FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I recently got a pair of cherry barbs for my five gallon (they're in with a betta) and have a couple questions.

First of all... WHAT do they eat? I've tried multiple flake foods, sinking foods, gel packed mosquito larvae... haven't seen them take a bite.

At first, the betta in there was chasing them, so they were in hiding. I switched him out for a calmer betta and they seemed to come out. I also rearranged the tank a bit and they seemed to like that better. Now the female is hiding again (behind the driftwood arch, I think, it seems to be her favorite place), and the male is hanging out in back under the plants.

The male seems to nip and chase the female quite a bit when they're out. I thought they were okay in pairs... should I have another female to even out the aggression? Her tail is already pretty nipped, either from the previous betta or the male.

I think they're a great addition to this tank, but they're being picky. I'm going to let them settle in a bit and hope they can live with this betta, if not, I have one more calm one I could try, either that or I'll give them the tank to theirselves.

They look so nice in the tank... I'm happy with that, but want to make them happy. A tankmate they can live with and a cuisine they'd eat... Yeah that would be good.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

What do they eat? I haven't known cherry barbs to be picky eaters. They are really shy fish though, and might not eat for the first few days upon being introduced to a tank. Exactly how new are they?

They are usually okay in pairs, and it isn't often that males will pick on females (though I've heard of this before). If or when that does happen, adding another female would be a good idea, so that the male had two gals on whom to lavish attention.

If they still don't want to eat after a while, try some frozen bloodworms or live brine shrimp. Either one of those should start them eating.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

I'll have had them for a week tomorrow. Yesterday I switched out the more aggressive betta for the calmer one. I saw the cherries out and about today (must have caught them before they awoke for the day. Still waiting to see them eat, though.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

hmm..thats a long time for cherry barbs not to eat...i dont remember my cheery so picky like that..and i do have 2 males in the tank and they dont even care..never seen them chase one another...

do u have plenty of shades for them to hide...??

Hikari Tropical Micro Pellets
http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/Hikari/Class//T1/F41+0551+0036/EDP/4983/Itemdy00.aspx

I feed my Cherry barbs with this food and they love it. I've found the best way of feeding my barbs is to get a straw, and put some of the micro pellets in one end, cap the other end of the straw with my finger, and tap the pellets back into the straw as far as I can get them to my finger. Then I put the straw in the water with my finger still caping the end of the straw to gain pressure. And when I have it position near where the cherry(s) are i release my finger and water will shoot into the straw and help break up the pellets and the pellets will fall from within the straw into the water right all over the cherry barb(s). The get showered with food, and they love it.

I found this to be an excellent way, because I have my barbs with betta's too, and the bettas really like the micro pellets too, so I can't just drop them in the water because the betta will eat it all first and the Cherrys are too scared to come out when the betta is feeding on their food. And the Cherrys like the straw, they recognize it and they bite it. They'll know it's food time.

Any other food that is for barbs, i've found that it is very messy and too big. It doesn't float & drop as well as the Hikari.

I have a terra cotta plate (it looks like a dinner plate) that I drop the food in most of the time. Because I had a planeria problem that I attribute the sinking pellet type food(s). So, you might want find something similar.

-Pamela

P.S. Make sure, when you insert the straw in the water that you don't entirely submerge the straw. What will happen is that when you uncap the straw, the food will shoot out the other end. Try to find a long straw too...works better.. HTH!

Tankie - yes, the tank is nicely planted, plus there's a piece of driftwood where the female likes to hide. There's also a small terracotta pot cave, and they like to hide in the corner the internal filter creates.

Herme - sounds like a good idea. I've seen them making eating motions, like snapping at particles in the water. They seem interested, and they must be eating SOMEthing, but I just haven't seen them do so.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Ive had my cherry barbs about a week and they wont eat either. I tried frozen bllod worms (mosquito larve and they didnt eat it. I had to net it out. Tried flakes to. All my other fish, which are livebearers. tear food up. Cherries dont even act happy to get it or eager to come inspect it.

My cherry barbs don't like big pieces of flakes. I crunch the flakes into smaller pieces. Of course they love the micropellets.

Well yesterday I fed mine flakes and bloodworms at two different times. I finallyyyyy saw the male take a bite. One bite. today I fed bloodworms and they each ate two. Then they swam around, all the while food was still floating about them and they seemed oblivious.

how very odd...i havent known them to be fussy eaters...definatly shy though. good thing they arent normal tiger barbs...the two of those guys i have in my school of five barbs go after any fish with long fins...i am quite sure they would either nibble or annoy any beta i put into the tank with them till the betas death,lol.

I have had my cherry barb pair...m/f for about march of this year and have had the same problems that some of you are listing. At first mine did the same, not eating that much but now....man o man u can get anything past those two. The male eats more, naturally because of the significance in size and because he is a brightly colored beast! ...anyways as for the whole you not seeing the eat...how long do you watch them for? Beause sometimes i will catch them eating old food that my otto has missed on the gravel. And definatley make sure that there are some large leafs that the male and female can take cover in...because they are definatley one of the most shying fish....and dont worry about the male picking on the female...rarely will he do that....either that or they are mating...because thats what mine do when they are "flirting"....though i cant seem to land any fry........hmmmmm anyways...iam not sure about the whole betta thing....if he/she is still causing ruccus...i would say move it to a diff tank and then get maybe another female....but most of all dont give up and good luck....



Peter

20 GALLON LONG CURRENTLY EMPTY ~~~~ 10 GALLON W/ STRIPPED CONVICT

I had the same situation with my cherry barb pair when I first put them in my 42g (I actually remember asking the same question here ). They hid and wouldn't come out at feeding times the whole first week. After a few weeks the male would come out more but the female remained in hiding for a bit longer. Now 6 months later they've lost all shyness and are constantly out. They've become pigs at feeding time too.

Regarding the agression, I noticed my male cherry barb has been quite agressive with other tank mates in the last few months. Initially he'd just harass the female from time to time. But now he actually goes after other fish in the tank (corys, tetras, rainbowfishes). Not enough to hurt them (except the one time he nipped some tail fin off a Bentosi tetra), but he'd come out of nowhere and start lunging at them for no reason. I think he's a bit psychotic.

-P