New Green Tiger Barbs

[YonYonson]

Hello all,

Just curious if someone might have any thoughts on an odd barb in the bunch or if I'm just impatient.

Saturday I introduced 5 new full sized green tiger barbs (3 males, 2 females.. I think). 4 of them were fine and frolicking as soon as they were acclimatized and out of the bag. One of them has been relatively inactive and does not have an appetite. It (one of the males, assuming because of orange nose and edge of dorsal fin) stays mostly in the same location and avoids the other fish in the tank for the most part. The other 4 will come school with it but it won't go with if the school moves.

All the other fish in the tank are fine, which is odd as i thought I might have some skittish white clouds (tired of them anyway).

Any thoughts about the one barb is a starving loner? Maybe it will come around with time. Could it be something with the pecking order in the school? Too many males not enough females?

[octoxpuss]

When i had barbs i had for every male atleast two female so it could be that there is not an even number.

[Northernguy]

Welcome to the Fabulous AC!

Is the tank cycled? How long ago?
How were they at the store?
Give it a few days.Keep an eye on it.
How were they acclimated?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/barbs/greenbarb.php

[YonYonson]

Thank ya fer the link Northerguy! Tank is a few years old, well planted, cycled and maintained. Water conditions are great.
I wish I could get Laotian Green Barbs but what I have are a colour morph of a tiger barb. aka Mossy Barb. The guy is still a loner with not much appetite, the other male has gone off randier than a bull moose in the rut and scared the third male now a bit too.
Going to pick up some female regular tiger barbs so each male has at least 1 if not two females and hope I'm not overstocked.

Here is a video of two of the males battling it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDn_kS5pFAA&feature=youtube_gdata

[Oskar]

Cool video.I never knew Tiger barbs would lip lock like that.
I'm not sure about the one who keeps to itself.It could have an illness or be stressed from the move.

You should consider having a QT tank set up for new fish though.Introducing a sick fish could wipe out your collection.And it sounds like you may have a sick barb.

[YonYonson]

I added the barbs two weeks ago now and everybody else is loving life. Very happy with all the activity. Been thinking of where I could put a 10 G QT tank but not there yet. I would have thought that if anything was sick or wrong I'd see death by now. How long can fish stay sick?

[YonYonson]

Got two more to bring the barb count to 7. Loner (who was extremely skinny from still not eating) came out from his hole for a day and croaked. Weird how group dynamics work. The 6 are now all active and schooling.