Tiger Barb Dither Fish
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Tiger Barb Dither Fish
I bought 4 tiger barb for dither fish in my tank . but i noticed today they almost tore through one of my cories. so i think im going to trade them in. any good suggestions for dither fish for clown loaches? I have a few orange tetras and glass fish i may toss back in that tank. the tiger barbs are just too aggressive. i love the fish but i don't think i can let them tear up my cories. they are so happy!
i have rasboras and i love them but my loaches will eat rasboras, neons, glow light tetras, von rio tetras, and most of all danios. if there are danios in the tank they eat them first! I am thinking of a fish about the size of the tiger barbs but more mellow and a good color. my tank has lots of reds greens and oranges.
i have rasboras and i love them but my loaches will eat rasboras, neons, glow light tetras, von rio tetras, and most of all danios. if there are danios in the tank they eat them first! I am thinking of a fish about the size of the tiger barbs but more mellow and a good color. my tank has lots of reds greens and oranges.
- mistergreen
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- mistergreen
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- helen nightingale
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to me it sounds like if your loaches are eating all your dither fish you have already meantioned, you have problems there that you should resolve before buying more dithers.
have you actually witnessed the loaches attack and eat the dithers? if you havent seen it, it is much more likely that the fish are dying of some other cause and then being eaten. sometimes it can be very hard to see a small fish when it has died in a tank, and other fish are likely to have a pick at it - so no remains are left.
could you update us on your stocking, recent water test results and what size tank? i recall you have been changing a few things recently and i have lost track of your setup.
i dont think going for big fish like bala sharks is your answer - i dont remeber you having an enormous tank? stuffing more fast growing fish into a tank could possibly make agression, territoritality and the eating of competitor fish even more of a problem.
have you actually witnessed the loaches attack and eat the dithers? if you havent seen it, it is much more likely that the fish are dying of some other cause and then being eaten. sometimes it can be very hard to see a small fish when it has died in a tank, and other fish are likely to have a pick at it - so no remains are left.
could you update us on your stocking, recent water test results and what size tank? i recall you have been changing a few things recently and i have lost track of your setup.
i dont think going for big fish like bala sharks is your answer - i dont remeber you having an enormous tank? stuffing more fast growing fish into a tank could possibly make agression, territoritality and the eating of competitor fish even more of a problem.
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helen, no sorry i didn't explain it well. i separated the smaller fish and the loaches a long time ago. close to a year. they were eating all of them. the problem now is that i bought some tigers for dither fish but they are attacking my cories. so i need something about the same size as the barbs but less aggressive as a dither fish.
since i have moved the loach a year ago. i havn't lost one dither fish. i went through a good 6 months of fish dissappearing and me thinking, "oh it must be the tank or disease". well once i separated the fish, none dissappeared. i had one die and the bodies would turn up when it died(in the new tank not the loach tank). previously not one body. i think they were snatching them late at night. most of the smaller fish would sit near the bottom. but let me tell you. this may sound cruel but i conducted a test. i put 4 danios temporarily in my loach tank(because they eat danios the most, danios=loach steak) they were all gone the next day! so if that doesn't prove it. i don't know what does. but the problem dissappeared and i havn't had to buy fish for a long time now.
tank size 55 gal
4 tiger barbs
1 14" pleco
4 cories emerald
5 clown loach
2 upside down catfish
2 golden algae eaters
tank two(35 gallon) has an assortment of
orange tetras
neons
glowlite tetras
glass fish
pleco
cories
one von rio flame tetra
rasboras
2 danios
i was thinking of putting the large tatras and the glass fish back in the tank with the loaches. but those fish aren't as active as the barbs and i like have alot of motion in the tank when the clowns are hiding.
they all get along well in this tank. the only one problem is that one of the glowlite tetras had his bubble pop and he struggles to stay floating now. he kinda drags himself along. the flame tetra nips at his fins but doens't really do more damage than that. he eats fine and gets along and hangs with the other fish. i can't put him down i have had him as long as the pleco. the pleco went into pleco rage and smacked the glowlite by accident when they were in the tank together. i had to change tanks bc the pleco is getting too big and will soon be transported to a 135 gallon pond with the other gold fish i had.
ill take a ph test later.
i am running an aquaclear 70 and a jethead 70 that blasts circulating water throughout the tank. i have been doing water changes every two days. and cleaning the tank 1-2 times a week. its alot of work but i try and take care of them. i just put many plants in the tank but the pleco thinks they are lunch. so no more plants until hes gone.
this thread has pics of my two tanks in it.
http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=4653
i may be upgrading in the near future and i may be passing a few fish along to my friend as well. since i have the loaches i guess i need a wider tank rather than longer. i don't have any spare room but emma was saying i need to get a bigger tank.
since i have moved the loach a year ago. i havn't lost one dither fish. i went through a good 6 months of fish dissappearing and me thinking, "oh it must be the tank or disease". well once i separated the fish, none dissappeared. i had one die and the bodies would turn up when it died(in the new tank not the loach tank). previously not one body. i think they were snatching them late at night. most of the smaller fish would sit near the bottom. but let me tell you. this may sound cruel but i conducted a test. i put 4 danios temporarily in my loach tank(because they eat danios the most, danios=loach steak) they were all gone the next day! so if that doesn't prove it. i don't know what does. but the problem dissappeared and i havn't had to buy fish for a long time now.
tank size 55 gal
4 tiger barbs
1 14" pleco
4 cories emerald
5 clown loach
2 upside down catfish
2 golden algae eaters
tank two(35 gallon) has an assortment of
orange tetras
neons
glowlite tetras
glass fish
pleco
cories
one von rio flame tetra
rasboras
2 danios
i was thinking of putting the large tatras and the glass fish back in the tank with the loaches. but those fish aren't as active as the barbs and i like have alot of motion in the tank when the clowns are hiding.
they all get along well in this tank. the only one problem is that one of the glowlite tetras had his bubble pop and he struggles to stay floating now. he kinda drags himself along. the flame tetra nips at his fins but doens't really do more damage than that. he eats fine and gets along and hangs with the other fish. i can't put him down i have had him as long as the pleco. the pleco went into pleco rage and smacked the glowlite by accident when they were in the tank together. i had to change tanks bc the pleco is getting too big and will soon be transported to a 135 gallon pond with the other gold fish i had.
ill take a ph test later.
i am running an aquaclear 70 and a jethead 70 that blasts circulating water throughout the tank. i have been doing water changes every two days. and cleaning the tank 1-2 times a week. its alot of work but i try and take care of them. i just put many plants in the tank but the pleco thinks they are lunch. so no more plants until hes gone.
this thread has pics of my two tanks in it.
http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=4653
i may be upgrading in the near future and i may be passing a few fish along to my friend as well. since i have the loaches i guess i need a wider tank rather than longer. i don't have any spare room but emma was saying i need to get a bigger tank.
Last edited by LoachOrgy on Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
yes they will eat smaller fish but mine doesn't. he was living with them for a while with no fish missing. the fish stopped dissappearing once the loaches were removed. the loaches were separated from the large pleco. when the danios were placed back in the loach tank, they were eaten. i saw some plecos at the lfs eating dead fish on the bottom. my pleco has sweet tooth for shrimp but i havn't had any fish dissappear in the same tank as him since the loaches were removed so it was not him eating the other fish. after that, one fish died and the body was floating near the filter. i think he got stuck in the filter.
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Re: Tiger Barb Dither Fish
I have a hard time believing the your clown loaches are eating your danios. I have some zebra danios in with my clown loaches and never had a problem. I even had a zebra danio that was ill and hung out in the bottom corner all the time and being kind of lethargic and none of the clown loaches ever touched him. You must have some mutant clown loaches or something.
Anyway, you could try some rainbowfish as a dither fish. They will get a bit bigger than tiger barbs and are good community fish.
Anyway, you could try some rainbowfish as a dither fish. They will get a bit bigger than tiger barbs and are good community fish.
- helen nightingale
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could you also post an ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test result too please?
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