Tinfoil Barb
Barbonymus schwanefeldii
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 35.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 756 litres
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C
Species profile
Tiger Barb
Puntigrus tetrazona
Common names: Tiger Barb, Sumatra Barb, Green Tiger Barb, Albino Tiger Barb
Recognized speciesBarbs
Adult size
Up to 6 cm
Typical adult length 5–6 cm.
Up to 6 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A lively tank with a large group of 8 or more
- A community of fast, short-finned fish
- A hardy fish for a first keeper with space for a shoal
Think carefully if
- You keep bettas, guppies, angelfish, or other long-finned fish
- You can keep only a few fish
- You want a calm, quiet aquarium
A boldly striped, lively barb from Sumatra. It is hardy and fun to watch in a big group, but is a known fin nipper that should not be kept with long-finned fish.
Appearance and Identification
A deep, gold to silver body with four bold black vertical bars, and red on the snout and fins. Green and albino line-bred forms have different body colours.
All colour forms are the same species and need the same care. Green Tiger Barbs have a dark green body, with a red edge to the fins.
Adult males are smaller, slimmer, and more intensely coloured than females. Red on the snout is often stronger in males.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 280–350 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 75–100 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 70 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 80 cm
- Minimum group size
- 8
- Recommended group size
- 10
- Activity level
- Very active
- Flow preference
- Moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Provide open swimming space with some plants or hardscape to break up sightlines. Good filtration suits this active fish.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Fast and playful, with frequent chasing inside the group. Small groups are the most likely to pick on other fish.
Needs to be in a group, with at least 8 to 10 recommended.
Not strongly territorial, but pecking orders and chasing are normal within the group.
Good with similarly fast, short-finned fish such as danios, robust tetras, and loaches. Avoid long-finned or slow fish because of fin nipping.
Water Parameters
Adapts to a wide range of water. Keep nitrate low and the water well oxygenated.
Parameter caveat
Hardiness is not a reason to skip maintenance. Acclimate slowly and keep ammonia and nitrite at zero.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Insectivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Quality flake or small granulesUse as the daily staple and scatter it so every fish in the group can reach food.
- Frozen or live bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimpOffer a few times a week to improve condition and colour.
- Spirulina flake or blanched vegetablesBarbs graze as well as hunt, so include some plant matter each week.
An omnivore that eats most foods and takes plant matter as well as small invertebrates.
Scatter food across the tank so every fish in the group gets a share.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Scatterer
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Brood or egg count
- Often several hundred eggs
- Incubation
- 2 days
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Infusoria or parameciumNeeded for the first days after fry become free-swimming, because the fry are very small.
- Fine powdered fry foodUse sparingly as a supplement, and siphon out anything left uneaten.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce once the fry are large enough to swallow it, usually after several days.
- MicrowormsA useful next step for fry that are still too small for brine shrimp.
An egg-scattering free spawner with no parental care. Use a separate tank with fine-leaved plants or mesh so the eggs fall out of reach, then remove adults after spawning.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Indonesia, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Sumatra
- Natural habitat
- Blackwater, Freshwater River, Freshwater Stream
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium
- Audience level
- Intermediate
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Puntigrus
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- Species group
- Barbs, Fish
- Previous scientific names
- Puntius tetrazona, An older name still widely used in shops and books.
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African Banded Barb
Enteromius fasciolatus
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 68 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
Albino Cherry Barb
Puntius titteya var "albino"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 20–27 °C
Albino Tiger Barb
Puntigrus tetrazona var. "Albino"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 72 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C