Tiger Barb Information & Care
| Back to Freshwater Aquarium Fish Species | |
|---|---|
| Fish Type | Egg-laying |
| Fish Family | Cyprinids |
| Sub Family 1 | Barbs |
| Common Name | Tiger Barb |
| Scientific Name | Barbus tetrazona |
| Description |
The Tiger Barb or Sumatra Barb (Barbus tetrazona) is a tropical fish belonging to the barb group of the minnow family. Originating from Indonesia and Borneo, this fish is very common in the fish keeping hobby. There are a few varieties of tiger barbs. The main variety is silver to brownish yellow with four vertical black stripes and orange fins and mouth. Also common in the fish hobby are Green Tiger Barbs and Albino Tiger Barbs. It will grow to a maximum length of 3 inches (7.0 centimeters). The Tiger Barb is an active schooling fish that is usually kept in groups of five or more, but they do fine in pairs. Semi-aggressive fish, they are known for nipping at the fins of other fish, especially if they are wounded or injured. When in large enough groups, however, they tend to spend most of their time chasing each other and leaving other species of fish alone. They dwell primarily at the water's mid-level. They have a lifespan of 6 years. Tiger Barbs natively live in a tropical climate and prefer water with a 6.0 - 8.0 pH, a water hardness of 5.0 - 19.0 dGH, and a temperature range of 68-79 F (20-26 C). The females are larger and have a rounder belly. The egg-layers tend to spawn around 200 eggs in the early morning in clumps of plants. Once spawning is finished, they will usually eat any of the eggs that they find. It is usually necessary to separate the fish from the eggs after spawning in order to prevent the eggs from being eaten. From wikipedia.org |
