# Gold Barbs



## Ashnic05 (Jan 7, 2013)

Ok so here I am trying to stock my tank with a colorful school of fish. I thought I had it narrowed down to Gold Barbs, but then heard some rumors:

1. They eat plants...is this true? I have a heavily planted tank and really, REALLY don't want anyone munching on my babies...

2. They are fin nippers...I know this is typical of barbs but thought that Gold Barbs were the exception to this rule. Not the case? Or are they nippers, just not as bad as Tiger Barbs? I plan on getting about 9 for my 30g.

3. They don't do well with long-fin fishes such as Bettas. Yes or no? 

In your experiences/ opinions is any of this true? What are their general temperments? Already in the tank is: 

Betta
German Blue Ram
2 Cory Cats
Golden Zebra Loach

They would be one of the last fish added other than some algae eaters when the tank builds up a bit of it...

Oh and one more thing, are they more shoalers or schoolers? Thanks!


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

I got one with a shoal of Cory cats. He didn't last long alone, but I never saw any lude behaviour. In fact, I've only ever read good things about the fish.


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## brainwavepc.com (Sep 27, 2011)

I have 8 big ones in my 125g. they never nip, never bother plants, and are not aggressive towards fry or my gourami fins.

mine schoal and school sometimes.


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## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

brainwavepc.com said:


> I have 8 big ones in my 125g. they never nip, never bother plants, and are not aggressive towards fry or my gourami fins.
> 
> mine schoal and school sometimes.


+1. Great community fish. Very interesting behaviour at times.Highly recommended.


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

Are these the same as green barbs? I thought I read somewhere that gold barbs in the wild are actually green or slightly green colored....can anyone confirm?


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## Ashnic05 (Jan 7, 2013)

After reading your posts I just bought 9 of them and WOW my tank is active! They look fantastic! Thanks!


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

Hello,

I had bad luck with gold barbs. I kept nine in a 20H tank. Later learned they grow 8cm in length, even 10cm in the wild. On the beginning it goes fine, but when they reached 5cm problems began..

In hot pursuit against each other, they bumped into my cabombas and destroyed them. They began eating my egeria densa and when they began eating some crypts, I gave them.

If you feed them twice a day, they may leave plants alone. Also, i think my tank was too small for them.

Michel.


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## Ashnic05 (Jan 7, 2013)

micheljq said:


> Hello,
> 
> I had bad luck with gold barbs. I kept nine in a 20H tank. Later learned they grow 8cm in length, even 10cm in the wild. On the beginning it goes fine, but when they reached 5cm problems began..
> 
> ...


The 9 I have are the first school I've added to my tank and EXTREMELY active. I think 9 is too much for my size of tank so I'll be taking 4 back in a day or two and evaluate the other 5 from there. They've nipped my Bettas fins (separated him) and if hungry will nip at my snails. Both times its been the larger Barbs doing the nipping so the small ones may be ok for a time, but I'll still need to keep an eye on them. They're leaving my plants alone (for now).


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## starthief (Aug 1, 2013)

I've just added 5 gold barbs and 3 male cobra guppies to my 38g, which had 8 CW010 cories and 6 panda cories.

In the store, the gold barbs and cobra guppies were all schooling together. In my tank, the gold barbs have joined the panda cory tribe -- they follow each other around peacfully, "sit" together, dart up and down the side of the tank together, and eat together. It's cute, but kind of surprising; it's like I have 19 bottom dwellers and 3 top dwellers in my tank, instead of 14 and 8 like I expected.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

As noted above, Gold Barbs get too big for these mid-sized tanks. They were great in my 45 gallon (4' long) tank. Plenty of room for active fish in there. I would not want to try them in smaller tanks, except for a short quarantine period. 
And reducing the size of the school is not how to fix the problem. 

Puntius semifasciolatus may also be called Green Barb. This is the wild type, not often available for aquariums. 
P. semifasciolatus 'Shubertii' is more definitely Gold, with some black markings. This is the one that is most commonly kept in aquariums. They are cooler water tropical fish. They are OK in a room temperature tank.

For a 30 gallon, I would stick with fish that do not get larger than about 2", maybe 3" if they are a less active fish.


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## Dr Fishbait (Mar 16, 2013)

My experience with Gold Barbs was not pleasant. They are voracious eaters and the other species in my community tank didn't have a chance. They ate themselves to obesity and where never satisfied. They are PIGS. They did not nip at others in my tank. I brought them back to my LFS. GOOD RIDENCE.

Oh! By the way. I LOVE my Cherry Barbs. Great fish.


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## Aqualady (Jan 14, 2013)

Dr Fishbait said:


> My experience with Gold Barbs was not pleasant. They are voracious eaters and the other species in my community tank didn't have a chance. They ate themselves to obesity and where never satisfied. They are PIGS. They did not nip at others in my tank. I brought them back to my LFS. GOOD RIDENCE.


I had Rosy Barbs 2m/2f which were active also but they were super duper "GREEDY"! I eventually re-homed! Now other tank members can eat without rushing/darting!


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## Pearl_Gourami (Nov 9, 2016)

Apologies! Bumping this old thread. Want to know more about people who have this species. Both positives and negatives.

Positives from my experience is they are super active, really glistening beauties that are always playful.>0

Negative is they seem to at regular intervals harass my angels, one individual with flowing fins in particular- that also happens to be my favourite fish.:frown2::frown2:


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