Quick answer: Tiger barbs (Puntigrus tetrazona) are bold, orange and black striped schooling fish from Sumatra that grow to about 2.5 to 3 inches and live 5 to 7 years. They’re hardy and easy to feed, and they do best in a group of at least 6, ideally 8 to 12, in a 30 gallon tank or larger at 72 to 81 F. The thing most people get wrong is group size. Tiger barbs aren’t naturally mean, but in groups of 2 to 5 they turn their energy on other fish and nip fins. In a big group they chase each other instead. Keep them in numbers, and never with slow, long-finned fish like bettas, angelfish or gouramis.
Tiger barb at a glance
| Detail | Tiger barb |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Puntigrus tetrazona (formerly Puntius tetrazona) |
| Origin | Streams and swamps of Sumatra, Indonesia |
| Adult size | 2.5 to 3 in (6 to 7.5 cm), rarely a little more |
| Lifespan | 5 to 7 years |
| Temperature | 72 to 81 F (22 to 27 C) |
| pH | 6.0 to 7.5 |
| Hardness | Soft to moderately hard, about 5 to 19 dGH |
| Minimum tank | 30 gal (114 L) for a group of 6 to 8 |
| Group size | 6 minimum, 8 to 12 or more is better |
| Temperament | Active, semi-aggressive, fin nipper in small groups |
| Diet | Omnivore, eats flakes, pellets, frozen and live foods |
| Care level | Easy, as long as group size and tank mates are right |
| Swimming level | Middle of the tank |
Standard vs green vs albino tiger barbs: which one do you have?
Tiger barbs come in several color forms. They’re all the same species with the same care, temperament and size. Only the look changes.
| Type | What it looks like | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tiger barb | Gold to orange body, four black vertical bands, red-tipped fins and nose | The original wild-type color |
| Green tiger barb (moss green) | Dark green to almost black body with a shiny scale pattern, red fin edges | Black bands merge into one dark body. Looks nearly black in dim light |
| Albino tiger barb | Pale peach or cream body, white bands, red eyes | Caused by a recessive gene, not a hybrid |
| Gold or platinum tiger barb | Yellow-gold to pale body with faint bands | Another recessive color form |
| GloFish tiger barb | Bright fluorescent green, red, orange or purple | Genetically modified. Same care as other tiger barbs |
Green and standard tiger barbs can be kept together and will school as one group. Mixing colors is a nice way to build a big group that looks interesting.
Here’s the honest part most tiger barb guides leave out. Tiger barbs get a bad reputation as bullies, but most of that comes from how they’re sold. Stores and starter guides suggest “a few” of them, people buy three, and the barbs spend their day hunting fins because they have no one else to spar with. The fix isn’t fewer tiger barbs or a calmer fish. It’s more tiger barbs, in a tank big enough for them to burn off energy.
How to tell male and female tiger barbs apart
| Feature | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Body shape | Slimmer and slightly smaller | Larger with a rounder belly |
| Nose | Bright red, especially when breeding | Paler, less red |
| Dorsal fin | A clear red line above the black | Little or no red line |
| Color | More intense overall | Softer colors |
Tiger barb tank setup
Tank size. A 30 gallon tank is a good minimum for a group of 6 to 8 adults. A 20 gallon long can work for a small group, but these are fast, busy fish, so length matters more than height. For a group of 10 or more, or a community tank, go for 40 gallons or larger.
Plants and cover. Planted tanks with open swimming space in the middle work best. Taller plants and wood along the back and sides break up lines of sight and calm chasing. Hardy plants like java fern, anubias, Amazon sword and hornwort suit them. Our low light aquarium plants list has more ideas.
Substrate. Sand or smooth gravel. Darker substrates bring out their colors.
Filter and flow. Tiger barbs come from flowing streams, so they like moderate current and lots of oxygen. Aim for a filter rated at 4 to 6 times your tank volume per hour.
Lid. Use one. Active barbs can jump when startled.
Cycling. Always cycle the tank before adding fish. Our how to cycle a fish tank guide shows how. For a full setup checklist, see our fish tank setup guide.
Not sure how many tiger barbs your tank can hold with your other fish? Our aquarium stocking calculator includes tiger barbs and warns you if you add them with long-finned fish.
Here’s a short clip from our AQUA PLANET 128 channel of tiger barbs being added to a tank.
Water parameters
| Parameter | Ideal range |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 72 to 81 F (22 to 27 C), around 76 to 78 F is a good target |
| pH | 6.0 to 7.5 |
| Hardness | 5 to 19 dGH |
| Ammonia and nitrite | 0 ppm |
| Nitrate | Under 20 ppm, under 40 ppm at most |
Tiger barbs are adaptable, but colors fade in cold water, below roughly 70 F. A 25 to 30 percent weekly water change keeps nitrate in check. Our aquarium water change calculator shows how much your tank needs.
What to feed tiger barbs
Tiger barbs are omnivores with big appetites. Feed a good quality flake or small pellet as the base, and add frozen or live foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia 2 or 3 times a week. Blanched vegetables like zucchini or spirulina flakes add fiber.
How much. Only what they finish in about 1 to 2 minutes, once or twice a day. They’ll always act hungry.
Feeding helps with aggression. Scatter food across the surface so every fish gets some. A well-fed group nips less, and sinking food makes sure bottom dwellers like corydoras get their share.
Are tiger barbs aggressive?
Tiger barbs are semi-aggressive, not truly aggressive. They don’t hunt or kill other fish, but they’re famous fin nippers and can chase calmer fish nonstop.
Why they nip. In the wild they live in large groups and spar constantly among themselves. In small groups that energy spills over onto tank mates.
How to stop fin nipping.
- Keep a bigger group. At least 6, and 8 to 12 or more works much better.
- Give them space. A 30 gallon or larger tank with open swimming room.
- Break up sight lines with plants and wood.
- Choose fast tank mates that can keep up and don’t have long fins.
- Feed well and scatter food so there’s less competition.
- Add new barbs in a group, not one at a time.
Chasing within the group, with fish flaring at each other, is normal and actually a good sign. It means they’re spending their energy on each other, not your other fish.
Best tiger barb tank mates
| Good tank mates | Why they work |
|---|---|
| Zebra danios and other danios | Fast, hardy, short fins |
| Other active barbs, like rosy barbs and odessa barbs | Similar size and energy, can hold their own |
| Corydoras catfish | Stay on the bottom, out of the way |
| Bristlenose pleco | Armored, peaceful, keeps to itself |
| Platies and mollies | Sturdy, quick, short fins |
| Clown loaches | Good in large tanks only, since they grow big |
| Black skirt tetras and serpae tetras | Similar temperament, can hold their own |
| Rainbowfish | Fast, sturdy, need a large tank |
Fish to avoid with tiger barbs
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
| Bettas | Long, slow fins are a target |
| Angelfish | Long fins and slow movement. A classic bad mix |
| Gouramis, including honey and dwarf gouramis | Long feeler fins get nipped |
| Fancy guppies | Big tails, slow swimmers |
| Fancy goldfish | Slow, long fins, and need cooler water |
| Cherry barbs | Smaller and much calmer, so tiger barbs tend to chase and stress them |
| Shrimp and very small fish | Baby shrimp and tiny fish may be eaten |
Our best aquarium fish for beginners guide lists more hardy fish. If you’d like a calmer barb instead, cherry barbs are the peaceful option. We also have guides to black skirt tetras, bristlenose plecos and panda corys.
Sample tiger barb stocking ideas
| Tank | Stocking idea |
|---|---|
| 30 gallon | 8 tiger barbs, 6 bronze corydoras |
| 40 gallon breeder | 10 tiger barbs, 6 zebra danios, 6 corydoras, 1 bristlenose pleco |
| 55 gallon | 12 tiger barbs, 8 danios or 6 rosy barbs, 6 to 8 corydoras, 1 bristlenose pleco |
Breeding tiger barbs
Tiger barbs are egg scatterers and breed fairly easily, but the parents eat their eggs, so you need a separate breeding tank.
Setup. A 10 to 20 gallon tank with soft, slightly acidic water around 78 to 80 F, a sponge filter, and fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop. A mesh or marbles on the bottom lets eggs fall out of reach.
Conditioning. Feed the pair or group plenty of live and frozen foods for about a week.
Spawning. Spawning usually happens in the early morning. A female can scatter a few hundred sticky eggs. Remove the adults right after.
Eggs and fry. Eggs hatch in about 2 days. Fry start swimming a few days later and eat infusoria first, then baby brine shrimp or vinegar eels.
Common tiger barb problems
Barbs nipping other fish. The group is too small or the tank mates are slow and long-finned. Add more tiger barbs or move the victims.
One barb bullying the rest. Usually happens in a small group. Increasing the group and adding plants spreads out the aggression.
Faded colors. Stress, cold water or poor water quality. Check the temperature and test the water.
Barbs hiding. New fish, too few barbs, or a bully tank mate. Give them a few days and check the group size.
White spots. Usually ich, often after a temperature drop. Raise the temperature slowly and treat with an ich medication.
Fish gasping at the surface. Low oxygen or high ammonia. Test the water, do a water change and add surface movement.
Cloudy water after adding barbs. Often too much food or a new tank. Our cloudy fish tank water guide explains the causes.
FAQ
How big do tiger barbs get?
Most tiger barbs grow to about 2.5 to 3 inches (6 to 7.5 cm) in aquariums. Wild fish and very old fish can get a little larger.
Are tiger barbs aggressive?
They’re semi-aggressive fin nippers, especially in groups smaller than 6. In a larger group with fast tank mates, they’re usually well behaved.
How long do tiger barbs live?
Usually 5 to 7 years with good water quality and diet.
How many tiger barbs should be kept together?
At least 6, but 8 to 12 or more is better and reduces fin nipping.
Can tiger barbs live with bettas?
No. Tiger barbs will nip a betta’s long fins and stress it.
Can tiger barbs live with angelfish?
It’s not recommended. Angelfish are slow with long fins, which makes them easy targets.
Can green tiger barbs and tiger barbs live together?
Yes. They’re the same species and will school together as one group.
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