Breeding Tiger Barb
How to breed Tiger Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona): sexing, conditioning, an egg-trap spawning tank, and rearing fry that follow scattered, adhesive eggs.
Overview
Tiger Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona) is an egg-scattering free spawner of intermediate breeding difficulty that exhibits no parental care. Fish reach sexual maturity at a body length of 2 to 3 cm or about six to seven weeks of age, and females can spawn at approximately two-week intervals.
Sexing
Adult males are smaller, slimmer and more intensely coloured, with a bright red nose and a distinct red line above the black on the dorsal fin. Females are larger with a rounder belly and a mainly black dorsal fin.
Conditioning the Breeders
Adults can be conditioned together before transfer to a separate spawning aquarium with mature water. Spawn one or two pairs once females appear gravid, or place six of each sex together.
Breeding Setup
- Dimly lit tank with mature water
- A mesh base, plastic grass matting, glass marbles or fine-leaved plants such as Taxiphyllum, or a spawning mop to keep eggs from the adults
- Slightly acidic to neutral pH
- Temperature towards the upper end of the 22-28 °C range
- An air-powered sponge filter or air stone for oxygenation
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Spawning typically occurs in the early morning, the following morning after pairs are introduced. The fish scatter several hundred adhesive, negatively buoyant eggs in clumps of plants; around 300 eggs can be expected from a mature broodstock, and up to 500 eggs per female have been documented. Eggs average about 1.18 mm in diameter.
Egg & Fry Care
Once spawning finishes the adults will eat any eggs they can find and must be removed. The eggs hatch in 24-48 hours, with the fry swimming freely around 24 hours later. Offer infusoria-grade food when the fry first become free-swimming, then graduate to microworm and Artemia nauplii once they are large enough.
Common Challenges
Egg predation is immediate, so the egg-trap base and prompt removal of adults are essential. Slightly acidic, mature water at the warmer end of the range improves spawning success, and the small first-feeding fry need infusoria-grade food before larger live foods.