Tiger Barb
Puntigrus tetrazona
Photo: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Fin-nippers unless they are in a big school in a big tank. Not for bettas, guppies, or anything with trailing fins. Six is the minimum, ten is better.
Active school that nips unless the school is large.
Notorious fin-nipper — avoid with bettas and other long-finned fish.
In the tank
- Lots of motion in a 29-plus.
- They police each other if you keep ten, not three.
- Water
- freshwater
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Swims
- Midwater
- Adult size
- 2.75 in
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- Group
- School of 6+
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- pH
- 6.0–7.0
- Diet
- Flakes, pellets, frozen foods.
- Beginner
- Not a first fish
How to keep them
- Six is the minimum, ten is better.
- Not a betta tank.
Tankmates
Fast, short-finned fish of similar size in a big tank.
Avoid
Bettas, guppies, angelfish, anything with trailing fins.
Check tankmates · Stocking calculator
Same group
Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
The default midwater school.
A group of six-plus fills the middle of a 20 long so the tank does not look empty.
Cardinal Tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
A showier neon that wants better water.
Same schooling job as neons, with a full-body red stripe.
Ember Tetra
Hyphessobrycon amandae
Nano school for a planted 10.
Actually fits a 10-gallon as a group.
Harlequin Rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Calm midwater school for a 20 long.
Less nippy than barbs, less fragile than cardinals.
Zebra Danio
Danio rerio
Fast top-water school. Hardy, slightly chaotic.
Tolerates cooler rooms than tetras.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Tanichthys albonubes
The honest no-heater school.
Lives in the mid-60s without a heater if the room stays cool.