Tiger barb tank mates

Tiger barb: semi-aggressive, 2.2 in, kept in groups of 6 or more, swims in the middle of the tank and needs about 32 gallons. It may nip fins. The list below checks every species in our catalog against it.

Each species is checked against tiger barbs both ways: mouth size, fin nipping, temperament, territory, water overlap and keeper reports.

Good tank mates

Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Fits
The classic community fish: a tight school of electric-blue stripes that suits planted tanks of 15 gallons and up.
1.2 in · 17+ gal · 70–77°F · pH 5–7
Black neon tetra
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Fits
A peaceful tetra with a bright white-over-black stripe; hardier than the neon tetra and an easy fit in any calm community tank.
1.4 in · 23+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 5.5–7.5
Black widow tetra
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Fits
A hardy, deep-bodied tetra with black 'skirt' fins; easy for beginners, but a small group nips the fins of its tank mates.
2.4 in · 22+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 6–7
Bronze cory
Corydoras aeneus
Fits
The most widely kept cory: a tough bronze-green or albino catfish that shoals along the bottom and handles a broad range of water.
3 in · 23+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 6–8
Cardinal tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
Fits
The neon's close cousin, with red running the full length of the belly; a soft, acidic-water schooling fish that likes it warmer than neons.
1.4 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 4–6
Cherry barb
Puntius titteya
Fits
One of the most peaceful barbs: males glow cherry red and leave fins alone, making it great for planted community tanks.
2 in · 17+ gal · 73–81°F · pH 6–8
Glowlight tetra
Hemigrammus erythrozonus
Fits
A small, translucent tetra with a glowing orange stripe along its body; peaceful, hardy and at its best in a densely planted tank.
1.6 in · 22+ gal · 75–82°F · pH 6–7.5
Kribensis
Pelvicachromis pulcher
Fits
A small West African cichlid whose female has a bright belly; a cave-spawning pair digs pits and guards fry along the bottom.
3.9 in · 23+ gal · 75–81°F · pH 6.5–7
Molly
Poecilia sphenops
Fits
A sturdy livebearer that needs hard water and plenty of plant food, and does well in slightly brackish conditions.
3.1 in · 26+ gal · 70–82°F · pH 7–8.5
Multies
Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Fits
The smallest Tanganyika cichlid, about 2 inches, living in empty snail shells; a colony carves the sand into tiny fiercely guarded plots.
1.8 in · 13+ gal · 77–80°F · pH 8–8.5
Peppered cory
Corydoras paleatus
Fits
One of the hardiest corys: a mottled catfish that sifts sand in a group of six and prefers slightly cooler water.
2.8 in · 22+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7
Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Fits
One of the easiest livebearers for beginners: peaceful, colourful and undemanding, happiest in moderately hard water with plants.
2.4 in · 17+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 7–8.2
Ram cichlid
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Fits
A brilliantly coloured dwarf cichlid from the Orinoco llanos that needs warm, very clean water and calm tank mates.
1.6 in · 17+ gal · 81–86°F · pH 4–7
Rosy barb
Pethia conchonius
Fits
A large, hardy barb whose males turn bright pink-red when breeding; suits cooler tanks that run without a heater.
3.9 in · 28+ gal · 64–72°F · pH 6–8
Rummy-nose tetra
Hemigrammus bleheri
Fits
A tight-schooling tetra with a bright red nose and striped tail whose colour fades when water quality slips, making it a living warning light.
2 in · 26+ gal · 73–79°F · pH 5.5–6
Serpae tetra
Hyphessobrycon eques
Fits
A bright red, hardy tetra with a notorious fin-nipping habit; needs a big group and no slow, long-finned tank mates.
1.6 in · 23+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 5–7.5
Siamese algae eater
Crossocheilus oblongus
Fits
A slim silver fish with a black stripe and one of the few that eats black beard algae; grows to about 6 inches and loves to jump.
5.9 in · 95+ gal · 75–79°F · pH 6.5–8
Swordtail
Xiphophorus hellerii
Fits
A large, very active livebearer whose males carry a sword-shaped tail; it needs a long tank, a lid and hard water.
6.3 in · 34+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 7–8
White Cloud Mountain minnow
Tanichthys albonubes
Fits
A small, hardy minnow with red fins that needs no heater; ideal for an unheated tank kept at room temperature.
1.6 in · 17+ gal · 64–72°F · pH 6–8
Zebra danio
Danio rerio
Fits
A fast, striped danio and one of the hardiest beginner fish; schools near the surface and is happy at room temperature.
1.5 in · 26+ gal · 64–75°F · pH 6–8
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid
Apistogramma agassizii
Fits
An Amazon dwarf cichlid whose males carry a lyre-shaped tail; prefers soft, acidic water and breeds in caves.
3 in · 17+ gal · 72–84°F · pH 5–6.5
Black phantom tetra
Hyphessobrycon megalopterus
Fits
A calm, deep-bodied tetra with a black shoulder patch; males with tall dorsal fins put on harmless sparring displays.
1.4 in · 23+ gal · 72–82°F · pH 6–7
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Melanotaenia boesemani
Fits
A two-tone rainbowfish, blue-violet in front and orange behind; needs warm, hard, alkaline water and a long tank.
3.5 in · 34+ gal · 81–86°F · pH 7–8
Celestial pearl danio
Danio margaritatus
Fits
A tiny, pearl-spotted danio with orange fins, the star of planted nano tanks; shy, with males sparring constantly.
0.8 in · 13+ gal · 72–75°F · pH 6.5–7.5

And 28 more in the species catalog.

Risky

And 39 more in the species catalog.

Avoid

And 34 more in the species catalog.

Every tank is different. Set yours up once (size, water, who already lives there) and each species is checked against it.

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