Tiger barb care guide

Plan a tank with tiger barbsSee all tank mates

Tiger barb quick facts

• Notorious fin nipper: avoid long-finned tank mates.

Tank setup

Give a group of eight at least a 29 gallon (110 L) tank about 30 in (75 cm) long. They are fast, busy swimmers that need open water in the middle. Put plants and decor around the sides to break up sight lines and give weaker fish a break. Good filtration and moderate flow suit them.

How many tiger barbs in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits tiger barbs is a 29 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Aim for 22–27 °C (72–81 °F), pH 6.0–8.0 and around 4–15 dGH. Farmed tiger barbs and GloFish barbs are very adaptable, so clean, stable water matters more than exact numbers. Change 25–30% of the water every week.

Best tank mates for tiger barbs

These popular species share tiger barbs' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 33 good matches.

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Ramshorn snail

  2 cm (0.8 in) · 21–27°C (70–81°F)

• Malaysian trumpet snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)

• Mystery snail

  5 cm (2 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Firemouth cichlid

  13 cm (5.1 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Kribensis

  10 cm (3.9 in) · 24–27°C (75–81°F)

Avoid keeping tiger barbs with

• Angelfish: Tiger barb is a well-known fin nipper and will shred the long fins of angelfish.
• Betta fish: Tiger barb is a well-known fin nipper and will shred the long fins of bettas.
• Cherry shrimp: Tiger barb eats small shrimp like cherry shrimp.
• Dwarf gourami: Tiger barb is a well-known fin nipper and will shred the long fins of dwarf gouramis.
• Fancy goldfish: Tiger barb is a well-known fin nipper and will shred the long fins of fancy goldfish.
• Guppy: Tiger barb is a well-known fin nipper and will shred the long fins of guppies.

Feeding

An easy omnivore that eats almost anything. Use a quality flake or small pellet as the base, and add frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm plus some vegetable food. They eat fast, so make sure slower tank mates also get their share.

Behavior

Tiger barbs are boisterous and keep a pecking order with constant chasing inside the group. In small groups that energy turns on other fish and they nip fins, so a large group is the main fix. Good tank mates are fast, sturdy fish such as zebra danios, larger tetras, other barbs, corydoras, bristlenose plecos and loaches. Never keep them with bettas, angelfish, fancy guppies, gouramis or other slow or long-finned fish.

Breeding

Males are slimmer and more colorful, with a bright red snout and fin edges when ready to spawn; females are larger with rounder bellies. They scatter sticky eggs over plants and give no care. Spawn a conditioned pair in a separate dim tank with fine-leaved plants or mesh on the bottom, then remove the adults, which eat the eggs. Eggs hatch in 1–2 days and the fry need infusoria first, then baby brine shrimp.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Buy eight or more. A big group keeps the chasing inside the school instead of on your other fish.
• GloFish barbs are genetically modified tiger barbs with the same care needs and the same nipping habit.
• Green, albino and GloFish forms are all the same species and will school together.
• Dwarf shrimp are not safe with tiger barbs. They hunt adults as well as babies.
• Vary the diet and go easy on bloodworm. Flakes, pellets and some veggies keep them in good shape.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• aquariumcoop.com
• fishbase.de
• fishkeeper.co.uk
• petsmart.com
• fishkeepingworld.com