Tiger barbs are fish that many people find to be appealing. They could be excellent fish to add to your aquarium depending on the situation.
Before you commit to buying any of these fish for your home fish tank, it’s wise to learn about them. For example, you will need to know how much space they need to thrive.
What fish tank size do you need for tiger barbs? Are these fish that get big or will they be able to stay in relatively small fish tanks?
Below, you’ll get information about tiger barbs and recommended tank sizes. You’ll also get a lot of other important information that people who are new to tiger barbs will want to keep in mind.
How Many Tiger Barbs in a 10-Gallon Tank?
A 10-gallon fish tank is going to be too small for a small group of tiger barbs. These are schooling fish that are meant to be kept with several of their own kind.
It might seem like one or two tiger barbs will fit fine in a 10-gallon tank. This might be true, but it’s not going to be a good situation.
You shouldn’t try to put tiger barbs in fish tanks that are too small. They might become more territorial when you do this.
Since you want to keep issues with aggression to a minimum, it’s important to make good decisions. A 10-gallon tank is simply not appropriate for tiger barbs.
If you don’t have room for a larger tank than this, it might be best to hold off on buying tiger barbs. You won’t be able to enjoy the tiger barbs properly with a tank of this size.
How Many Tiger Barbs in a 20-Gallon Tank?
Using a 20-gallon tank for tiger barbs should be perfect for a small group of them. This is considered to be the minimum tank size for a group of tiger barbs.
Generally, it’s best to keep a group of five tiger barbs in the aquarium. You should be able to fit five tiger barbs in a 20-gallon tank and have everything go okay.
However, it should be noted that many enthusiasts think 20-gallon fish tanks are on the small side. They worry that aggression issues might pop up when keeping a group of tiger barbs in such a small tank.
Many people have a good experience keeping tiger barbs in a 20-gallon tank. It might be better if you can get a slightly larger fish tank, though.
If you can only fit a 20-gallon aquarium in your living space, everything should be okay. Just do your best not to overcrowd the tank to keep issues with fish becoming territorial to a minimum.
How Many Tiger Barbs in a 30-Gallon Tank?
A 30-gallon tank is going to be a much better prospect than a 20-gallon tank. It’s sad that you should be able to keep six tiger barbs in a 30-gallon aquarium.
You know that you’re supposed to keep them in groups of five. So keep five or six tiger barbs in an aquarium of this size and everything will go well.
Having a 30-gallon aquarium will be good for the tiger barbs. It’ll give them enough room to spread out and live happily.
Of course, if you want to put more fish in the tank, you’ll need to buy something larger. A 30-gallon aquarium is not going to be a good option for a community fish tank.
Keep this in mind and you’ll be able to make good choices. A 30-gallon aquarium is a common choice for a small group of tiger barbs.
How Many Tiger Barbs in a 40-Gallon Tank?
What about a 40-gallon fish tank? Is that going to be able to house several more tiger barbs?
As you’d expect, you’ll be able to fit slightly more tiger barbs in a 40-gallon aquarium. You should be able to fit between 8 and 10 tiger barbs in a tank of this size.
Many enthusiasts recommend sticking closer to eight just to be safe. You don’t want the tank to feel crowded.
Being able to have a slightly bigger school of tiger barbs will be a lot of fun. It can be very interesting to watch all of the tiger barbs swim around together.
If you have enough space for a 40-gallon aquarium, it’ll be a great choice. This should be a perfect fit for a group of 8 to 10 tiger barbs.
How Many Tiger Barbs in a 55-Gallon Tank?
Can you go larger than a 40-gallon fish tank? A 55-gallon tank might be a perfect choice when you want to have a somewhat large school of tiger barbs.
You should have no trouble fitting 12 tiger barbs in a 55-gallon aquarium. This is the number of fish that you should stop at, too.
It’s not recommended to put more than 12 of these fish in the same tank. You might feel as if you have some extra space in a tank of this size.
The extra space can be utilized to place more decorations and plants in the tank. You should be able to make the fish tank look really nice.
For many tiger barb enthusiasts, a 55-gallon fish tank will be the best choice. If you want to have the maximum number of recommended tiger barbs in the tank, this is the aquarium size that you should purchase.
Can a Tiger Barb Live in a Bowl?
No, tiger barbs should not be kept in fishbowls. You see, fishbowls are generally pretty small.
These fishbowls will often be so small that they will only have one gallon of space. Some fishbowls might be five gallons, though.
No matter what, the fishbowl isn’t going to be large enough to house a small group of tiger barbs. Trying to put a few tiger barbs in such a small environment would be a poor idea.
The tiger barbs would feel stressed and they’d have many problems. You want your fish to do well under your care, and this is why you must avoid cramming them into fishbowls that are too small for them.
Fishbowls are only appropriate for certain types of small fish. If you aren’t able to buy a larger tank, it’s not wise to purchase tiger barbs.
Even if tiger barbs aren’t that big overall, they need to be kept in small groups. That eliminates the possibility of keeping them in a bowl.
How Many Tiger Barbs Per Gallon?
It’s said that one tiger barb needs three or four gallons of space to remain happy. This doesn’t mean that you can keep one tiger barb in a five-gallon fish tank.
You have to keep these fish in small groups. If you don’t have at least five tiger barbs in the tank, the fish won’t do well.
They’re schooling fish that have to be kept with their own kind. Thus, the tiger barb per gallon information isn’t as useful as you might think.
You need to know the right tank size to keep a group of five or more. As you learned earlier, 20-gallons is as small as you’re supposed to go.
Tiger Barb Minimum Tank Size
The minimum tank size for tiger barbs is a 20-gallon tank. You need to have at least a 20-gallon aquarium to be able to comfortably house five tiger barbs.
Many people say that it’s better to go with a 30-gallon fish tank. For this reason, some enthusiasts list 30-gallon fish tanks as the minimum recommendation for keeping tiger barbs.
It should be perfectly fine to use a 20-gallon aquarium. The tiger barbs will likely be even happier if you keep them in a 30-gallon tank, though.
Simply keep this in mind and get the largest fish tank that you can for them. If you can fit a 30-gallon aquarium in your home, it’s going to be a good idea to go with that.
Otherwise, a 20-gallon aquarium will be good enough to keep the tiger barbs healthy. They should be happy enough in a tank of that size so long as you’re meeting their basic care needs.
How Many Tiger Barbs Should Be Kept Together?
Tiger barbs aren’t going to do well in a fish tank if you don’t keep enough of them around. They are schooling fish that need to live among their own kind.
These fish are known to cause problems in fish tanks when kept in groups that are too small. For example, two or three tiger barbs in a community tank might wreak havoc on their tank mates.
They’re substantially calmer when they’re kept in appropriately-sized groups, though. To get good results, it’s recommended to keep at least five tiger barbs in the fish tank.
If you have fewer fish than this, it’s not going to be a good experience. You shouldn’t buy tiger barbs at all if you don’t have enough room for at least five fish.
You can keep more tiger barbs than this together, too. It’d be perfectly fine to keep eight tiger barbs together or 12 tiger barbs together.
Of course, you must ensure that there is enough room for all of the fish. Tiger barbs don’t like being placed in cramped environments.
Tiger Barb School Size
As mentioned above, tiger barbs are schooling fish. They need to live with other tiger barbs in a group.
Failing to keep enough tiger barbs in the fish tank will make them more aggressive. They would make terrible community tank members if you keep fewer than five of them in an aquarium.
As long as you keep at least five in the fish tank you should be in good shape. It is possible to put too many tiger barbs in the aquarium, too.
It’s said that trying to keep more than 12 tiger barbs in a fish tank is a bad idea. Avoid putting more fish than 12 in the fish tank if you want things to go smoothly.
Putting too many tiger barbs in the tank could lead to problems. For instance, some of the smaller tiger barbs might wind up getting bullied to death.
Care Advice
No matter what tiger barb tank size you choose, it’s important to care for these fish properly. They’re fairly hardy, but they can still get sick and stressed if you don’t take care of them well.
You should endeavor to keep the fish tank clean. Clean the tank regularly to avoid allowing the water to get too dirty.
Regular water changes can help a lot. It’s recommended to change out 15% of the water each week to keep things safe.
Tiger barbs are pretty easy to feed overall. They’re omnivores and they aren’t picky eaters.
You should be sure to give them the right nutrients to keep them healthy. It’s best to feed them fish flakes along with frozen and live goods.
Feed these fish once or twice per day. When feeding them just once per day, give them as much as they can finish in five minutes.
If feeding them twice per day seems easier, you should give them as much as they can finish in two and a half minutes each time. You’ll get used to how much to feed them as you gain experience.
Final Thoughts
So long as you keep tiger barbs in a tank that is the right size, it’s going to be easy to keep them healthy and happy. You don’t want to put these fish in an aquarium that is any smaller than a 20-gallon aquarium.
Technically, a single tiger barb only needs three or four gallons of space to remain happy. However, they’re schooling fish that are meant to be kept in groups.
For this reason, you must have at least a 20-gallon fish tank for these fish. It might be a better idea to give them a bit more space and opt for a 30-gallon aquarium if you can do so.
If you want to keep the maximum number of tiger barbs in the tank, it’s best to buy a 55-gallon tank. This will allow you to keep 12 tiger barbs in your home aquarium.
Don’t keep more than 12 fish. It’s said that keeping too many tiger barbs in the same tank can be just as problematic as keeping too few in the tank.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.