Green terror mistaking albino tiger barbs for feeders

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

sharkbite5

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 7, 2013
122
0
16
Tuckahoe NY
Hey guys, I picked up a beautiful green terror on Sunday. I've had a group of 12 tiger barbs in the tank for the last two years because I wanted a small shoal for my CA/SA tank. Eight are normal and four were albino. The last two mornings I noticed a dead albino tiger barb at the top of the tank with a bite where his "face" would have been. I bought the fish from aqua hut, which is in my opinion the best fish store on Long Island, and I'm not sure what he was fed. I believe he might have been a trade in due to the low price and his size, plus he was alone in a loach tank. My hypothesis is that he was fed feeder goldfish before and is confusing the albino tb for feeders. He has been eating krill and flakes so I don't think he is going hungry. They were pretty big too for barbs at almost two inches mouth to end of the tail. Anyways I really like him so its not a deal breaker, I just was wondering if my logic made sense. Thanks

Here's a pic. Sorry for the blurriness, I just fed and its an ipad camera.

fe3e53c0e0895b7e3484d4590e66cc35_zps9c0b7f02.jpg
 
The issue with Tiger Barbs, I found this out the hard way, is that they sleep suspended and are easly picked off at night. I had a bunch that I tried with with my RD after I saw a member sucessfully keep them with his Midas. They got picked off one by one until they were gone. I just filed that under FAIL!
 
Thanks for the reply. That makes sense. I didn't think about how they sleep. I guess I will have to move them to another tank or get rid of them. Thanks!
 
For cichlids, any fish that can fit in his mouth, or what he THINKS he can fit in his mouth is a feeder fish, they did not name that fish Green Terror for nothing :-)
 
YEa it's just predatory instinct more most fish regardless of previous diet. Nothing you can do except separate them.
 
Aquanero said:
The issue with Tiger Barbs, I found this out the hard way, is that they sleep suspended and are easly picked off at night. I had a bunch that I tried with with my RD after I saw a member sucessfully keep them with his Midas. They got picked off one by one until they were gone. I just filed that under FAIL!
Click to expand...

That is excatly what happened to me. My red devil, why he was still a juvenile, took out a school of tiger barbs. But not all at once, 1 by 1 so the ones left were scared they would be next. That induces more fear then just taking them all out at once!
 
So a quick update. I ended up just removing the remaining albinos on the 15th and there has not been any more deaths. I still have 8 normal tiger barbs in there and they have been left alone. Might be a coincidence, but I'm glad because I enjoy tiger barbs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom