Tiger Barb

The Tiger Barb (Puntius tetrazona), also known as Sumatra Barb, is a popular freshwater fish characterized by its vibrant appearance and active behavior. It typically exhibits a silver or gold body adorned with four distinctive black vertical stripes. The fins often display orange or reddish hues. Native to Southeast Asia, including Sumatra, Borneo, Thailand, and Malaysia, it inhabits clear or slightly turbid streams and rivers. Tiger Barbs are social animals that thrive in schools of six or more individuals. Keeping them in sufficient numbers minimizes aggression and allows them to exhibit their natural shoaling behavior. A well-planted aquarium of at least 113 liters is recommended, providing ample swimming space and hiding places among rocks, driftwood, and vegetation. They prefer soft, slightly acidic water conditions. Tiger Barbs have a reputation for nipping the fins of slower-moving or long-finned fish, so appropriate tankmates should be selected carefully. They are omnivorous and require a varied diet consisting of high-quality flake food, supplemented with live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. Breeding can be achieved in captivity by housing a group of barbs together until pairs form. After spawning, the adults should be removed to prevent them from consuming the eggs. The fry become free-swimming after approximately five days and can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp.