Tiger Barb

Puntigrus tetrazona

Also known as: Sumatra barb, Partbelt barb

Water Parameters

• Temperature: 22–28°C
• pH: 6–7.5
• Hardness (GH): 54–322 ppm (3–18 dGH)

Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.

Care Summary

Beautiful, hardy, and active, but consistently misplaced in community tanks where they ruin everyone else's fish. Tiger barbs are not appropriate for typical community setups despite being sold as community fish. In a proper school of 8+ in a barb-specific or robust-tankmate tank, they are excellent: striking gold-and-black tiger stripes, active schooling behaviour, and genuine hardiness. Modern colour morphs (green tiger, albino, GloFish varieties) are all the same species with identical care. The honest verdict: outstanding fish for the right tank, disaster in the wrong one.

Tankmates

Notorious fin nippers. The reputation is fully deserved: tiger barbs will systematically destroy the finnage of any slow-moving or long-finned tankmate, including bettas, gouramis, angelfish, and fancy guppies. Aggression is significantly reduced when kept in proper schools of 8 or more, because the fish redirect their nipping behaviour toward each other in dominance displays rather than tankmates. Groups smaller than 8 are problematic. Compatible only with fast-moving, non-finnage tankmates: other barbs, danios, and robust bottom dwellers.

Compatible with

• Bronze Corydoras
• Bristlenose Pleco
• Zebra Danio
• Rosy Barb
• Clown Loach
• Gold Barb
• Serpae Tetra
• Red-Tailed Black Shark

Avoid keeping with

• Betta
• Angelfish
• Pearl Gourami
• Dwarf Gourami
• Honey Gourami
• Guppy
• Long Finned Species
• Cherry Shrimp
• Amano Shrimp
• Cherry Barb
• Bolivian Ram
• Celestial Pearl Danio

Common Problems

• fin nipping of inappropriate tankmates
• aggression in groups smaller than 8
• boredom and aggression in cramped tanks
• occasional ich

Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-06-18