# tiger barbs attacking my blue rams



## ir0n_ma1den (Apr 27, 2007)

I got a pair of blue rams yesterday and my 4 tiger barbs kept bothering them. Now one of them is upside down at the bottom of my tank still breathing but will probably die. 

Is the cause of death the tiger barbs or something else?

Also should I take the rams back or what?

I really don't want to lose a $9 fish, especially a blue ram 

thanks


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## ir0n_ma1den (Apr 27, 2007)




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## jmontee (Feb 7, 2008)

She is definitely going to die. If you have not already removed her then do so. You can place her in a cup of water and then put her in the freezer, it is a humane euthanasia. 

Also this looks to be an "Angel Ram." I have two of them now and they can be very dificult at the beginning. Many of these are bred to get the shape and do not do very well. Do a search for Angel rams" on google and you'll get some good info on them. There is a big chance that she was already stressed when you got her and the bothering by the tiger barbs did her in. I wouldn't put anything but semiaggressive to aggressive fish with tiger barbs. These guys are very shy and take time to get acclimated to a new environment, IME.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Well......

It could be a lot of things. Rams are pretty finicky even on a good day. I've only really had success with them when I've been able to get wild-caught ones. In very soft water with lots of hiding places and no aggressive tankmates they do ok. They're still a pretty short-lived species. The one in your photo is a mutation form known as a balloon ram. Edit - I haven't heard of an 'angel ram' but it could be that too. In any case it isn't a wild-type specimen. Variants don't do as well as wild-type IME.

I really wouldn't recommend anything as aggressive as tiger barbs as tankmates for these. Tiger barbs have a well-deserved reputation as bullies, especially if your school is small, if they're in a small tank, or if they're with slower, more decorative species.


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## ir0n_ma1den (Apr 27, 2007)

hmm...

Well I called the lfs and i can return them so i will probably do that today.

sigh... i really liked the rams but they will not do well in my tank.

I didn't know that they are pumped with hormones either; thats somewhat disturbing.

And they were probably stressed at the lfs since they just got them in.

Its weird though, my barbs get along very well with my platies.

what would be good tank mates with tiger barbs?


thanks for your help.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Tiger barb neighbors? It depends on the size of your tank. The larger rainbows would be fine. Boisterous, active tetras like Buenos Aires tetras might work. Giant danios, piranha maybe? JK.

I dunno. I have very little love for tiger barbs. I haven't kept them for over 20 years because of their habits.


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## The old man (Apr 12, 2008)

I've got a few 6 tiger barbs and the only thing that competes with them are rosy barbs 6. These barbs can stress eveything from corys, ottos, bristlenosed cats to a synodontis eupterus which they keep holed up under a large driftwood day and night. I toss him a few algea wafers now and then after turning off lights and they devour most of it before he even gets a chance to come out and eat. They just won't pass on to fish heaven so I keep them.


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