Tiger Barb

Puntigrus tetrazona

Bold, bouncy and bandit-striped. Keep a big gang or they will harass slow, long-finned fish like bettas and angelfish.

A semi-aggressive freshwater fish that grows to 6 cm, lives in the middle of the tank in groups of 6 or more and needs 21–27 °C, pH 6.0–7.8 and an aquarium of at least 60 L.

Care at a glance

Water

Freshwater

Temperature

21–27 °C (70–81 °F)

pH

6.0–7.8

Adult size

6 cm (2.4 in)

Aquarium

60 L or bigger (16 US gal)

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Group size

6 or more

Swims

Middle

Diet

Omnivore

Wild home

Sumatra & Borneo

Good to know

• Fin nipper. Nips the fins of long-finned and slow tank mates.
• Hardy. Tolerates less-than-perfect water. Great for beginners.

Tank mates

Good company: Amano Shrimp, Bristlenose Pleco, Corydoras, Dwarf Gourami, Ghost Shrimp, Honey Gourami, Kuhli Loach, Marbled Hatchetfish, Mystery Snail, Otocinclus.

Eaten by: Asian Arowana, Axolotl, Flowerhorn, Frontosa, Jack Dempsey, Motoro Stingray, Ornate Bichir, Oscar, Siamese Tigerfish.

Attacks: Angelfish, Axolotl, Betta, Congo Tetra, Discus, Fancy Goldfish, Fancy Guppy, Frontosa.

Attacked by: Demasoni Cichlid, Flowerhorn, Jack Dempsey.

Eats the newborn fry of: Betta, Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Boesemani Rainbowfish, Cardinal Tetra, Celestial Pearl Danio, Cherry Barb, Chili Rasbora, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Congo Tetra, Corydoras, Crystal Red Shrimp and 23 more.

Its fry are eaten by: Angelfish, Bala Shark, Betta, Black Ghost Knifefish, Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Boesemani Rainbowfish, Cherry Barb, Clown Loach, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Comet Goldfish, Congo Tetra and 20 more.

Grown ones eat their own newborn fry, so raise the young in another aquarium.

Colours and breeding

• Classic common
• Green uncommon
• Albino uncommon

In Aquarius a grown male and female breed in a healthy tank. Their young are born about 0.4 cm long and take after one of the parents.

Some pairs give a colour neither parent has:

• Classic × Albino can give Green

The care values are the ones Aquarius uses, based on how these animals live. Tank mates follow the game's rules: water type, temperature and pH, who can swallow whom, fin nipping, temperament and territory.