Tiger Barbs
Tiger Barbs (Barbus tetrazona), sometimes called a Sumatra Barb, is a tropical fish from the Cyprinidae family. There are over 70 species of Barb, but the Tiger Barb is the most well known.
The life expectancy of a Tiger Barb is around 6, although this may drop to 3-5 years in limited aquarium conditions. Tiger Barbs are best kept together in groups. 10+ in one shoal works well as they can become aggressive if they are kept in a small group.
Tiger Barbs are moderately aggressive fish and are known to be “fin nippers”. They therefore are not well suited to community fish tanks with slow placid fish or those with long flowing fins (such as Angelfish or Betta Fish). Tiger Barbs are best kept with other fast-moving fish, and work especially well with Danios and Loaches.
Tiger Barbs grow to around 4 inches long and 1.5 inches wide in the wild, but can be smaller when kept in an aquarium. Their have an orange / yellow body, four vertical black stripes and red fins. Females tend to be bigger than their male counterparts. Like many tropical fish they flourish in soft and slightly acidic water.
They are native to many parts of Asia including Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra.
Tiger Barbs – Color Variations
Tiger Barbs have been selectively bred to produce a range of color variations. These include:
Original Tiger Barbs
The original Tiger Barb has an orange / yellow body, four vertical black stripes and red fins.
Green Tiger Barbs
The Green Tiger Barb is the most commonly bred alternative variation and has a solid, dark green body.
Albino Tiger Barbs
Albino Tiger Barbs have a pale pink / cream body, white stripes and red eyes.
Caring for your Tiger Barbs
Habitat
Tiger Barbs are native to the streams of Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. These streams are often tributaries of larger rivers, ensuring that the water flow rate is not too high.
The streams are often tree lined and have thick vegetation. This gives the Tiger Barbs plenty of hiding places as well as an environment that encourages insects, invertebrates and other prey into the area.
Ideally the water is soft and slightly acidic and has good oxygen levels. An air pump can help provide this to your tank. Tiger Barbs have also been discovered in swamp areas, suggesting that they are able to partially adapt to their surroundings.
Fish Tank Conditions
As always, it is sensible to provide Tiger Barbs with a similar environment within your fish tank that they would experience in the wild.
Given their desire for ample vegetation and protection protected areas within the streams it is important to provide them with similar protection within the tank. This could include an abundance of plants as well as rock or other formations. Submerged, freshwater plants that are plants near the corners work well.
The Tiger Barbs, in addition to this vegetation and protection, also need ample room to swim in the tank. At a minimum a 20 gallon fish tank is required. If you keep the Tiger Barns in numbers of 10+ (as is suggested due to their shoaling tenancies) a 30 gallon fish tank (or larger) would be suitable. One additional consideration is the swimming style of these fish – they love to swim in schools, and giving them more space to move in a larger tank will make the visual display all the more impressive!
Ideal Water Conditions
Barbs thrive in water conditions similar to their natural habitat. The water should be soft, clean and acidic (i.e. pH below 7.0). There is some debate as to the optimal temperature range, but Neons will certainly be happy within the 77-80 degrees Fahrenheit range (25-27 degrees centigrade).
A pH range of 6.0-7.0 works well. Additionally, the use of soft water with a hardness of less than 10 dGH is ideal.
In addition to these requirements it is important that the tank has sufficient filtration. Tiger Barbs can adapt to moderately changing environments, but it is still best practice to ensure that the tank has stabilized after setup before introducing the Tiger Barbs.
Changing the Water
Tiger Barbs are hardy, but will still require the tank to be maintained. Renewing 25% of the tank capacity every couple of weeks works well. This helps to keep the water clean without exposing the Barbs to environment changes that are too drastic or too frequent.
Lighting
They live at a range of depths in the wild and so encounter a range of lighting levels. They therefore require no special lightly – your standard aquarium lights will work well.
Filters
Tiger Barbs do not produce excessive waste, so there are a wide range of filters to choose from. Just remember to choose a filter that is appropriate for the size of the tank that you have (ensuring sufficient filtration without introducing excessive currents and suction into the tank). Selecting an undergravel filter is an option as this will help to replicate the small currents that they are used to in the wild.
Feeding / Nutrition
Tiger Barbs are omnivores. In the wild they feed heavily on algae and small invertebrates that are found in the grassy areas of their streams. Feeding them a varied diet work well, with options including:
- Flakes
- Pellets
- Brine shrimp
- Bloodworms
Ideally they should also be provided with a lot of greenery. This can either be provided by feeding them vegetables or by allowing some algae to grow among their plants.
Tiger Barbs are very energetic fish and should be fed twice a day. It is still important, however, not to overfeed them such that decaying food builds up in the tank. Feeding them as much as they can eat in 2-3 minutes will help you to regulate their food volumes.
Be aware that they are quite greedy when it comes to food and can become somewhat aggressive during feeding time. It helps to have the food broken into many pieces so that each fish will be able to get some of the food.
Difficulty
Tiger Barbs are of easy to moderate difficulty to keep. Their adaptability to their environment makes them especially suitable for beginners. Anyone with a little experience with keeping tropical freshwater fish will find things easier to begin with.
Tiger Barb Behavior
Tiger Barbs are semi aggressive fish. They are known to be fin nippers and so it is best not to add them to community tanks which have fish with long flowing fins (such as Angelfish).
Tiger Barbs are very energetic fish and do best when they are kept in schools. Ideally the school should have at least 6 fish, and ideally 15+. Not only will they be happier in numbers, but they will also bother other fish less as they will be too busy playing with and chasing each other!
Within tanks they will spend the majority of their time at the middle height level of the tank. They are a great candidate for adding to a community aquarium, particularly if their other inhabitants mainly occupy the very top and bottom of the tank. Their energy and bright colors can make for great displays in your fish tank.
Ideal Fish Tank Companions
Tiger Barbs are great companions for:
- Other Barbs. They are schooling fish and do well in each other’s company.
- Clown Loaches. These fish will actively join in with the Tiger Barbs, with each group often taking on some of the behaviors of the other group!
- Danios.
- Corydas
But poor companions for fish with long and / or flowing fins such as:
- Angelfish
- Betta Fish
This is due to the Tiger’s Barbs tendency to nip their fins. Although this is not harmful in itself, it will cause the other fish undue stress so it is best to be avoided.
Tiger Barb Breeding
Tiger Barbs reach the reproductive age when they are between 6 and 9 months old. At this point you can distinguish the male by the red coloring on its head. The females will also tend to be larger and more rounded at this stage.
Tiger Barbs are egg scatterers when breeding. Once a breeding pair has been identified they should be removed from the community tank and placed in a 20 gallon breeding tank. This tank should have soft, acidic water and a planted area in which the female can lay her eggs. It should be approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The female will spawn around 200 eggs, which the male will then fertilize. If the parents are not removed from the tank at this stage they will eat many of the eggs. The fertilized eggs will hatch after 1-3 days. The fry are capable of swimming by themselves around 5 days after hatching. They can be fed on brine shrimp until such a time as they are large enough to eat small pieces of other fish food.
Diseases
Tiger Barbs are moderately hardy. However, they are more susceptible than many other species to Ich and Cottonmouth. It is therefore important to ensure that the tank is kept clean and the water quality high. Ensuring that they have a good quality and varied diet will also help them to fend off diseases.
Tiger Barbs – Conclusion
Tiger Barbs make for great aquarium fish. Their distinct stripes, high energy and tendency to swim as a school can create some brilliant visual displays. They are available from many good pet suppliers and will not break the bank. Expect to pay anywhere from $2 to $5 depending on size, age and color.
Although breeding them can be difficult, it is certainly worth trying if you have the time and interest in doing so.
If you end up deciding that Tiger Barbs are not for you, there are still a range of different options available to you. Fish such as the Pygmy Cory and Dwarf Gourami could make great alternatives for your tank!