Proper Tiger Barb Fish Care

Many fish lovers choose to have an aquarium in their home or office. When deciding to have an aquarium, one should do some research to find out what types of fish do well with other fish and ones that do not. It is also very important to learn proper aquarium care as well. Many local fish and pet stores can give you the information that you need or you can find many resources available online.

Tiger Barbs by Mitja Mavsar

The Tiger Barb is a very popular fish to house in an at-home aquarium. They are very short, round shaped fish with tiger like stripes on their side. At a full grown size, they are about 3 inches long. They are very lively schooling fish that are known to be very aggressive with other fish. They are notorious for nipping the fins of other fish in their tank. It is not a good idea to have the Tiger Barb with Gouramis, Betas, Angelfish, or any other fish that has long fins. A community tank is not recommended for this type of fish.

For proper Tiger Barb care, the tank needs to be completely cycled before adding them to the water. They are also very prone to a common parasite called Ich. You may want to have some kind of treatment available and on hand when you first add your Tiger Barbs to your tank. The optimal tank set-up will include hardy plant life, a soft gravel bottom and an open area for the fish to swim.

If the water conditions are optimal, the Tiger Barb will pair up and breed. They need soft and slightly acid water with a water temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. That will encourage spawning. A spawning pair will scatter up to 200 eggs over the aquarium gravel. The parents should then be moved to another tank to prevent them from eating the eggs. The eggs hatch in about 3 days if they are not disturbed. Tiger Barbs will eat all types of live foods and fish food flakes. They are very active fish and are fun to keep and to watch. The Tiger Barb can be found in several color variations. Two of the most popular colors are the green and albino morphs. When they are kept in a school of six or more fish, they will make a great addition to any freshwater aquarium.

Author Resource: Dustin Williams is an avid aquarist who has kept various types of freshwater aquarium fish for several years. He has learned much about the hobby from reading books and personal experience. To learn more about Tiger Barbs please visit http://www.bbayaquariums.com