Gold Tiger Barb
Puntius tetrazona var. "Gold"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 72 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
Species profile
Gold Barb
Barbodes semifasciolatus
Common names: Gold Barb, Chinese Barb, Green Barb, Schubert's Barb
Recognized speciesBarbs
Adult size
Up to 7.5 cm
Typical adult length 6–7.5 cm.
Up to 7.5 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- An unheated community aquarium
- A group with other cool-tolerant, active fish
- A hardy shoal for a medium-sized tank
Think carefully if
- You keep warm-water tropical fish
- You have delicate soft-leaved plants
- You keep long-finned or very small fish
A cool-tolerant barb from East and Southeast Asia, usually sold in a bright gold colour form. It is hardy and sociable, and fits well in unheated community tanks.
Appearance and Identification
The gold form is bright yellow-gold with irregular dark marks. Natural fish are greener with dark vertical bars.
Gold and natural green fish are the same species. The name Schubert's Barb is often used for gold fish in the trade.
Females are rounder-bellied and slightly larger. Mature males in the natural colour form develop red pigmentation on the lower body.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 320–400 litres an hour
- Minimum tank volume
- 80 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 90 cm
- Minimum group size
- 8
- Recommended group size
- 10
- Activity level
- Active
- Flow preference
- Moderate
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Provide swimming space with hardy plants, because soft growth may be nibbled. A heater is often unnecessary in a room within its range.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Active and sociable, with some playful chasing inside the group.
Keep a mixed-sex group of at least 8 to 10, with other schooling fish for added security.
Not territorial.
Good with other cool-tolerant, active fish such as rosy barbs, odessa barbs, and danios. Avoid long-finned fish and shrimp.
Water Parameters
Adapts to a broad range of water. Cooler temperatures suit this fish better than warm tropical setups.
Parameter caveat
Acclimate slowly and keep the water clean and well oxygenated.
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 takes most prepared foods, small invertebrates, and plant matter.
Include plant matter each week, which may also reduce nibbling on plants.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Scatterer
- Breeding difficulty
- Easy
- 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. Adults may eat their eggs, so remove them after spawning. Eggs hatch in 24 to 48 hours.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Asia, Captive Bred, China, Laos, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam
- Natural habitat
- Freshwater River, Freshwater Stream, Pond
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Temperate Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Barbodes
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- Species group
- Barbs, Fish
- Previous scientific names
- Puntius semifasciolatus, An older name still widely used in shops and books.
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Golden Dwarf Barb
Pethia gelius
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 18–24 °C
Green Tiger Barb
Puntigrus tetrazona var. "Green"
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 72 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
Greenstripe Barb
Puntius vittatus
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 68 litres
- Temperature
- 18–26 °C