Tezak

I bought 10x rummynose, 2x Blue Rams, and 5x Oto's on Saturday, and put them in my 50 gallon tank with the 3x Rosy Barbs I already had.

One Rummynose died the same day I bought them, probably because my pH is too high (it's at 7.6 or higher), but this was also the day I finally got my CO2 system started, so hopefully that pH will start dropping.

This morning I noticed that two of my rummynose look like they've been getting bitten on the tail. Any idea which of my other fish are the *******s doing it, and what can I do about it? I thought Blue Rams were pretty peaceful.

TAB

if the rams are spawning its them. if not I'd guess its the rosy barbs.

Tezak

I highly doubt anyone is spawning. Is there anything I can do about these fish getting attacked? I have very few plants in the tank right now, but I have 30 more plants being delivered (hopefully) later this week. Should I just hope they can start hiding or get faster?

TAB

the plants will help.

Philosophos

I'd suspect the barbs. Barbs can get nippy if they aren't kept in large enough groups, and smaller schooling fish are easy targets.

If it were the rams you probably would have seen it by now; they're pretty relentless when they decide to have it out for a fish.

Try getting more barbs, or removing the 3 you have and see what happens. If the nipping continues, then the rams are changing behavior at night. Either way, better to mess with the barbs than the rams; they're cheaper and more resilient.

-Philosophos

Tezak

Interesting. So how many Barbs, and can I mix it up with some tiger or albino barbs? I think I still have lots of room in the tank, those are all the fish at 50 gallons.

Philosophos

Barbs get to a fair size; I'd max things out at 20 of them when they hit adult size, 10 of each on two species just to make sure that if the two kinds don't school together, they still play nice. You could probably start with twice the number I mentioned if you don't mind selling them off or finding new homes as they get bigger. The rummynose might end up a bit intimidated if you stuff the tank full of barbs. Personally I'd go 10x gold barbs and add another 5 rummynose by the time everything grows out.

How tight you can pack a tank really does depend on how the fish handle socially, how clean you can keep the water through filtration and water changes, plant density etc. I tend to feel things out with my tanks; social behavior can change everything.

-Philosophos

Tezak

Ok thanks for the advice. I never wanted the barbs to be the focus of the tank, I got them because I was told they eat hair algae, occupy the middle of the tank, and keep the schoolers in a tight school. I certainly don't want 20 of them. I'd rather have 20 rummynose.

I might start by just buying 3 more barbs and hopefully that'll keep them busy enough to leave the tetras alone.

Philosophos

Barbs for algae? You won't need them when you learn how to balance your tank out nicely. Try returning the 3 barbs perhaps and doing what you want instead. I keep a clean up crew for my sanity, and other small reasons, but I don't rely on them. If they hurt the fish I enjoy most, I'd have them out of the tank on the same day.

-Philosophos

Six

I'd agree about the barbs. BTW Tiger barbs are 100 times worse about nipping. There are other less nasty barbs that will eat algae though they may not be at the LFS.