Last updated on August 25th, 2022 at 04:43 am
The green tiger barb, also known as the puntius tetrazona, is a brightly colored freshwater fish native to India, Nepal, and Pakistan. They are popularly kept in aquariums because of their unique reds, oranges, and yellows hues and their attractive markings. However, they are generally hardy fish that can adapt to many conditions as long as you provide them with optimal care.
They are beautiful fish that are incredibly active and entertaining to watch in an aquarium. It’s important to understand their needs in order to keep them healthy and happy before you bring one home!
Green tiger barbs are one of the more popular species of aquarium fish in the aquarium hobby, and they’re also one of the more challenging species to keep healthy and happy if you don’t know what you’re doing.
If you want to keep green tiger barbs in your aquarium, here’s what you need to know about their care and habitat requirements.
Origin and descriptions
Green tiger barb is a species of freshwater fish in the genus Puntius. It can be found in Indonesia and Malaysia. It grows up to 8 cm in length and mainly feeds on insects, insect larvae, worms, crustaceans, and snails. They are very peaceful fish and can live in small groups or all alone; they prefer slow-moving waters, similar to other common tropical fish such as angelfish or gouramis.
Green tiger barbs should be kept in at least a 30-gallon tank with lots of plants, especially broad-leafed ones like Amazon swordplants. Green tiger barbs are omnivores and will eat flake food, bloodworms, and brine shrimp as well as most frozen foods.
Species profile
Green tiger barb belongs to the family Cyprinidae and are native to India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia. They are also known as Puntius tetrazona. Green tiger barbs are freshwater fish that prefer neutral water conditions with a pH of 6.0-7.5 and a temperature between 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit (22-28 degrees Celsius).
They can grow up to 3 inches (8 cm) in length. They are omnivores that will eat both plant matter and meaty foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, and tubifex worms.
These fish do best when kept in schools of five or more individuals. Green tiger barbs should be fed a high-quality flake food or pellet supplemented with live or frozen foods several times per week.
Scientific name
The scientific name of the green tiger barb is puntius tetrazona
Habitat
To thrive, green tiger barbs need an aquarium of at least 30 gallons. Provide some driftwood or other hiding places to mimic their natural habitat. They appreciate harder water and should be kept around 15 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit).
They are peaceful fish, so there’s no need for aggressive tankmates. Keep them with small tetras, danios, rasboras, and loaches. Cichlids can also be kept with them as long as they aren’t too large. If you have more than one male in your tank, they will fight each other until only one remains.
Green tiger barb size
The green tiger barb can grow to a maximum size of 2-3 inches (5.1-8 cm).
Tank size
Because they are very small fish and love to swim together in groups, the minimum recommended tank size for a small group is 30 gallons (114 liters) with soft, slightly acidic water.
Tank requirements
Green tiger barbs require an aquarium of at least 30 gallons. They need plenty of swimming space and are highly active, so look for tanks with a large surface area. Most live plants will be eaten, so make sure your aquatic flora is artificial. Barbs prefer hard water, which can be achieved by adding 1-2 teaspoons of sea salt per gallon.
It’s also important to keep them well-fed; Be careful not to overfeed them; their voracious appetites mean they’ll quickly wipe out any excess food in their tank.
Green tiger barb tank mates
Tank mates for green tiger barbs need to be chosen carefully since most of them can outgrow your Puntius tetrazona. Good choices include small, docile fish such as Rasboras or Tetras and hardy Killifish, who won’t eat your fish but will add some movement and color to your tank. Some of these tank mates are also peaceful algae-eaters like your green tiger barb and will work wonders at keeping plant leaves algae-free.
Green tiger barb breeding
Green tiger barbs are different from most other species of fish in that they will spawn year-round and you can easily induce spawning by lowering their water temperature to between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also increase their feeding as well.
This will help them put on weight so that when they lay eggs, they’ll be able to carry them with ease. They usually spawn around sunset or at night, often laying over two hundred eggs at once. The male is responsible for fertilizing these eggs before they are laid.
Once they have been laid, it is best to remove any excess eggs from your tank as soon as possible because if left alone too long, some may not survive due to lack of oxygen. The male will continue to protect these eggs until they hatch into fry. After about four days, you should start seeing small fries swimming around your tank.
At first, feed them infusoria (available at pet stores) until they grow big enough to eat baby brine shrimp and microworms.
Are they aggressive or peaceful?
Green tiger barbs are peaceful fish and prefer more neutral conditions, although they can live in harder water as well. They do get larger and may be too boisterous for nano tanks, but they generally will not harm other fish.
Green tiger barb care
In order to care for your fish, it’s important that you understand where they come from and how they relate to their surroundings. Puntius tetrazona is an omnivorous fish that comes from Southeast Asia and grows at a moderate rate of two inches per year. There are many physical characteristics that make these fish unique, so here are some tips on how to keep them happy and healthy.
First, you should provide your fish with water that is clean and clear—not too warm or cold; second, plant-based food should be provided twice daily; third, avoid overfeeding or underfeeding as either can kill your pet.
Finally, try to maintain appropriate temperatures and feedings in order to maximize your fish’s lifespan. A general rule of thumb is 10 gallons of water per inch of length, but every tank is different. If you follow these guidelines, your fish will live a long life!
Green tiger barb diet
This fish is an omnivore so it eats both meat and plant material. You can feed them frozen brine shrimp, flake food, flakes, and other finely minced foods as well as most vegetables. Some of their favorites are romaine lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, and spinach.
Make sure that you only give your fish one type of vegetable at a time or they will develop digestive problems. The green tiger barb should be fed once or twice per day in small amounts but not enough to make them sick. They will often eat more than you think they need if given too much food at one time.
Overfeeding your pet can lead to health problems down the road like constipation and swim bladder issues from having too much gas in their stomach.
Green tiger barb lifespan
The average lifespan of a green tiger barb is 6 years, they can live more with good care and proper water parameters.
Parasites and diseases
Because they live in water, green tiger barbs are prone to all sorts of parasites and diseases. In fact, many die within their first month of life due to ailments. Keeping them free from infection will be essential in helping your fish survive.
When you first bring your fish home, he may already be infected with parasites. These creatures thrive in poor-quality water and can cause illness or death in your fish if not promptly treated.
Signs of the disease include loss of appetite, skin ulcers, white spots on fins, and unusual cloudiness in eyes or gills. Some common types of internal parasites that affect tropical fish are ich, velvet, and flukes; they’re usually acquired by ingesting infected water or food.
When caring for your fish, be sure to watch out for signs of illness. You might notice that they have pale gills or scales, trouble swimming, clouded eyes, and/or clamped fins. If you see any of these symptoms, it’s important to isolate them from other fish immediately.
Additionally, make sure you treat them with a de-wormer and other medications as directed by your veterinarian. If left untreated, parasites can spread throughout an aquarium quickly and kill all of its inhabitants.
Predators
These fish are also preyed upon by other larger fish, such as sharks and barracuda. Green tiger barbs are small, fast fish, and therefore have developed various ways of avoiding predators. Barbs that live in schools can easily escape their predators by fleeing. In addition, they have a complex array of survival techniques that allow them to avoid being eaten.
Do they make good pets?
Like most fish, tiger barbs make great pets. However, they do have a lot of special needs compared to many other fish species, so think carefully before purchasing them.
If you have small or peaceful tank mates, then green tiger barbs are an excellent choice. They are schooling fish so you should have at least 6 of them in order to make sure they’re getting enough attention from their friends.