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FAQs on the Minnows called Barbs, Danios and Rasboras Systems

Danio stays suspended in water 10/19/07
I searched desperately on your sight to find this specific problem and couldn't find it.
I have 5 danios in a 10 gallon tank for 5 weeks now. They were all fine until 2 days ago, one just hovers above the gravel in front of the castle
<Danios can't be kept in a 10 gallon tank. It's too small for them. They are hyperactive fish, and also very hierarchical, spending a lot of time chasing one another about. In a too-small tank, the dominant fish will bully the others, and you will find one fish dying every few weeks from stress, until eventually you have just one or two specimens left.>
which is about 5 inches wide and never really moves much beyond the length of the castle unless prompted by the other danios.
<"Prompted" is probably not the word: "bullied" is. I've seen this happen before, and that is why I absolutely and categorically consider Danios unsuitable for a 10 gallon tank. You need at least 6 specimens for their behaviour to "be good", and they need 20 gallons of space so that they can maintain their "personal space" without problems.>
The ammonia and nitrites and nitrates are all at 0 ppm and he shows no outward appearances on body of being ill.
<Good.>
He doesn't look like he is suffering, just that he is bored or depressed.
<Stressed, actually.>
I did do a 30% water change and added aquarium salt, Stress coat and vacuumed the gravel. Did another very small water change the next day.
<Why on Earth are you adding salt to the aquarium? Do you have some brackish water fish in there as well? Freshwater fish do not want or like salt added to the water. Assuming you have water chemistry within the range of preferences for Danios (moderate hardness, pH 6.5-8.0) you should be fine.>
No real change. I don't know what else to do. I know the key thing is water change, etc. I have done that and I'm at a loss.
<The issue here is social behaviour. Solution: bigger tank, add some more specimens of the same species. This will fix the problem. Nothing else will. And once this fish dies, another will get listless, and so on...>
Can you answer this quickly and advise specifically where I could locate my answer. With the several feed backs on each page of your website makes It difficult to find.
Thank you,
Irene
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale>

Re: Danio stays suspended in water 10/20/07
Of all the reading I did, I saw that 10 gallon tank was sufficient for these small fish that once they reach adult size, is 2 inches.
<Yes, this is commonly said. But it isn't true. They need swimming space. Fishbase (the primary source of scientific fish information on the Internet) says this about Zebra Danios -- "Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; minimum aquarium size 60 cm". I'd agree with that. 60 cm (= 24 inches) is by my reckoning a standard 20 US gallon tank. If you happen to have a very long and wide, but shallow, 10 US gallon tank that gives the fish 60 cm/24" of swimming space, then you might be fine. But if you have a standard 10 US gallon tank, which is 50 cm/20" long or thereabouts, then you're out of luck really. Funnily enough I just finished writing an article for 'Tropical Fish Hobbyist' on stocking ten-gallon tanks, and one aspect of the article is why inactive schooling fish, like Neons, are better than hyperactive ones, like Danios.>
So much for doing my research.
<Research is good. But 'best practise' changes over time, and what was once considered acceptable might not be acceptable now. And to be fair, Danios have been kept successfully in 10 gallon tanks. I just don't consider it reliable. If you have an aggressive male in there who wants to throw his weight about, there's a lot of chasing, a potentially casualties.>
I even researched on the fishless cycling so these fish would never be exposed to ammonia or nitrites and when that was finished (about 6 weeks later when ammonia and nitrites were 0), I added them all to the tank.
<Very good.>
I guess the only way you learn with fishkeeping is through trial and error because research obviously didn't help here.
<Indeed. My most recent experience with Danios was with six Danio choprae added to a 10 gallon tank. Within a couple of months, the two dominant males had killed off all their schoolmates, and all they did was chase and nip each other all the time.>
Too many differences of opinion.
<Agreed.>
I don't have room for a 20 gal. Tank, that's why I went with the Danios.
<Ah, that's a pity. But to be fair, a 20 gallon needn't take up much more space.>
Now what?
<Can't offer any magic bullets. Doubling the number of Danios in there might help, by diffusing the aggression and weakening the pecking order. But that would double to load on the filter, and worse, there's no guarantees, and you might just end up with twice as many bullies!>
Thank you,
Irene
<For the time being, maybe just sit and wait. See if things settle down. Perhaps the fish will all start playing nicely, and you won't have problems. Keep an eye open for other problems that might be at work. Keep tabs on water chemistry and quality. Try varying the diet a bit, to coax the quiet fish into activity. Live daphnia usually do the job nicely. Good luck, Neale>

pH in water
Mr. Fenner,
I have a 20 gal tank that I started about 2 weeks ago. I set up the tank (used tap water and treated) and let it run for a week w/out fish. On Sunday, 8/5/01, I introduced 2 tiger barbs and 2 gold barbs. Just before I introduced the fish, the water began to cloud up. I thought it was the level of the ph (7.6).
My questions are: 1. Is 7.6ph safe for a tank and what fish will do well?
<This pH should be fine for your barbs>
2. What could be causing the cloudiness?
<Very likely this is a "population explosion" of microbes... common when a tank starts off sterile... as in all new. Do take care not to overfeed, and monitor ammonia, nitrite if you can during this "break-in" period>
3. When would be a good time to introduce other fish and add plants to the tank?
<After the cloudiness is gone... likely in a week or two. Please do use our site: www.WetWebMedia.com for more input. Be chatting, Bob Fenner>
Thank-you for your time.
Scott

Re: pH in/of water
What other types of fish could I introduce to the tank?
<A very large selection... but do take care to check on their compatibility and average maximum size... the rasboras, Danios, larger livebearers, perhaps some of the medium size/temperament Gouramis, loaches, many, many catfishes... Take a look on our site under livestock selection and the various groups surveyed. Bob Fenner>

Temporary Fish Housing (12/23/2003)
Hi-ya thanks for any help you can give me. I am wanting to move my community tank upstairs as a larger tank has been bought for the living room to host Discus. The tank currently running is a 35 gallon community tank. With around 15 fish, biggest of which are silver sharks ( a pair ) around 3-4 inch in length. <Are these Bala "Sharks" (Balantiocheilos melanopterus) or Hemiodus? Either of these will get bigger and need a bigger home. Depending on the projected adult size of your 15 fish, your tank may be overstocked.> The other tank is a 75 gallon which is not set-up as yet. It will have an Eheim 2026 pro II for filtration. I am wanting to move the fish into this larger tank temporarily. So I have a couple of weeks to clean out and replace various parts of the old tank. Just wondering how quickly I can move the fish into this new tank without risking their health. I will start with just a couple of the more hardy fish like the mollies and the green tiger barbs. The tank is quite large for the fish going into it. <not really> How long should I leave the tank before any fish go in? assuming its free from chlorine. <Seed it with water & filter material from the 35, it will cycle very quickly and you should be able to start after just a few days transferring a few fish every few days. And how quickly should I add the rest? <No clear-cut formula here. Maybe 1/4 of the fish every 3-4 days. If you can get some Bio-Spira (check Marineland's website for info), you can cycle the tank instantly.> I will then of course have to slowly move them back to the original. <Consider Bio-Spira> Would greatly appreciate any tips or hints you could give me, in this stressful time for my little friends!! <Your "sharks" would be better off in a 55G tank than a 35--they need the swimming room of a 48" long tank. Good luck, Steve Allen>

High pH, Fighting Danios
Hi guys. You have the greatest website! I got my first tank two weeks ago. It is a ten gallon freshwater community tank, several plastic plants, 50 watts heater, two thermometers one internal and one external, one fake rock with 3 holes on it, one undergravel filter, two inch deep gravel strata (rounded and more or less pea sized), one aqua-tech outside power filter, one small sponge filter. The pH of our tap water is about 7.4 to 7.6. I added water conditioner (Tetra Aqua Safe), Stress Zyme, five teaspoons of salt for freshwater aquarium. At the beginning the water got a little cloudy. I waited one week and added 3 Zebra Danios Next day I added one ounce of Bio-Spira freshwater bacteria from Marineland. The water became clear again within 24 hours. The Danios (one small male, one small female and a larger older individual whose gender is a mystery to me) were fine. They were exploring and racing around. Then the two smaller Danios began to dance in circles at the bottom of the aquarium. The older individual took possession of the upper and middle part of the aquarium and began to chase and bump-fight the small male while the small female was hidden in the plants. Within 48 hours the small male stopped racing and eating and died. I examined the body. There were no signs of disease or injury. The older individual still chases the small female every time they meet. The small female is fine but she is confined to a corner of the aquarium that is covered in plants most of the time. She ventures out often, but she goes back when the larger Danio chases her. When I feed the fish, I feed them very little food, twice or once a day. I try to feed them the minimum amount of food possible. I underfeed them because they are too busy fighting each other to eat all of it. Although the Danios come immediately to the food, they promptly begging to fight and some flakes end up sinking and the fish remain hungry. I worry about the food sinking. My last pH reading is in the range of 7.6 to 8. My ammonia reading is 0. My nitrite reading is 0.2. I have several questions:
What could have happened to the small male Zebra Danio?
<<Aggression, high ammonia, nitrites. What did your ammonia test at last week? Must have been some, there has to be ammonia for it to be converted into nitrite. Do you have nitrates yet? You should be testing this tank everyday.>>
What is it with the large Zebra Danio (I was told they are peaceful fish)?
<<They are not. And a toxic tank will not make them any nicer, either...>>
Could the small female Zebra Danio be hurt by constant harassment?
<<Certainly>>
Is it a good idea to add other fish to the tank?
<<No.>>
If so is this list a good list: one male Beta, two more Zebra Danios, two female Guppies and two small Cory Cats? Are this fish too many (taking into account all my filters and that I am willing to do a 25% water change weekly and a mayor water change monthly)? Would they take my pH as it is? How can I modify this list to avoid disaster?
<<Do NOT add any fish now. Your tank is still cycling. Hence the high pH, etc. And certainly don't add all of these at one time! And definitely avoid putting guppies and a Betta into a tank with Danios. Disaster awaits if you do.>>
Until now I have resisted the impulse of applying pH-lowering product to my tank but What can I do with my pH (7.6 to 8.0)? Should I make a 25% water change now (taking into account that the food keeps sinking because of the fighting of my Danios)?
<<As I said, your pH is high because the tank is CYCLING. It will stabilize in a month or so. Have PATIENCE, please. Do not mess with your pH, you will not be helping your fish if you do. The pH will end up all over the place, and your fish will end up dead from a combination of pH shock, nitrite poisoning, and stress..>>
Finally, If Bio-Spira is so amazing, why are some dealers against it? Thank you for your help.
<<I personally like Bio-Spira, it's an excellent product when it's being used properly. However, results will differ from tank to tank. Dealers simply don't like it when people with no experience try to cycle with it and end up with dead fish, as in your case. Please do some reading, buy yourself some ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits, and be PATIENT. Test your water regularly, do waterchanges when readings become high, and do NOT add fish until the tank has NO ammonia and NO nitrites left. Keep two small fish in the tank during cycling. TWO! not more! Keeping a written record of your test results will help. :) -Gwen>>

Barbs, something bunk with their environment
Hello, wanted to now could you tell me what this is my barbs keep dying they have there mouths stuck open no function? then they get some sort of fungus its been going on for about two months started treating with MelaFix no results then done everything to clean that up waited then did ick meds. still sick repeated clean up then waited then hit them hard with paragon by AquaTropics for wide spectrum anti-parasitic and anti-bacterial control.. still have new case of the mouth open stuck?????? i really don't now what else to do but dispose of these two so others wont get sick??? what could i do. thanks
< Barbs need clean well aerated water. Check your water for ammonia and nitrites, both should be zero. Nitrates should be below 25 ppm. If you are convinced that it is not bacterial or protozoans then you could try and treat for gill flukes with fluke tabs or clout.-chuck>
Kat..

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