Tiger Barb – Species Overview
The Barbus Tetrazona, most commonly known as the Tiger Barb, Sumatra Barb, or the Partbelt Barb, is a very popular and entertaining fish that can be a colorful addition to your aquarium.
They come in a variety of colors but are typically gold or silver with black stripes. Tiger Barb’s are generally easy to care for and can be a joy to watch.
This fish is native to mainly Borneo and Malaysia, with the breed also being found around Thailand and Cambodia. They have subsequently been introduced into places like Colombia, Australia, Singapore, and the United States.
Instinctively, they prefer habitats with quiet, tree-lined rivers and tributaries of clear water lined with sand, rocks, and plants which contain algae and a variety of insects.
Scientifically known as the Puntigrus Tetrazona, the Tiger Barb used to be known as the Puntius Tetrazona and Capoeta Tetrazona.
It derives from the Cyprinidae family, including Minnows, Carps, and Chubs, and is a form of tropical freshwater fish.
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Origin: Borneo, Indonesia, Sumatra
- Lifespan: 5-7 Years
- Size: 2-3 inches
- Diet: Omnivore
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Tank Level: Mid dweller
- Care Level: Easy to intermediate
- pH: 6.5
- Temperature: 68 – 79 F
- Hardness: Up to 10 dGH
- Breeding: Egglayer
Tiger Barb Behavior
The Tiger Barb is one of the more playful breeds of fish out there. Unfortunately, they do have a reputation for being quite aggressive, and you will often find them pushing or nipping at their fellow tank mates. However, this behavior is more playful than harmful – so don’t be worried.
The reasoning for this is that Tiger Barbs are a very competitive species, with the males often competing for dominance within their small hierarchies. You will see them frequently chasing, barging, and nipping at each other’s fins.
Due to the small hierarchies they form, you should preferably keep them in groups of 8-12, and at the very least groups of 5. The smaller the group, the more likely it is that they will harass each other. These are boisterous fish by nature, and if they are kept alone or in pairs, they will become shy and stressed, often hiding away.
Lifespan Of A Tiger Barb
They are very popular for aquarium tanks, and their lifespan is usually somewhere between 5 and 7 years.
Tiger Barb Appearance
Tiger Barbs quite distinctly look like barbs or spear points, with flared bodies and pointed snouts. They tend to only grow to around 2-3 inches, with the females being slightly larger than the males.
The males appear more streamlined with brighter colors and striking patterns, whereas the female’s bodies are rounded with more muted colors.
Whilst other Barbs have 5 or 6 bands, this breed’s name Tetrazona alludes to their 4-band pattern, although they will vary in color because of the hybridization and selective breeding that has taken place within this species.
Taking a similar resemblance to a certain big cat, a typical Tiger Barb’s colors and patterns are usually golden yellow with black stripes, with orange markings also appearing on their fins and snout.
That being said, many different variations of their colors and patterns exist. You could find Tiger Barbs with gold, silver, red, or green scales, and also with broken bands or no bands at all.
The fish also exists in an albino variant, with cream-colored skin and white bands.
Tiger Barb Habitat And Tank Requirements
Lakes, streams, and sometimes swamps make up the Tiger Barb’s natural habitat on the Malay Peninsula, with the fish being found at varied depths and light types. However, because of algae and decaying plant material, they are usually found in acidic and murky waters.
Being a common fish amidst subtropical waters, the temperatures they prefer are usually between 77-82°F, although they can manage in waters as cold as 65°F.
Tank Conditions
In terms of tank setup for the Tiger Barb, you should have a pH of 6.0-8.0, with a water temperature between 75 and 82 F.
The underlying layer should be mainly fine gravel, with the inclusion of small rocks that the fish can use for shelter if they so please. A basic aquarium light will be acceptable as the Tiger Barb thrives at many light and depth types.
If you want to truly make the Tiger Barb feel at home, you could purchase an under-gravel filter in order to imitate the water currents that these fish are so used to in their natural habit.
This breed does appreciate a wide, open space to swim around in and utilize their playfulness, so you must ensure their tank has a lot of space. However, you should include features like algae and submerged freshwater plants around the sides and corners of the tank, as this provides for a food source and a breeding ground for the Tiger Barb.
Ideally, you want the selected plants to be able to grow to the middle of your tank, so plants like water wisteria, Java fern, and Dwarf hairgrass are all good choices, as they are the most compatible with Tiger Barbs and do not need a specific type of lighting or care.
You could also implement things like dogwood or floating driftwood for extra covering, but remember that when these types of wood eventually decay, you will need to ensure the pH level of your tank isn’t lowered too much.
Also, remember that Tiger Barbs are boisterous and mischievous, so an aquarium hood is essential to ensure no fish decide to go for a leap one day.
Tank Size
Due to their active and playful nature, you would need at least a 20-gallon tank for a minimal amount of 5 Tiger Barbs. For 8 Tiger Barbs, you would need a 29-gallon tank or more. So, for reference, ensure to add 3 gallons for each additional Tiger Barb.
Tank Mates For Tiger Barbs
In their natural habitat, Tiger Barbs generally cohabitate with a variety of freshwater species, and so there is a wide range of fish that can be used as tank mates.
Firstly, you could mix 6-banded barbs with 5-banded barbs as they are known to have the same habitat, although breeds like Rosy barbs, Tinfoil Barbs, or Cherry Barbs can also be a good addition.
If you choose not to add other breeds of Barbs, they should be kept with fast-moving species of similar-sized fish; remember to choose species with short fins to ensure the Tiger Barbs won’t nip or bite at them too much.
An ideal companion for Tiger Barbs is Clown Loaches, with Plecos, Tetras, and small catfish such as Pictus and Corydoras also being an option.
Remember that Tiger Barbs do have the tendency to be aggressive and nippy, so make sure to avoid fish with long fins like Bettas, Angelfish, and Gouramis. Although the nipping and playfulness aren’t harmful, you should be cautious as you want the fish to exist in a stress-free environment, without too much aggressiveness from the Tiger Barbs.
It has also been shown that introducing Tiger Barbs into a pre-established tank will make them less aggressive. That being said, a good tip to having Tiger Barbs is to have a tank that includes fish already, and then introduce the Tiger Barbs secondly – this is due to the fact that if the Barbs are the first ones in the tank, and another breed is introduced after, they will see this as a threat to their territory and act accordingly.
How To Feed Tiger Barbs
In their natural habitat, these fish feast on mostly algae, plant material, worms, zooplankton, and a variety of other small invertebrates.
It can be difficult to imitate the exact diet of a zooplankton feeder due to the biodiversity that exists with the waters of a wild stream or lake, although there are good ways you can go about feeding your new fish.
Tiger Barbs need a varied diet so as to ensure they stay healthy; this will show as their colors will appear more bright and vivid if they are well kept.
Things like Water fleas, adult brine shrimp, and larval are good choices, and in addition to these invert rebates, you should also include simple fish food like crushed-flake options and freeze-dried bloodworms.
They are also fish that surprisingly enjoy getting their greens. The fish will often enjoy the growing algae in their tank, but you could also supplement their diet with the addition of a variety of cooked garden vegetables like cucumber, courgette, or lettuce.
Remember that Tiger Barbs have a big appetite, and so they should be fed at least twice a day, every day.
How To Breed Tiger Barbs
Tiger Barb’s are temporarily-paired spawners, which means unlike other species, they will choose a different mate each time they spawn. This can occur multiple times throughout their lives, with them usually reaching maturity at 6-7 weeks of age.
They can produce 500-700 eggs per spawning and usually lay their eggs under the cover of submerged vegetation.
In order to breed this species successfully, you should condition each sex before pairing them; this includes feeding them 3 times a day, preferably with freeze-dried bloodworms and adult brine shrimp.
You can usually tell your barbs have entered their prime breeding condition as the male Barb’s colors will appear brighter, whereas the females will appear larger and rounder.
Once they appear in this way, they will be ready to pair off and breed. You can place pairs of Tiger Barbs in a breeding tank and ensure they have an environment with cobbles and thick underwater grasses and reeds to spawn on.
The weeds and substrate will be an ideal place for the eggs to stick to, although they should be removed once deposited to prevent egg cannibalism.
Hatching time is about 48 hours, and the yolk sacs will be retained for about 3-5 days. Once the larvae are free from their yolk sac, they should be fed larva brine shrimp for 2-3 days before going on to microforms and fry food.
Possible Tiger Barb Diseases
This species doesn’t have any specific common problems that you should be worried about from the get-go.
They are, however, vulnerable to all the common diseases that freshwater fish can experience; this includes the common disease Ich.
Ich is caused by Parasitic protozoan and causes some white dots to appear over the Barb’s body. It is a contagious disease that is also potentially fatal, but good news – it is very easy to treat with over-the-counter treatment.
Ich can come on due to poor water conditions, so you need to ensure that your Tiger Barb’s tank has clean water, a stable temperature, and pH, and with water that isn’t too hard.
A top tip for maintaining care of Tiger Barbs is to keep the water conditions in check; you can do this by monitoring the water parameters, performing partial water changes every few weeks, and keep your filtration system working well.
Are Tiger Barbs A Good Choice For Your Aquarium?
Tiger Barbs are amazing freshwater fish that are easy to care for, are beautiful to look at due to their signature stripes and bright colors, and can be endlessly entertaining with their active and playful temperaments.
They are fish that certainly have a personality to them and can make a perfect addition to a tropical-themed tank.
If you decide to own these playful creatures, you must ensure to feed them a well-balanced and nutritional diet and remember that their habit of fin-nipping isn’t a dangerous one.
Even for a beginner, Tiger Barbs are an ideal pet. They are fairly low-maintenance and provide for a very entertaining and rewarding tropical experience. All in all, a quality specimen for any fish keeper out there.
