putting even more tiger barbs in the tank after you lost the first few. Alot of people don't like that kinda thing around here.

My guess, one of your fish is eating the small tiger barbs. Did you check all around the tank to see if any jumped out?

blindcavefish · Aug 20, 2009

Whitester said:
welcome..

I must warn you.... some might have a go at you for putting even more tiger barbs in the tank after you lost the first few. Alot of people don't like that kinda thing around here.

My guess, one of your fish is eating the small tiger barbs. Did you check all around the tank to see if any jumped out?

There is now way any could have jumped out, it's a sealed tank.

I only put more in as they are the most aggresive fish in the tank and could not see why they were dissapearing.

Tory · Aug 20, 2009

How odd, ive never had this with my tigers, the only splashing near the surface is when they go into a frenzy at tea time. I hope someone has an answer for you, it sounds quite worrying

blindcavefish · Aug 20, 2009

Tory said:
How odd, ive never had this with my tigers, the only splashing near the surface is when they go into a frenzy at tea time. I hope someone has an answer for you, it sounds quite worrying

Thanks.

Needless to say I wont be putting any more in. I just hope that the ones I do have left manage to survive.

All I can think of, is that as soon as my synodontis comes out, the tiger barbs attack it, or nibble at the long fins, and he retaliates?

I may put a few pentazona barbs in as they are less nippy but look similar.

Jallen · Aug 20, 2009

No idea why they are dead. My tiger barbs are idiots which sleep at the surface and occasionally hit the surface with their tail. But this sounds like a little more than that.