Tiger Barb

Author : Efrain Silva

Appearance

The Tiger Barb does appear very attractive to look at : It’s got 3 - 4 sharp, black stripes that cut down across its body, equally spread apart from one another. Not only this, but you will also witness a distinct display of green, white, black, red, yellow or even orange colors with it — it all depends on which kind you get, and there are so many color choices you can choose from here.

This fish’s face tends to be red, as well as its fins, a nice little touch overall, adding to the color variety and originality. This fish can even grow to be nearly 4 inches long!

Diet

How about a good diet to keep this one on, then? Well, I sure am glad you asked about this, because there’s some good advice here for you to keep in mind. First of all, it’s got a great immune system (like many fish of its kind naturally do) and can put down just about anything.

Still, though it can eat anything, you should still try to keep its balanced diet balanced. A bit of this, a bit of that, and we’re talking a good moderation of worms, beef hearts, brine shrimp, flakes, frozen cubes, algae, you get the picture….

Origins

The origins of this amazing fish? Well, the Puntigrus tetrazona, aka Tiger Barb, got its roots from none other than the wonderful regions of the Malay Peninsula, in addition to Indonesia’s gorgeous Borneo and Sumatra. Some have also said to have spotted this fish in Cambodia, though evidence in more recent years has ruled this out (or merely suggested this to be a rumor and not much more).

You can also find this fish in several other parts of Asia (it seems to get around and be quite popular in countless regions there). Its one definitive origin spot, from these areas mentioned, is not quite determined : Who knows where it actually started first?

Roommate Situation

The situation with roommates, you might be scratching your head on? Well, there is no need to scratch any longer (and that is what a back scratcher’s for anyways, you silly goose). But in all seriousness, the adult fish version of the Tiger Barb is actually nearly 3 inches and large enough to not have to worry about getting eaten up by those bigger fish you might also have in the tank. What a sigh of relief, right? But hold on : They still can be aggressive, if provoked, when in small enough groups (3 or less).

Other Facts to Note

Notice that last statement I just made, how these fish like to cause trouble when there’s small enough groups? Well, these are the patterns of a typical bully fish. BUT if you put these fish in a large tank, with several other fish swimming around in it, these cowards will simply mind their own business. Despite all that, they still make great fish pets — get some for your home today, and remember to feed them!