Tiger barb
Puntigrus tetrazona
easy careOverview
The tiger barb (Puntigrus tetrazona) is a bold, fast, gold-and-black striped fish with a big personality — and a reputation to match. Kept properly it is hardy, active and endlessly entertaining. Kept badly, in small groups, it becomes a relentless fin-nipper. The single most important thing you can do is keep a large shoal: this one rule turns a problem fish into a superb display.
Tank & water
Tiger barbs are active swimmers that need horizontal space. A group of eight or more wants 75 litres (20 gallons) or more.
- Temperature: 23–26 °C from a steady heater.
- Filtration: they are active and messy — a strong filter and good flow suit them well.
- Water: pH 6.0–7.5, soft to moderately hard, kept clean with regular water changes.
- Layout: open swimming space in the middle, with plants around the edges.
Feeding
Tiger barbs are greedy omnivores and easy to feed. Offer a quality flake or pellet once or twice daily, plus frozen or freeze-dried bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp for variety. Feed only what they finish in a couple of minutes; their appetite tempts overfeeding. A little blanched vegetable matter rounds out the diet — see best fish food.
Tankmates
Choose tankmates that are fast and robust, never slow or long-finned. Good matches include danios, other active barbs, and larger tetras. Avoid bettas, guppies, angelfish and gouramis with delicate trailing fins, which tiger barbs will shred.
Common care notes
- Keep a shoal of at least eight to curb fin-nipping
- Give plenty of open swimming space and steady flow
- Avoid pairing with slow or long-finned fish
- Add the group together to settle the hierarchy
Get the group size right and the tiger barb is one of the most dynamic, colourful shoaling fish you can keep.
Tiger barb — frequently asked questions
Do tiger barbs really nip fins?
Yes. Tiger barbs are notorious fin-nippers, especially in small groups. The fix is a large shoal of eight or more, which spreads their energy within the group rather than onto tankmates. Avoid slow, long-finned fish they can target.
How many tiger barbs should I keep?
Keep at least eight, and more is better. A big group establishes its own pecking order and channels the nipping among themselves. Small groups of three or four are the worst offenders and the most stressed.
What fish can live with tiger barbs?
Fast, robust, similarly sized fish work best — other barbs, danios, and larger tetras. Steer clear of bettas, angelfish, guppies, gouramis with trailing feelers and anything slow or long-finned that becomes a nipping target.
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