Undoubtedly, green tiger barbs are fascinating fishes to have in your aquarium. They have active behavior, vibrant colors, and are fun to look at. Several other qualities make them ideal for a home tank. Due to their nippy behavior and tendency to chase slow fishes, they are often aggressive. They prefer staying in groups for companionship as they are schooling fish.
We advise keeping green tiger barbs in a group of 6 to 7; else, it will lead to heightened aggression towards the less aggressive fishes in the aquarium. When being introduced to a tank for the first time, you may notice that they are fighting among themselves. They do so to establish their territory and pecking order. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about green tiger barb before letting them in a tank. Do give it a read!
Electric Green Tiger Barb
Electric green tiger barbs have a captive-bred color morph of tiger barbs. They are genetically modified to have a protein that makes them fluorescent. They get the name electric because they are fluorescent green and have four dark stripes on the body. They can reach up to 2.8 inches. Water pH of 6 to 8 and water temperature of 68 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit are necessary to keep them in captivity. Choose a tank with open areas for vegetation, swimming, rocks, floating, driftwood root, and a sandy substrate.
If you wish to keep them in a community tank, their mates must be the same size. Some examples are pelagic cyprinids and benthic cyprinids. Never keep them with long-finned or slow-moving species, as they will bite their fins. Also, keep them in a group of a minimum of 6. A lesser number will increase the chances of them threatening their tank mates. The tank should be of at least 30 gallons. Some more information about electric green tiger barb is below:
- Diet and Nutrition
Electric green tiger barb is an omnivorous species. It can be fed with pellets, flakes, live, and frozen foods.
- Sex of electric green tiger barb
Females are larger and have a less intense color than male fishes.
- Breeding & spawning
Electric green tiger barb scatters eggs and offers no parental care. Separate the adults from the eggs after spawning. It will take 24 to 48 hours for the eggs to hatch. After 24 hours of hatching, the fry can swim freely.
- Origin
The origin of these fishes is from tiger barbs. You can find them in regions of Sumatra, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula.
- Caution
The one caution you must take with electric green tiger barbs is that these tend to nib on the fins of their tank mates. So we advise avoiding keeping them with fishes of their size and in a group of at least six fish.
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Green Tiger Barb Tank Mates
People want to keep green tiger barbs in their aquarium but they never go well with the fish. Aggression is one of the main issues with them. They are likely to nib on their tank mates’ fins if not kept in a group. Even if you are keeping them in a group of fellow tiger barbs, get the tank mates.
Smaller fishes than the electric green tiger barb size cannot tolerate bullying. So keep them with fishes of their size. Also, never keep them with fish having long fins as this will only increase the nipping. They are okay with peaceful fishes, so avoid keeping them with other aggressive fishes.
Another important consideration while choosing the tank mates is the size of your tank. The minimum tank size to keep green tiger barbs is 20 gallons. In this case, place solitary fishes and not schooling fish. Pick tank mates that have similar needs as per the required space. Ideal tank mates will have similar necessities like the green tiger barbs. They like to live in a temperature range of 70 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit, in well-planted aquariums and in an open area for swimming. Find other fish that will be happy in this environment. The various tank mates suitable for the green tiger barbs are as follows.
- Cherry barb
Cherry barbs have striking colors and easy maintenance, and because of this, they are popular in aquariums. They are energetic, and even beginners can take their care. They are peaceful, shy, and never bother their tank mates. To thrive well, keep them in a group of six or more of their type. They are 2 inches in size and will most eat fish flakes. You should buy a minimum 25 gallons tank size. Thus, the tank requirements are similar to the green tiger barbs, so they are an ideal tank mate.
- Tinfoil barb
They look super attractive due to the shiny silver color on their body. They have many admirers, and the level of care they require is moderate. Their size can become 14 inches as they eat a varied diet of flakes with plants, frozen, and live food. You have to buy at least a 75 gallons tank.
They, too, are schooling fishes and must be kept in a group of 6 or more. Although they are non-aggressive, they sometimes eat small fish. They are perfect tank mates for the green tiger barbs as their space and temperature needs are similar. Also, they can handle a bit of nipping.
- Rosy barb
Rosy barbs are pale yellow to bright red in appearance. Their size is 3 inches, and maintenance is easy. They are schooling fishes and have a calm nature when kept in a group of at least 6 of their kind. Their energy will liven up the entire aquarium. Make sure the tank has a secure lid because rosy barbs are excellent jumpers. Their spacing needs are similar to the green tiger barbs. Also, they can hold their own against any nipping. So, they are a good tank mate for the tiger barbs.
- Corydoras
Corydoras have a peaceful temperament and are bottom dwellers. So they will not interact much with the green tiger barbs in the tank. They eat algae and so will keep the tank clean. Their size is 2.5 inches, and maintenance is easy. Keep them in smaller groups. They need at least 2inches of substrate and hiding places in the tank. They can live in various temperatures, including those which the green tiger barbs prefer.
- Red-tailed shark
Red-tailed sharks need a tank size of 50 gallons full of rocks, plants, and caves to hide. They are good jumpers, so the tank must have a secure lid. They will liven up the aquarium as they are active swimmers. Taking care is easy as they feed on a diverse diet of pellets, flakes, algae, live, and frozen food.
These are scavengers, as they clean any leftovers in the tank, making it spotless. They also occasionally eat algae. They become aggressive towards small fishes, so do not keep them with mates of smaller sizes. They should be kept as individuals and not with others of their kind. However, they make good mates for the green tiger barbs.
- Molly
Mollies are popular and easy to take care of. This species has several varieties with different patterns, colors, and tail shapes to pick from. They thrive best when kept in a group of one male and three to four females. You will get a lot of little ones in your aquarium as these breeds quite easily unlike other fishes.
They require a tank of at least 25 gallons and excellent filtration because they produce a lot of waste. Their size varies between 3 to 4 inches, with some varieties growing up to 6 inches. They are docile and unaggressive. You can feed them flakes, plants, pellets, life, and frozen foods. They become good tank mates with green tiger barbs but do not get the long-tailed variety. It will avoid nipping.
- Pleco
If you are a hobbyist, you can choose from different Pleco varieties. These are interesting catfish with moderate care and peaceful temperament. As per the species, the size can range anywhere between 4 to 18 inches. Instead of scales, they have armor blades on their body. They will remove all the excess algae from the tank.
They are solitary fish, so do not keep them with other plecos. Although they are calm, they become aggressive with fishes of their type. Carefully choose which species is perfect for your tank and can attain a large size. They are bottom-feeders and eat algae and cucumber as an occasional treat. The best tank mate for the green tiger barb is a clown pleco, growing only up to 4 inches.
- Swordtail
Swordtails are popular aquarium fishes. Their care is easy and is suitable for complete beginners. They are super handy and do not show reluctance to changes in water temperature. They come in different colors and patterns, making them super attractive. The male fish has an unusual-looking tail which makes it eye-catching.
They are livebearers, and you will get a lot of fry in the tank if you keep the male and female fish together. They have a peaceful nature but do not keep the males together. Their size is 4 to 5 inches and can live well in a tank of size 10 gallons. You can feed multiple flake types and frozen or live foods. You can also give them greens occasionally. They are the best tank partner to green tiger barb as they have similar feeding and water requirements. However, care of nipping must be taken care of by both the fish.
- Black Window Tetra
Black window tetras are also known as black skirt tetras. These can survive under different conditions and are super easy to take care of. They can stand out in a community tank because of their vibrant, black markings. They are 2-inches in size and need a tank of at least 15 gallons to survive well.
Keep them in a group of 6 or more as these are schooling fish. They are not aggressive but sometimes nip on flowing, long fines. Angelfish or bettas are not a good companion to them. Also, never keep them in the same tank with small fish. However, they do great with the green tiger barb.
They need a well-planted aquarium and a temperature range of 70 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. You can feed a variety of flakes, bloodworms, brine shrimp, and vegetation. Black window tetra and green tiger barb can cope with each other’s nipping behavior.
- Platy
Platy comes in many vibrant colors and lots of varieties to choose from. They are livebearers and reproduce readily. Keep them in groups containing one male and two females. Male fishes fight with each other, so you must not keep them together. Their care level is easy, and you can feed them many foods like live foods, pellets, frozen foods, and flakes.
They can tolerate a temperature range of 68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Nothing can easily stress them as they are very peaceful. They are 2 to 3 inches and need a minimum tank size of 10 gallons. These traits make them good tank mates for the green tiger barb. But, keep an eye on the occasional nipping from both the fish.
As you can see, there are plenty of fish you can choose from and keep with the green tiger barb. Are you wondering how to select the right one? It will depend on a few factors that you will have to consider. It includes the tank size and whether the tank mates are schooling or solitary fish. You can find the ideal teammates for your green tiger barb by keeping these things in mind.
Green Tiger Barb Aggression
Green tiger barbs are the most magnificent fish to have in your tank. These have bright colors and are fun creatures to look at. Many qualities make this fish ideal to keep in your home aquarium or tank community. However, their nippy behavior gives them an image of aggressive fish. They chase any slow or long-finned fish that comes their way. It prefers staying together for social reasons, being a schooling fish.
Experts advise keeping these fish in groups of six or more. If the number is less than six, there are more chances of aggression towards the other calm fish in the tank. Green tiger barbs live well in large communities when allowed in groups, without posing any problems to the other creatures. But, at specific points, you may notice them fighting. It is common when they are new to a tank.
Fighting while a fish is getting introduced into the tank is normal. It happens for two reasons. One is for marking their territories, and two is for describing a pecking order. Pecking order is a common word that explains the hierarchical system of any social organization. This term is used among different species of fish. Most of the time, you will observe the green tiger barbs spending time in the middle sections of the tank. Keep enough swimming between the plants and the decorations of the tank.
Green tiger barbs show aggressive nature towards shoals or other related barbs and within their schools. These fish wish to form a hierarchy. Male fishes constantly chase and nip each other to obtain higher positions within the pecking order. The aggression becomes more intense when the group they live in is small. So, green tiger barbs may maim or kill fishes of their kind when living in smaller groups. They also have the probability of several attacks on other species of fish in the same tank.
Since they have earned this reputation of being aggressive, many hobbyists are confused about whether to keep them in a tank with other species or not. These are misunderstood species. Mostly, their targets are other fish with long fins. So, do not even think of placing them in the same tank.
Do you know, like other schooling fish, green tiger barbs tend to live in groups? Hanging out on shoals is a way of protecting them. They extend the same practice in the tank environment as well. That is why you should never keep them in a group of less than 6. In a tank, these barbs get stressed only when kept in a small group. Eight to ten fish is an ideal number. Stressed fish, as you know, succumb to illness easily compared to healthy or less-stressed ones.
Green tiger barbs form large shoals due to different reasons. In large groups, the aggressive nature of the higher post barbs gets transferred to their subordinates. Therefore, any other fish in the tank will not get attached by a dominant barb, creating a much safer environment.
Predicting how green tiger barbs will behave is difficult work. But you can surely opt for some ways to make them less aggressive. For example, keep them in shoals of their kind and larger groups. Get similar hardy fishes as the tank mates who can handle their harassment and take a stand. Some tank mates to consider getting are other barbs, corydoras, danios, tetras, loaches, rainbow fish, gouramis, mollies, and sharks. Give them sufficient food. They are omnivores, meaning they can feed on almost anything they can eat. Mostly, their diet includes frozen foods, vegetable flakes, and freeze-dried food. You can feed them small live foods such as bloodworms, glass worms, and brine shrimp as a supplement.
All the fish in the tank have enough space to swim and Mark their territories. Keeping their tank full of vegetation, well-lit, and decorations is significant. Also, keep two-thirds of the tank free to swim comfortably. The capacity of the tank for green tiger barbs must be at least 30 gallons. Creating comfy living conditions will significantly lower aggression levels.
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Green Tiger Barb Size
Green tiger barbs are 2 to 3 inches in size. The maximum size is around 3 inches in length. Some smaller species can attain a height of only 2 to 2.5 inches. The environment that they are living in affects the size that they will acquire.
There are two things that influence their size and make them grow larger. One, buy green tiger barbs from reputable and experienced breeders or sellers. Best breeding procedures result in increased chances of good health for the fish. The second way to help them grow better is by providing good care and maintenance. Give the barbs a healthy diet, optimal habitat, and suitable tank size. Maintain comfy conditions in the tank for their growth and survival.
How to identify whether the green tiger barb is male or female?
Green tiger barbs are not sexually dimorphic. But there still are many differences between male and female green tiger barbs. You can induce spawning through a procedure called conditioning.
The male green tiger barb is usually more colorful and has a slim belly compared to the female green tiger barb. In the early stage of development, they get a distinct red nose early. It sometimes coincides with them reaching sexual maturity. Another sign that the male has reached sexual maturity is its ventral fins turning bright red. The primary black fin usually gets a red line. The anal fin of the male fish is highly angled towards the tail, whereas the female fish’s anal fin is usually straight down.
The female green tiger barbs have fewer colors than the males. They also show some paleness in comparison to males. Female fishes are more rounded at the bellies and can also grow bigger than male fishes. The ventral fins of the female barbs get a pale red or orange color. These differences are easy to spot, even for beginners. When living in a very healthy environment and selecting breeding, the female barbs can get some of the stronger colourations of the male barbs. It makes distinguishing between the two toughs, thus, has negative consequences on breeding the fish.
You cannot tell the gender when they are juveniles. A time mark of at least six to seven weeks is required when they reach sexual maturity. Till this time, they must have developed their colors to determine their genders.
Green Tiger Barb Lifespan
Green tiger barbs can live anywhere from 5 to 7 years when given proper care and maintenance. The pet stores that stock fish are given green tiger barbs by selectively breeding them. They are known to nip fins of other fish, making them difficult to house with other species. However, they can be successfully housed in a community tank when kept in large groups and with the correct tank mates.
Green tiger barbs are tropical and freshwater species of fish that originate from the native waters in Borneo and Sumatra. They belong to the fish family of cyprinids. They include a massive natural population in the wild because of large stock availability. The population has also spread to the areas of Puerto Rico and the United States. Their species name is tetrazole. It refers to the band pattern of four, distinguishing them from other species of barbs.
Green Tiger Barb Breeding
When green tiger barbs are about seven weeks old, they reach their sexual maturity. Their size is about 0.8 to 1.2 inches at this point. To successfully breed the green barbs, follow four steps: distinguishing between genders, preparing a spawning tank, removing the adult fish, and taking care of the tiger barb fry.
Green tiger barbs are an easy selection for beginners as they are hassle-free to breed. These are social, and they start breeding by naturally pairing up. Male and female breed and spawn if left in the tank. But they will also end up eating their eggs. In each spawn, females lay about 300 eggs on average. A healthy female can spawn at about two-week intervals. Let us discuss each step in detail.
- Distinguishing the genders
Separating the female and male green tiger barbs is the first step of breeding. We have mentioned the features that separate the male and the female. Males have more vibrant colors and slimmer bodies in the belly region. Females have rounder bellies and less colorful bodies.
- Preparing for spawning
Keep the male and the female barbs in separate tanks to prepare for breeding. Keep them in separate places for about three to four days. Each pair must get a separate tank to spawn. You must maintain a temperature of over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Each spawning must be 10 gallons in size, and you should place one barb’s pair within. Offer them a protein-rich diet, including brine shrimp and frozen and live foods.
Include spawning sites and live plants in the tank. You can also add marbles at the bottom. It will provide a safe spot for eggs, so the adult barbs cannot reach them. After you place a pair of green tiger barbs in the tank, they quickly spawn. The female fish lays eggs, and the male leaves a trail of sperm for egg fertilization.
- Remove the adult fish.
Remove the mature green tiger barbs from the tank after spawning. It is important to prevent them from eating eggs. Place them back in the community tanks. Although they can naturally pair up and spawn, this does not generally happen inside a community tank. But if a female barb gets pregnant, place it in a spawning tank as early as possible.
You can also use different tanks for spawning and breeding. Scoop the eggs using a cup after the female spawns them. Then, place the eggs in a bare-bottomed spawning tank kept at a temperature the same as the breeding tank.
- Taking care of the green tiger barb fry
It will take several days for the green tiger barb fry to appear. They will first cling to the glass sides of the aquarium. The sides of the tank will contain hundreds of free-swimming little fish. Feed the newly hatched barbs brine shrimp. You may need to give liquid food to small fry till they grow to eat solids. Smaller fry must eat only what they can within three minutes. Early care is super important as it shapes their health at the later stages.
Green Tiger Barb Care
Green tiger barbs do not need heavy care and maintenance. Even beginner aquarium lovers can also handle them. Else, they will not be as popular as they are. In simple words, these are handy fish that can adapt to a simple setup. All you need to do is to take care of the basics. Some of the primary considerations that need your attention are as follows.
- Size of the tank
Green tiger barbs need a tank size of a minimum of 30 gallons. These are avid swimmers and need plenty of space to swim. It will also help stave off aggressive behavior.
- Water Requirements
Green tiger barbs can inhabit lakes, swamps, and streams lined up with trees in the wild. The decaying plant matter makes the water bodies more acidic. Try to replicate the natural environment as closely as possible to get the best results. Getting the water conditions right is primary. The temperature must be between 68 to 82 degrees F, pH levels of 6 to 8, and water hardness of 4 to 10 dKH. Aim to get a temperature of around 74 degrees F and a pH of 6.5. The fish will have no issues staying healthy till you stick to these ranges.
- Set up the rest of the tank.
Set up a simple natural habitat. Apply a layer of fine gravel substrate at the bottom of the tank. To give an authentic look, add large rocks and cobblestones. Add some submerged plants. These plants will produce algae that the fish can eat. Plants like Java Fern and Water Wisteria work the best. Plants must grow till the middle of the water column. The vegetation should not overtake the rest of the tank. You need to take care that plants do not occupy too much space in the tank. Also, add some driftwood and rock caves. It will further add to the natural appearance of the tank. Do not do too much decor. The most important thing for the barbs is plenty of space to swim.
End Thoughts
Green tiger barbs are excellent freshwater species that people want in their tanks and aquariums. They stand out because of their beauty and activity levels. The only reason people hesitate to bring them is their reputation of being aggressive, which they indeed are. But you can handle their aggressive nature in several ways discussed in the article. We hope we have cleared all your queries regarding the green tiger barb.
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Ankurman Handique
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