Tiger Barbs Getting all the food!!!

J

JakeLovesFish

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May 2, 2008
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i have 5 fish in my 40 gallon tank ATM... just upgraded from a 20... ANYWAYS... i have 2 tiger barbs [cuz they are schoolers] and i have 2 other fish i totally forgot the names... but they are really awesome... 1 sits at the bottom which is what they do... and the other is like scared of the tiger barbs... when i feed them all freeze dried blood worms ONLY the tiger barbs get them cuz they are insane... and im worried the others may die from gettin no food... how can i get the others to eat? my mom said i should like net the tigers and feed the others seperately... but the others are also afraid of it.. like i drop the blood worms in and they split! HELP?!?!:confused:
 
Tiger barbs are little piggies when it comes to food. For the other fish, you can try to feed some sinking pellets. The tigers like to mostly eat at the surface so if the food falls to the bottom the other fish can forage for it depending of course on what the other fish are.

Marinemom
 
You should try feeding the tiger barbs on one side of the tank, then when there attention is on that one side you can feed the rest of the fishes on the other side.
 
JakeLovesFish said:
i have 5 fish in my 40 gallon tank ATM... just upgraded from a 20... ANYWAYS... i have 2 tiger barbs [cuz they are schoolers] and i have 2 other fish i totally forgot the names... but they are really awesome... 1 sits at the bottom which is what they do... and the other is like scared of the tiger barbs... when i feed them all freeze dried blood worms ONLY the tiger barbs get them cuz they are insane... and im worried the others may die from gettin no food... how can i get the others to eat? my mom said i should like net the tigers and feed the others seperately... but the others are also afraid of it.. like i drop the blood worms in and they split! HELP?!?!:confused:
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:welcome: to AC!

I would like to point out that keeping tiger barbs in a number of only two does not make them schooling fish. 5 should be the minimum for every schooling fish as they like the company of their own constructing a social hierarchy pecking at each other. Do you have photos of your other fish? We will need them to identify your other fish.

Always vary the food diet. You can try earthworms, mosquito larva, daphnia, mussels, shrimps, veggies and many more. Your fish will appreciate the varied diet as they obtain different vitamins from various foods, not exclusively on one which is very insufficient..
 
I would be interested in pics and proper ID of the other fish. Also agree with Lup that two barbs isn't a real school. They should be kept in larger groups to disperse their self aggression issues.

Target feeding is what you will have to do depending on what the fish are.
 
^^I agree with lupin and rbishop - 2 fish is not a school. 5 is the absolute minimum for a school. You're correct that they are schooling fish though, and when tiger barbs are not in a proper school, they tend to be aggressive and nippy toward tankmates, which is probably why your fish is scared of them. If you up the school to 6+, the aggression should be dispersed among the school and they won't pay much attention to the other fish.

I also agree to vary what you feed - feed some sinking pellets at the same time you feed at the surface, for example. Also feeding on different sides of the tank is a good idea, but I know from experience that doesn't always work, but it's worth a try.
 
OOPS!!!!! i had a typo!! its not 2 tigers its 3 but still i should get more... but then they will eat even MORE foood...
 
Believe in what everyone is telling you. Up the school of the barbs to five or six and most of these aggression problems should go away. That is only if space in your tank will allow it. Also try the other suggestions given about sinking pellets and feeding on opposite sides of the tank. All you can do is try. Try and try again and eventually you will find something that works for you. On the up side a nice school of tigers looks really awesome in the tank.

By the way, what are the other tank mate in your tank?

Marinemom
 
I have the same problem. I find that if i feed the tiger barb flake food, and the flakes are nice and big (tiger barb cant get it all in his mouth at once) that they tear the flakes apart while trying to eat them and lots of shreds/pieces sink. then the others get plenty of left overs at the bottom. Flakes usually sink fast anyways. Blood worms never sink in time which is a shame, it would be nice if my rams could get some.

So basically buy some varying types of food, youll find some that are fast sinking, and the variety will be better for your fishes diet too. win win =)
 
k, thanks ill try... but ONE of my fish is still scared of the food LOL...
 
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