Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Cyprinidae / Tiger barb
No federal permit to keepTiger barb
Puntigrus tetrazona
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Cyprinidae (Carps and barbs)
The tiger barb or Sumatra barb (Puntigrus tetrazona), is a species of tropical cyprinid fish.
Intro from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Water temperature | 68–79 °F (20–26 °C) Maintenance recommendations from this source; do not replace with a multisource average. | 261 |
| Water pH | 5–8 Maintenance recommendations from this source; do not replace with a multisource average. | 261 |
| Water general hardness | 1–20 dGH Maintenance recommendations from this source; do not replace with a multisource average. | 261 |
| Adult standard length | 60 mm Maximum standard length reported by source; excludes caudal fin, not total body length. | 261 |
| Minimum tank base | length: 80 cm; width: 30 cm Minimum aquarium base recommended by this source, not a tank-volume specification. | 261 |
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 2.8 in / 7 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 68–79°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6–8.
- Hardness: 5–19 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: Eats a varied diet: mix quality prepared foods with frozen and live foods. FishBase classes it as a omnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 31 × 12 in (roughly 19 US gallons); space needed is rated “modest tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–79 °F, pH 5–8, 1–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament territorial; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; suited to a community tank.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Choice of décor is not especially critical though it tends to show better colouration in a well-decorated set-up.”
- Diet: “Probably an omnivore feeding primarily on aquatic invertebrates, as well as smaller amounts of plant material and organic detritus in nature.”
- Tankmates: “This species is notoriously aggressive with a reputation for biting the fins of other fishes, although this behaviour only seems to be pronounced when insufficient numbers are purchased or space is limited.”
- Breeding: “Like most small cyprinids Puntigrus spp.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Carps and barbs
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: The listed barbs and freshwater sharks occupy Asian streams, rivers and floodplain waters, with bala sharks also using natural lakes. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Tiger barbs need a base at least 80 × 30 cm (about 31 × 12 inches), with vegetation and driftwood cover.
- Adult bala shark groups need a base at least 240 × 60 cm (about 96 × 24 inches), ample open swimming space and a heavy, tight lid.
- Red-tailed black sharks need a base at least 120 × 45 cm (about 48 × 18 inches), with rocky refuges.
- Use efficient filtration, water movement and high oxygenation for riverine bala and red-tailed sharks.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 68–78.8°F |
Diet
- Quality flakes or granules containing plant material.
- Live or frozen Daphnia, Artemia and bloodworms.
- For larger bala sharks: chopped earthworms, prawns or mussels.
- For bala sharks: shelled peas, blanched courgette or spinach.
Social life
- Keep tiger barbs in at least 8–10 and bala sharks in at least five. Avoid timid or long-finned companions for tiger barbs. Red-tailed black sharks become territorial toward similar-looking fishes.
Health watch
- Ammonia toxicity.
- Nutritional deficiencies.
Understanding the animal
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Uses both the bottom and open water. Feeds on worms, small crustaceans and plant matter. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 68–79 °F (20–26 °C), pH 6–8, hardness 5–19 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 68–79 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 89°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 71°F (down to 65°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 77–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 78–82% on average (driest month about 75%) |
| Rainfall | about 2449 mm a year, spread fairly evenly |
Measured at 33 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The tiger barb or Sumatra barb (Puntigrus tetrazona), is a species of tropical cyprinid fish. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Assumed as Barbus pentazona. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | The tiger barb can grow to about 7-10 long and 3-4 wide, although they are often smaller when kept in captivity. Some can grow to around 13 centimeters as well. Native fish are silver to brownish yellow with four vertical black stripes and red fins and snout. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Adults feed on worms, small crustaceans and plant matter. Migratory behaviour is undetermined. Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; not to be kept with long-finned fishes; minimum aquarium size 60 cm. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 31 × 12 in (about 19 US gallons).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Description of Erysipelothrix piscisicarius sp. nov., an emergent fish pathogen, and assessment of virulence using a tiger barb (Puntigrus tetrazona) infection model Pomaranski EK et al., International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology 2020
- Prevalence of Centrocestus formosanus Metacercariae in Ornamental Fish from Chiang Mai, Thailand, with Molecular Approach Using ITS2 Wanlop A et al., The Korean journal of parasitology 2017
- Endocrine regulation of feeding in non-transgenic and transgenic fluorescent orange tiger barb (Puntigrus tetrazona) Lindstrom A et al., General and comparative endocrinology 2025
- Ciliate parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis causing acute mortality in tiger barb (Puntigrus tetrazona, Bleeker, 1855) and widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi, Boulenger, 1895) Banu H et al., Journal of parasitic diseases: official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology 2025
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish — Puntigrus tetrazona Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — Balantiocheilos melanopterus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish — Epalzeorhynchos bicolor Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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