Are spanner barbs monsters

[Dégatdeau]

My spanner barbs are starting to go after their tankmates. I saw them giving chase to a gold barb then they killed it and ate it like piranhas. I have had these barbs for two or three years with other fish and nothing happened.
Have you had barbs develop a taste for fish as they get older?

 

[troublesum]

I see you only have 4 of them 4 should be ok but they do prefer bigger groups at least 6. But honestly i have never seen that before its kind of crazy to see them do that

 

[Dégatdeau]

I originally bought six but lost one early on in quarantine. I lost another one later. I can't remember when so I'm left with four. I have never seen them again in the store since then

 

[Dégatdeau]

Small update, they killed the last gold barb when the light went on this morning. I took the denison barb I rescued from my niece's 10g out of there after that and put it in my gold fish tank.

There is still 3 Garra ruffa and a SAE in there that they don't seem to be interested in yet. I guess that this 75g is going to have to be lightly stocked.

 

[celebrist]

Are you sure they murdered it and aren't just being opportunistic?

 

[Backfromthedead]

Never kept spanners but I know gold barbs for backstabbing little goons. I wouldn't be surprised if the golds had been starting trouble all along, and the spanners finally had enough. Possible they are becoming more rowdy/territorial now at sexual maturity.