Tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona)

lauraleellbp

pH range: 6.0 – 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19

Tiger barbs are Asian fish native to Sumatra and Borneo. They are attractive, diamond-shaped fish with distinctive black vertical stripes. When healthy, they display vivid orange-red edges to their fins and on their noses. Tiger barbs can also commonly be found in albino and green color morphs.

Tiger barbs are known to be nippy fish, and are especially attracted to long, flowing fins. To minimize aggression, they should be kept in schools of 4 or more. A 30 gallon tank is the minimum sized tank recommended for a school of Tiger barbs. They will school in the midwater area of the tank, and need plenty of open area to swim.

Tiger barbs will often be seen schooling with clown loaches when kept in the same tank. They are omnivores and will accept any food, live or commercial, that will fit in their mouths. They have been known to school together and tear apart larger prey, such as shrimp. Provide a balanced diet including vegetable and protein-based foods.

Gezza

I was told these fish were aggressive, and would eat my baby fish. I was amazed then a few days later when my mother blackmolly started attacking it. I thought nothing of it, thinking the molly was just being overprotective of its babies. The next day however the tiger was missing, and a few days fter that I found its carrion in the log. I think it depends on the character of the individual on whether it is boysterous or shy.

Characins

Great little schooling fish however very agressive fin-nippers, I find they are not suited to peaceful community tanks. When kept in very large schools, 15 or more, the agression is more spread out and they do well with larger fish species such as gouramis, dwarf cichlids, and some mbunas and south american cichlids.
Even then there will still be some nipping. Tigers do best in a species tank. A well planted tank with 2 dozen or so tigers is a beautiful sight, without having to worry much about agression. In a species tank they are likely to breed. The mating rituals of the tiger barb are very interesting to watch, and caring for fry is always fun!

lauraleellbp

I actually have always had good experiences with Tiger Barbs in community tanks, but I've always kept schools of about 8 in my 46gal. I currently have 2 "senior citizens" left from my last school, and they are very docile- I've never seen them nip anyone but each other, and that not very often. They are greedy little pigs though, so I usually have to feed in several areas of the tank to make sure food gets past them to the other fish.

gasteriaphile

I have just begun to think about what kind of larger tank I would like to have "someday". I have been reading a very informative book by Tullock in which he gives many, many types of tanks to create based upon a biotope concept.

One of these biotopes is the "Barb Tank", in which he suggests keeping maybe just them with a small group of Botias for substrate cleanup detail. This idea had never occurred to me before, i.e. using just one species, and the more I thought about the tigers the more I thought well sure!

It is a very flashy fish and just b/c it is common is no reason not to consider it. Plus it should be hardy. Is readily available. Schools, which I like and can take cooler temps.

I wonder though if I could keep some Otocinclus with them? for the algae?

Just learning, Breck in Spokane

Vladdy

I got 2 tiger barbs and they like to nip on each other's fins but they leave my mollies alone. Great active fish. Usually they will nip other fishes fins. I guess I just got lucky.