Tiger Barb

The tiger barb is a popular freshwater cyprinid, native to Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. It has a deep, silvery-gold body marked with four bold black vertical bars and orange-tipped fins, and several selectively bred forms exist, including green, albino, and long-finned varieties. It is an active, omnivorous schooling fish that is notorious as a fin-nipper when kept in small numbers. Keeping a group of at least six to eight redirects aggression within the shoal and reduces harassment of tankmates. It is hardy and undemanding, accepting flake, pellet, and frozen foods readily. It should not be housed with slow, long-finned fish such as bettas or angelfish. A spacious tank with open swimming areas and some planting suits its energetic nature. It is an egg-scatterer that gives no parental care and will eat its own eggs.