TankBud

One species · 2 varieties

Tiger barb

Puntigrus tetrazona

Also known as Sumatra barb

FreshwaterFish

Tiger barb (Puntigrus tetrazona)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.0–8.0
Adult size
2.8 in
7 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Schooling
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Very common
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Sumatra

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One setup covers every line on this page: care is the species' care.

Overview

The tiger barb is a striped, active schooling barb for the middle of the tank. It is a good beginner fish if you plan its tank mates.

Did you know

Most of the tiger barb's fin-nipping problem comes from keeping too few. In a small group they pester other fish, but in a large school they spend their time chasing and sorting out rank among themselves. Bumping up the group size is usually the fix, not removing the barb.

Caring for the tiger barb

Tiger barbs are nippy, so keep at least six, and more is better, in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. They are active swimmers in the middle of the tank. A planted tank with open swimming room and a gentle current suits them.

The water can run soft to fairly hard, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 8.0. Tiger barbs are easy eaters, taking flake, micro pellets and frozen foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Tiger barbs are aggressive, and they will shred trailing fins. Avoid long-finned or slow tank mates such as bettas and angelfish.

Tiger barbs are egg scatterers with no parental care. Move the parents out after spawning, since they will eat the eggs if left in the tank. The eggs hatch in roughly a day or two, and breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The tiger barb, Puntigrus tetrazona, is a cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, also called the Sumatra barb. The bold black bars on its gold-orange body give it its name. It is widespread and not considered at risk in the wild.

In the wild

The tiger barb comes from Sumatra and nearby parts of Southeast Asia. It lives in clear, moderately moving streams with lots of plants, wood and leaf litter. The water there is usually soft and slightly acidic to neutral.

Other named lines

The green, albino and platinum barbs in shops are all this species.

Platinum
silver-white, bars nearly hidden

From published sources

Tank mates

Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the tiger barb by at least two published care guides. Keep the tiger barbs in a group of eight or more, which spreads out their nipping.

Sources: Aquarium Co-Op, Fishkeeping World, Aquarium Source, FishLab, Aqueon, Seriously Fish, Tropical Fish Hobbyist.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a tiger barb need?

A tiger barb needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a tiger barb need?

A tiger barb is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–8.0.

What does a tiger barb eat?

A tiger barb is an easy eater. It takes flake, micro pellets and frozen foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp.

How big does a tiger barb get?

An adult tiger barb reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).

Does a tiger barb need a group?

Yes. A tiger barb is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a tiger barb breed?

Tiger barbs scatter their eggs and give them no parental care, and the parents eat the eggs if left with them. The eggs hatch in roughly a day or two. Breeding them is hard.

What fish can live with the tiger barb?

Published care guides name zebra danio, bristlenose pleco, black widow tetra and black ruby barb, among others. Keep the tiger barbs in a group of eight or more, which spreads out their nipping.

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