Green Tiger Barb Care Guide
The green tiger barb is a selectively bred colour form of Puntigrus tetrazona, an active, fin-nipping cyprinid that must be kept in larger groups.
Overview
The green tiger barb is a selectively bred colour variety of the tiger barb, Puntigrus tetrazona. The wild form is a small cyprinid native to Sumatra; the green strain (often marketed as moss green) retains the same body shape, active swimming style and nippy temperament while replacing the four vertical bars with a dark greenish iridescence. It is widely produced for the aquarium trade.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Genus: Puntigrus
- Scientific name: Puntigrus tetrazona var. Green
- Note: the genus Puntigrus was erected in 2013 for several similar species formerly grouped together
Habitat
The wild tiger barb is associated with the eastern slope of southern Sumatra in Indonesia, with records from river systems such as the Indragiri, Batang Hari and Musi. It inhabits shallow, moderately flowing forest streams and tributaries with clear water and substrates of sand, rocks and pebbles. The species has also been introduced elsewhere in Southeast Asia, including Singapore.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L (26 gal)
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 5-18 °dGH
- Group size: 6 or more (8-10 preferred to disperse aggression)
- Lifespan: 5-7 years
Diet
Tiger barbs are omnivores. In the wild they take aquatic invertebrates together with plant material. In the aquarium they accept good-quality dried flakes and granules supplemented with small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and Artemia.
Compatibility
The species has a reputation for biting the fins of other fishes, and this behaviour intensifies when too few individuals are kept. Maintaining a larger group redirects aggression toward conspecifics through their natural hierarchy. They suit fast-moving, robust tankmates and should not be combined with slow species or fishes with long, trailing fins.
Breeding
Tiger barbs are egg-scattering free spawners that provide no parental care. A female can release several hundred eggs and may spawn again within about two weeks; eggs typically hatch within 24-48 hours.