Fish have different behaviors, depending on the stage of their lives they are in. For that matter, so do most animals.
One of the natural behaviors that can get quite interesting is the one fish display when mating season is on.
You’ve probably seen male birds showing off their beautiful feather tails and even insects performing dances.
When it comes to Tiger Barbs, it is not so different from that.
Tiger Barbs During Mating
Tiger Barbs are easy fish to tend to and even during mating season, there is not much you have to do to deliver them the proper conditions for the spawning of their fry.
Actually, it has been said that even if these conditions are not met at all these fish can still breed due to their hardiness.
While that you may think you have everything under control, don’t get surprised if you notice a few new baby fish swimming around your Tiger Barb tank kind of ‘out of the blue’ every now and then.
On the other hand, if you want to offer your Tiger Barbs the perfect conditions to mate, there are a few things that have to be taken into consideration.
For starters, the mating fish should be fed more live food until a pair is established.
Once that happens, these two should be moved to a different tank with soft and slightly acidic water that has fine-leaved plants and a bare bottom.
As for the behavior of Tiger Barbs during mating season, the males barely display any change.
Apart from the red dot on the nose area, which indicates that the individual has reached sexual maturity, there is no visible physical difference.
However, when the time comes to mate, the male and female should perform a kind of dance in which the male chases the female and nudges around the back end or even nip on her fins or tail.
Should you notice the mating dance is happening, quickly move the couple to the new tank.
This is extremely important because Tiger Barbs naturally eat their eggs and fry, so the chances the spawn survives will be drastically reduced.
Also regarding the male Tiger Barbs, in case they share the tank with other males, there is a decent chance their aggressiveness levels will rise.
Read: How to differentiate male and female tiger barbs
That’s because each male wants to ensure he will be the one to fertilize the laid eggs.
So, expect a little more competition between males, which means even more fin-nipping, during the time females get pregnant.
When the time to mate comes, female Tiger Barbs start producing eggs, which causes their bellies to swell and become rounder.
This is probably the easiest and clearest way to identify that the female is ready to breed. Shortly after that, as the males court the pregnant female, the mating dance should begin.
Female Tiger Barbs start laying eggs when they are only 1” to 1,5” even though they can reach more than 3” when fully grown.
Larger females normally produce more eggs, so it might be a good idea to wait for them to reach adulthood before breeding.
Read: How big do tiger barbs get
There are no confirmed risks related to female Tiger Barbs breeding before reaching their full size. However, they do tend to lay more eggs when fully grown due to the higher number of eggs they can produce.
In the end, the important aspects to observe when Tiger Barbs’ mating season is on are the swollen and rounder belly of females and the mating dance she will perform with males before choosing the one she wants to fertilize the eggs she will then lay.
Remember to follow the procedure and put them in a different tank so the breeding can be more effective and the eggs have a better chance of being properly fertilised as well as for the fry to survive.
Be careful though, as Tiger Barb females shouldn’t carry their eggs for more than two or three days.
That makes the mating window a little shorter.
Therefore, once you notice your Tiger Barbs, both the males and females, are close to reaching their sexual maturity, follow their behavior closely so you can anticipate the breeding season and make sure they have all the proper conditions.
