How to Decorate an Aquarium for Tiger Barbs

The lively, colorful fish known as tiger barbs are a popular choice for freshwater aquariums. Tiger barbs are silvery gold, with the black stripes that give them their name, and have a reddish tinge to their fins. (Fish breeders have also created albino and green varieties.) Tiger barbs were originally discovered in the rivers of southeast Asia, and are tolerant of all types of water quality. An aquarium that mimics the conditions where tiger barbs are found in the wild will keep these fish healthy and looking their best.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquatic gravel
  • Round stones of varying sizes
  • Driftwood
  • Live or artificial aquarium plants
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Instructions

    • 1

      Calculate how much gravel you need for the bottom of your tank. Two to three pounds of gravel per gallon of tank capacity will provide a 3-inch layer of gravel in the bottom.

    • 2

      Rinse the gravel until the water runs clear. (Break up the task by washing a small portion of gravel in a bucket with a garden hose, then transferring the clean gravel to another bucket or into garbage bags.)

    • 3

      Add clean gravel to the tank.

    • 4

      Decorate the bottom of the tank with the rocks and driftwood. Use the materials to create caves and hollows that resemble a river bottom.

    • 5

      Add artificial aquarium plants or live plants, leaving open space in the tank for the active tiger barbs to swim. Aquariums with live plants require strong lighting; a rule of thumb is two to three watts of fluorescent light per gallon of tank capacity.