The Sumatra barb, extra popularly often called the tiger barb, is a tropical fish that’s immensely in style amongst hobbyists. On this complete care sheet we’ll talk about all the pieces that you must know to efficiently preserve your tiger barbs blissful and wholesome.
Habitat
Whereas the tiger barb is native to Asia and Africa, the place it’s often present in streams and rivers, this fish can survive effectively in aquariums.
There are a selection of things to be taken into consideration right here. This contains the dimensions of the tank that the fish shall be dwelling in, the temperature of water, its composition, the plant content material and different aquarium gear.
Let’s deal with all of those individually.
Tank Measurement
Tiger barbs are about 3-4 inches lengthy and between 1-1.5 inches large at maturity. This implies they aren’t significantly massive and you might assume {that a} small tank is sufficient to preserve them blissful. Suppose once more.
Tiger barbs are very lively. This implies they are going to be zipping from one finish of the aquarium to the opposite. Whereas smaller 10 or 20 gallon tanks work for cherry barbs and gold barbs, the slighter greater species like tiger barbs, black ruby barbs and others want greater aquariums – no less than 30 gallons.
Along with this, tiger barbs are sociable fish that prefer to work together with one another.
Because of this, it is necessary that you’ve no less than six tiger barbs (should you can accommodate extra, it’s even higher) in your tank at any given time. They need to have sufficient house to swim round. This additionally prevents the tiger barbs from attacking different species.
Water Temperature
As tiger barbs are tropical fish, they want the temperature to stay between 75° F and 80° F (between about 24° C and 27° C).
Water Composition
There are some issues to remember if you find yourself making an attempt to set the supreme circumstances for tiger barbs to outlive.
The normal composition of the water during which tiger barbs are discovered naturally is delicate and slightly acidic. As a rule of thumb, preserve the pH stage of your aquarium between 6 and seven.8. The perfect alkalinity stage must be between 50 ppm and 140 ppm.
Along with this, that you must set up a great filtration system and deal with altering wherever between 10% and 25% of the tank’s water each different week.
Gear and Vegetation
Relating to gear, the very first thing that involves thoughts is a filtration system. In order for you any fish to outlive, you’ll have to spend money on a top quality filtration system.
The lighting contained in the tank must be of excellent high quality and the bottom must be stuffed with fantastic substrate (the place crops can root themselves).
Lastly, bear in mind to have a lid on prime of the aquarium in order that tiger barbs don’t bounce out from the open house.
Conduct of Tiger Barbs
Tiger barbs are very lively fish. They’re consistently on the go, swimming from one aspect of the aquarium to the opposite.
Nonetheless, they aren’t your best option of fish relating to neighborhood tanks. The principle purpose behind that is that tiger barbs talk with one another by nipping. For this reason they’re put within the “semi-aggressive” temperament class.
Whereas it isn’t actually an issue for different fish which can be simply as lively and quick as them, it may terrorize different forms of fish which can be slower or have lengthy, flowing fins – even when they’re bigger in measurement than the tiger barb.
That is additionally the explanation why no less than half a dozen of those fish are saved collectively. When there are a good variety of tiger barbs within the tank, they may preserve partaking with one another and never hurt the opposite forms of fish within the aquarium.
Integration into the Tank
As tiger barbs are fairly excessive on the hardiness scale, they don’t take a lot time to adapt to completely different environment.
If in case you have set the temperature and composition of your tank’s water in accordance with the parameters talked about earlier, these fish is not going to take a lot time to adapt. Nonetheless, if you wish to be protected and never expose your different fish to any an infection, you might wish to quarantine the tiger barbs for a short time earlier than they’re launched into the water tank.
Throughout this era, you’ll be able to be careful for any indicators that point out that the tiger barbs should not in the absolute best well being. Quarantining is very necessary if you’re taken with breeding, however extra on that later!
Greatest Tank Mates
There are a few components that must be thought-about when choosing tank mates for tiger barbs.
Firstly, they shouldn’t have lengthy fins for the tiger barb to come back and nip at.
Secondly, the fish must be quick sufficient to swim across the tank at a pace that may be in comparison with the tiger barb.
The third issue, which is simply as necessary, is that you simply shouldn’t put very small fish in the identical tank because the tiger barb is an omnivore that may eat issues which can be smaller than it.
Tiger barbs work finest with tank mates that transfer rapidly. Some examples are:
- Danios
- Platys
- Clown Loaches
- Catfish
- Serpae tetra
- Pink eye tetra
- Black skirt tetras
- Pink tail and rainbow sharks
- Different barb species
Fish That Don’t Work Nicely with Tiger Barbs
As has been talked about earlier than, any sluggish transferring fish can not survive in a tank with tiger barbs – whatever the fish’s measurement. Even when the fish is kind of massive, the tiger barb will preserve making an attempt to nip at its fins, which might flip into an uncomfortable state of affairs and a few accidents.
Alongside the identical strains, the fish that’s saved with tiger barbs shouldn’t have very massive fins. Some examples of fish that it’s best to keep away from conserving in the identical tank as tiger barbs are talked about under:
- Angelfish
- Bettas
- Gouramis
- Goldfish
- Neon tetras
- Guppies
Feeding
Tiger barbs love their meals and so they aren’t choosy about it. They’re omnivorous by nature, which signifies that they’ll supply their vitamin from each crops and animals.
A great staple is a vegetable-based fish meals. An instance of this may be Omega One Veggie Rounds.
You would additionally feed them good high quality flake meals, for instance tropical fish flakes.
Essentially the most engaging characteristic of tiger barbs is their colourful physique and it’s best to be sure that they’re fed meals that helps vibrancy.
Additionally, you will should take their protein wants in thoughts. To meet this, you’ll be able to feed them frozen or reside meals like brine shrimp, daphnia, beef coronary heart and bloodworms now and again. Not solely can tiger barbs eat cooked greens, they’ll additionally devour many various kinds of small aquatic invertebrates with nice ease.
Lastly, it is necessary that you simply add selection to their nutrient consumption in order that they’ll reside a more healthy and longer life.
Breeding
Whereas the male tiger barbs are brighter to take a look at, females are greater in measurement. An attention-grabbing solution to distinguish between them is that the males could be noticed with a crimson nostril through the spawning interval.
In case you are taken with breeding tiger barbs, the method is slightly sophisticated however nonetheless easier than many different species of fish.
First, you’ll have to arrange a separate breeding tank the place you’ll be able to place about 6 or so tiger barbs. Give them a while to make pairs and you’ll have a breeding pair quickly sufficient.
This pair should be moved into one other breeding tank that has some crops, delicate water and a naked backside. You will need to observe this tank repeatedly as tiger barbs devour their very own eggs if given an opportunity. As quickly as you see the eggs and the male fertilizes them, transfer the grownup fish out of the tank.
The eggs hatch over the subsequent two days, after which level the fry must be allowed to swim round in that tank for one more 5 days. Throughout this era, feed them some brine shrimp and swap to flake meals at a later stage.
Widespread Well being Issues
The cleanliness and upkeep of the aquarium is of utmost significance if you’re seeking to stop any well being points to your fish. Tiger barbs don’t particularly endure from any specific illness however there are some frequent ailments that afflict numerous aquarium fish.
The commonest of those, that are additionally generally seen in tiger barbs, are talked about under.
- Cottonmouth (columnaris): It is a bacterial an infection that is quite common in tiger barbs, which could be prevented just by finishing up upkeep recurrently. Fish affected by cottonmouth develop white-looking lesions on their head or round their fins. It may be handled utilizing antibiotics or by including particular chemical substances to the water.
- Ich (ichthyophthirius multifiliis): Ich or the white spot illness may be very frequent amongst freshwater fish which can be saved in aquariums. As soon as contaminated, the fish often develop small lesions on the physique, which appear to be blisters or white spots. Ich could be handled utilizing aquarium salt however there’s a very particular method that must be adopted.
Remaining Ideas
Tiger barbs are stunning creatures if you’re seeking to brighten up your aquarium. They’re nice to take a look at and simple to keep up due to their minimalistic wants.
This doesn’t, nevertheless, imply that they’ll simply be thrown into your aquarium with none preparation. Holding their temperament in thoughts, you’ll have to select the proper of tank mates for them. This implies not simply any fish could be added to an aquarium the place tiger barbs are being saved.
Apart from this, they aren’t choosy eaters, they don’t want many particular circumstances and they’re fairly playful if you find yourself taking a look at them from exterior the aquarium.
Pictures c/o snautsego, Allie_Caulfield & Frank Boston
