Tiger Barb

The Tiger Barb is a very popular aquarium fish. They are short, round shaped fish with tiger like stripes on their side. They grow to be about 3 inches long. They are a very lively schooling fish.

Tiger Barbs have a reputation of being aggressive and nippy. They have been known to nip at the fins of tank mates. They are not suitable tank mates of Gouramis, Betas, Angelfish, and other fish that have long fins. Keeping them in medium to large schools will keep the aggression level down. Tiger Barbs are not recommended for a community tank.

A tank that is going to hold Tiger Barbs should be completely cycled before adding them. They are also prone to a parasite called Ich. It is a good idea to have some kind of treatment on hand when first adding any Tiger Barbs to a new tank. A good tank setup will have some hardy plants, a soft gravel bottom and a nice open area for swimming.

Tiger Barbs will pair up and breed if water conditions are right. Soft and slightly acid water with a temperature of about 80 degrees will encourage spawning. A spawning pair will scatter up to 200 eggs over the aquarium gravel. The parents should then be moved to prevent them from eating the eggs. The eggs hatch in about 3 days.

Tiger Barbs will eat all types of live foods and flakes. They are very active and fun to keep. Tiger Barbs can be found in several color variations, 2 popular ones are the green and albino morphs. When kept in a school of 6 or more they make a great choice for a freshwater aquarium.

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