Tiger barb Tank Mates
Short answer: the best tiger barb tank mates are Dwarf gourami, Bristlenose pleco, Molly, Nerite snail, Endler's livebearer, Mystery snail. Tiger barbs need 68–79 °F (20–26 °C), pH 5–8 and at least 30 gallons. Keep them in a group of 6 or more.
Tiger barb care at a glance
| Adult size | 2.8 in (7 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 US gallons |
| Temperature | 68–79 °F (20–26 °C) |
| pH | 5–8 |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive |
| Swims in | Middle |
| Group size | Groups of 6+ |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (29)
- Dwarf gourami
- Bristlenose pleco
- Molly
- Nerite snail
- Endler's livebearer
- Mystery snail
- Otocinclus
- Panda cory
- Black skirt tetra
- Bronze cory
- Honey gourami
- Kuhli loach
- Serpae tetra
- Zebra danio
- Kribensis
- Pearl gourami
- Swordtail
- Three spot gourami
- Rainbow shark
- Red tail shark
- Siamese algae eater
- Common pleco
- Clown loach
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
- Forktail blue-eye
- Peppered cory
- Sterbai cory
- Buenos Aires tetra
- Bolivian ram
⚠️ Possible with caution (30)
- Fancy goldfish — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller tiger barb (7 cm), especially at night.
- Harlequin rasbora — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like harlequin rasbora; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Neon tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like neon tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Platy — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like platy; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Pea puffer — Pea puffer is aggressive; tiger barb may get into fights with it.
- Amano shrimp — Tiger barb may eat small or moulting Amano shrimp.
- Celestial pearl danio — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like celestial pearl danio; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Chili rasbora — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like chili rasbora; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Ember tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like ember tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Cardinal tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like cardinal tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Cherry barb — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like cherry barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Glowlight tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like glowlight tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Rummy nose tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like rummy nose tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- White cloud mountain minnow — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like white cloud mountain minnow; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Pygmy cory — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like pygmy cory; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Sparkling gourami — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like sparkling gourami; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Black neon tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like black neon tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Bloodfin tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like bloodfin tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like dwarf neon rainbowfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Glass catfish — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like glass catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Lemon tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like lemon tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Paradise fish — Paradise fish is aggressive; tiger barb may get into fights with it.
- X-ray tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like X-ray tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Congo tetra — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like Congo tetra; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Gold barb — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like gold barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Odessa barb — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like Odessa barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Rosy barb — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like rosy barb; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Upside-down catfish — Tiger barb may nip at calmer tankmates like upside-down catfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Firemouth cichlid — Firemouth cichlid is a much larger territorial fish and may bully tiger barb.
- Chinese algae eater — Adult Chinese algae eater can latch onto other fish and rasp their slime coat.
❌ Not recommended (12)
- Cherry shrimp — Tiger barb will hunt and eat cherry shrimp.
- Betta fish — Tiger barb is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of betta fish.
- Guppy — Tiger barb is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of guppy.
- Angelfish — Tiger barb is a known fin-nipper and will shred the long fins of angelfish.
- Oscar — An adult oscar (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat tiger barb (7 cm).
- German blue ram — No comfortable shared temperature: German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Tiger barb 20–26 °C (68–79 °F).
- Electric yellow cichlid — Electric yellow cichlid is a Lake Malawi cichlid: it needs hard, alkaline water and an African-cichlid community, and is too boisterous for tiger barb.
- Discus — No comfortable shared temperature: Discus 26–30 °C (79–86 °F) vs Tiger barb 20–26 °C (68–79 °F).
- Convict cichlid — Convict cichlid is aggressive and much larger than tiger barb; it will bully or injure it.
- Boesemani rainbowfish — No comfortable shared temperature: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Tiger barb 20–26 °C (68–79 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — An adult Jack Dempsey (up to 25 cm) is big enough to eat tiger barb (7 cm).
- Bala shark — An adult bala shark (up to 35 cm) is big enough to eat tiger barb (7 cm).
How many tiger barbs per tank?
40 gal 55 gal 75 gal — see what else fits with our stocking calculator.
FAQ
What fish can live with tiger barbs?
Good matches include Dwarf gourami, Bristlenose pleco, Molly, Nerite snail, Endler's livebearer, Mystery snail. They share a temperature range with tiger barbs (68–79 °F (20–26 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with tiger barbs?
Avoid Cherry shrimp, Betta fish, Guppy, Angelfish, Oscar, German blue ram.
What size tank do tiger barbs need?
We recommend at least 30 US gallons for a group of 6 tiger barbs, more if you add tank mates.
Can tiger barbs live alone?
No. Tiger barbs are social and should be kept in groups of at least 6.
Note: Compatibility depends on individual temperament, tank size, decor and how fish are introduced. Our verdicts use conservative rules applied to published care data (see methodology). They are guidance, not a guarantee. Quarantine new fish and watch for chasing, torn fins or hiding.