🐟 Tiger Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona)
Active Schooling Barb • Bold Black Stripes on an Orange Body • Best With Active, Short-Finned Tankmates
 
📋 The Tiger Barb is one of the most recognisable freshwater fish in the hobby, native to Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula, with a vibrant orange-gold body marked by four bold black vertical bars and orange-red fin accents. It's a hardy, lively, constantly moving swimmer that loves open space and a planted, well-structured tank.
Tiger Barbs are semi-aggressive and well known as fin-nippers, so the secret to a happy tank is the right company: they suit active, short-finned tankmates and aren't a match for slow or long-finned fish such as angelfish, bettas, gouramis, and fancy guppies. Keep at least six, and eight to ten if you can, since a larger school keeps the barbs focused on each other. Numerous gold, green, and short-body colour morphs exist, all sharing the same temperament as the wild-type fish.
 
💡 Highlights
🐅 Iconic Striped Pattern: Bold black bars on a bright orange body
🏊 A Lively School: Constant, active swimming
👥 Best in a School: At least six, ideally eight to ten
🤝 Best With Active Tankmates: Short-finned, robust fish
💪 Hardy: Tough and easy to feed