Tiger Barb is an interesting fish because although they can easily be mistaken as a harmless, docile species because of their size, they are actually aggressive notorious fin nippers. They would form shoals moving in groups of about 5 and anything less than the number will result in one tiger barb attacking and chasing the other. The tiger barb should only be kept in a single-species tank and they are not suitable for community aquarium. Even with large tanks with different types of fish and heavy vegetation, eventually they will still seek out other tank mates and begin pecking on their fins. Although most people including myself have tried before mixing either with platy or betta, they are still considered not a good combination for your tiger barbs, as both species will show aggression towards one another. So far, the only compatible tank mate suitable for them is clown loach.Being part of the tropical freshwater group of fish that originated from Malaysia, Indonesia and Borneo, they prefer warm water with temperature ranging between 26 to 28 degree Celcius. They are not exactly the kind of demanding fish and with clean and good water condition mainly with the pH close to neutral level and water hardness being soft, they rarely develop any complication and will breed easily. The only thing that needs your attention if you intend to collect generations of baby barbs is to remove all the adult fish to another tank once you notice small tiny eggs deposited on the aquarium plant leaves.
When it comes to feeding your tiger barbs, there is nothing extraordinary as they will easily accept any type of dried flake foods including live worms. Despite their small size, they generally have a large appetite and will enthusiastically swim around chasing after their food in groups. Sometimes, they can also suffer from fish disease most common is the development of white color fungus which is widely associated with poor water condition. Other threats to their health include dropsy, which will usually cause the affected fish to die, and there is no cure in sight.
Other tropical fish species: Dwarf Gourami, Hatchet fish, Neon Tetra, Discus
