Crap. Is there any easy way to tell the difference between a male and female tiger barb? I know that the male may develop red coloration to it's nose, which one of them definitely has. The other doesn't. I'm worried that the one with no red on it's face is a female. I don't want any fry in my tank.
Also, I have a tank with 3 red glass barbs and 2 tiger barbs. So far, I haven't noticed any fin nipping. Is it very likely that the two barbs will start to fight and nip? They are pretty teeny now, so I'm hoping it won't happen.
Advice?
2007-07-08 16:16:55 · 3 answers · asked by Willi 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
Barbs are schooling fish by species, so it's when they're in too small of a group (less than 6) that the fin nipping is the biggest problem. The nipping is a social behavior as the fish determine the order of dominance, and without others of their own kind, they turn on tankmates. You tigers are small now, but as they growm they may become more aggressive toward the others.
Apart from the red nose, the only way to tell is that the females will tend to be larger and more rounded through the abdomen when she's carrying eggs. With other fish in the tank, you won't have to worry about fry - the fish (including the parents) will most likely eat any eggs or fry produced.
2007-07-08 16:46:35 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
3-4 days
2016-05-17 06:52:53 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Copperhead is right, generally the easiest way to tell is size once mature, the female should be appreciably bigger.
2007-07-08 17:57:35 · answer #3 · answered by philby 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋