Fiveband tiger barb

Puntigrus partipentazona

Also known as Partipentazona barb, Siam tiger barb

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Southeast Thailand, Cambodia and Malaya
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep this tiger barb in a proper group of at least eight to ten; a good-sized school spreads out the natural fin-nipping so it stays play among themselves rather than harassment of neighbors. They are lively middle-water swimmers, generally peaceful but too boisterous for slow, long-finned tankmates like bettas or angelfish, so pair them with other quick, sturdy community fish. Feed a varied diet of flake, small pellets, and frozen foods, with the odd bit of vegetable matter. A tank of around 110 liters gives a school the swimming room it needs to settle.

In the wild

The fiveband tiger barb lives in forest streams and flooded pools from southeast Thailand through Cambodia and into Malaya. Give it a well-planted tank with driftwood, roots, and some leaf litter, over a darker substrate that shows off its stripes, with a gentle current. Warm water suits it, 23 to 27 degrees Celsius, with a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. Slightly soft, lightly tannin-stained water mirrors its home best.

Good to know

A member of the carp family, Cyprinidae, Puntigrus partipentazona is the mainland's smaller counterpart to the common tiger barb, reaching only about 5.5 centimeters. Its name means partial five-bands, from the way one of its dark bars stops short instead of running clean across the body. It is an egg-scattering spawner of moderate difficulty, best conditioned in a group and given fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop, with the adults removed after spawning since they eat their own eggs.

Did you know

Long confused with the common tiger barb, it was recognized as its own mainland species; the giveaway is that one dark bar breaks up where the tiger barb wears a complete one.

Tank mates

Fiveband tiger barb is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.