Description
The tiger barb is one of the most popular, most recognizable, and most misunderstood fish in the hobby. Its four black vertical bands on an orange-gold background are so iconic they're sold even as toys and decorations. And it has a well-deserved reputation as a fin-nipper: it's real, not exaggerated.
But there's another reading: the tiger barb is an extraordinarily lively, active fish with a fascinating internal social dynamic and a robust, striking appearance that has no equal among small to medium-sized fish. The secret is understanding how it works: 90% of its behavior problems disappear with the right group.
The golden rule: minimum 10 individuals in an 80 cm aquarium with appropriate companions. With fewer, the internal hierarchy projects outward and slow-swimming or long-finned fish pay dearly for it. With the right group, all that energy stays contained within the school.
Behavior
The tiger barb has an active social hierarchy within the school. Males establish a dominance order through displays, chasing, and fin-nipping all within the group. In a large school (10+), this dynamic is self-limiting: the dominant fish has so many subordinates it can't focus obsessively on any one of them.
With fewer individuals (3–5), the dominance energy concentrates on few targets and serious harassment behavior may appear both within and outside the school.
Fin-nipper: the risk is real but preventable. Never mix with bettas, veil-tail gouramis, dwarf gouramis, angelfish, or any slow-swimming, long-finned fish. With the right companions, the aquarium works without issues.
Habitat
Puntigrus tetrazona is native to Borneo and Sumatra, where it inhabits jungle rivers and streams with moderate current. The water is relatively clear — less tinted than Amazonian blackwaters — with pH neutral to slightly acidic and stable temperature around 24–26 °C. It lives in areas with abundant submerged aquatic vegetation and sandy-gravel bottoms.
In nature it's active and constantly moving — its aquarium behavior faithfully reflects that energy.
Barbo sumatrano tigre is a schooling species, which means that in the wild it lives and moves in large, coordinated groups.
Keep at least 6 individuals so they feel comfortable and their stress level stays low.
Habitats
Fish sharing this habitat
These fish appear in one or more habitats linked to this profile. It doesn't mean they are directly compatible in an aquarium.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
Egg-scatterer, very prolific. A single spawning may contain 200–300 eggs. Spawning is triggered by a partial water change with softer and slightly warmer water.
- Adults eat their own eggs enthusiastically — move to a breeding aquarium to raise fry.
- Eggs are semi-adhesive; deposited among fine-leaved plants.
- Hatch in 36–48 h; fry free-swimming in 3–4 days.
- Fry grow quickly on brine shrimp nauplii and powder food.
Diet
Active, undemanding omnivore. Accepts absolutely everything and competes enthusiastically for food:
- Base: medium-sized flakes or micropellets.
- Supplement: frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, tubifex, mosquito larvae.
- Extra: blanched vegetables (small quantities).
Feed twice a day. Caution: its competitiveness during feeding can disadvantage slower or shyer fish in the same aquarium.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 26–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 26–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
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They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese y Pauly (eds.), 2026. FishBase.
- Kottelat (2013)Kottelat, M. (2013). The fishes of the inland waters of Southeast Asia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Suppl. 27: 1–663.
Plan your next aquarium
Is this fish right for you? Plan a suitable aquarium before setting it up.