[uNGu]™ Fish : Datnoid Tiger Fish

Scientific Names The genus Datnioides now contains the five species listed in the table below. Click here for some interesting illustrations that may help identify the various species.
Common Names Scientific Names  Maximum Length New Guinea Tiger Fish, New Guinea Datnoid Datnioides campbelli  13" Indonesian Tiger Fish,  Indonesian Datnoid, In Ni Hu Datnioides microlepis 18" Silver Tiger Fish, Silver Datnoid    Datnioides polota Note: quadrifasciatus is now considered to be a junior synonym of polota. 12" Siamese Tiger Fish, Wide Bar Datnoid,  Tai Guo Hu Datnioides pulcher 16" Northern Thailand Tiger Fish, Thin Bar Datnoid Datnioides undecimradiatus 16" Common Names Scientific Names  Maximum Length
Size  We have seen Tiger Fish that are much longer than 18", perhaps as big as 30". So we do not really understand the sizes listed above. Perhaps the sizes listed are for wild caught fish, and the fish we saw were tank raised to a much bigger size.
Here are two Black Barred Siamese Tiger Fish just like the Tiger Fish for sale in our facility. Click here for more about buying Siamese Tiger Fish and other wild tropical fish from us.
These 5" Black Barred Tiger Fish were sparring and quarreling with each other, as Tiger Fish often do, when this picture was taken.
Comments  Black Barred Tiger Fish will quarrel and spar with each other and will eat any fish that can be swallowed, but Tiger Fish do not bother other species of fish that are too big to swallow. Tiger Fish grow fast to large sizes and eventually require very large aquariums.    Siamese Tiger Fish are also called Black Barred Tiger Fish, Yellow Dats, Gold Dats, and Datnoids. For many years the word Datnoid has been commonly used to describe this fish. As far as we know, this is incorrect, and Datnoid is probably just a very common misspelling of Datnioides, which is the correct way to spell the name of the genus of this fish.
Here is a Black and White Tiger Fish, Datnioides polota, which was formerly called Datniodes quadrifasciatus. Picture take in our facility. Click here for more about how to buy Tiger Fish from us.
Appropriate Home  An aquarium with at least 50 gallons of water, and eventually a much larger aquarium with an exterior power filter with a BIO-Wheel, a maximum of 1/4 inch of gravel, and an aquarium heater adjusted to keep the water between 78 and 82 degrees F. Tiger fish do fine with or without aquarium salt in their water. Click here for more about Aquarium Salt. Click here for more about warm water aquariums.
Recommended Diet  Tiger Fish are piscivors that eat feeder fish such as 2" long common goldfish.  When Tiger Fish are small, they will eat Guppies, Live Black Worms, and Ghost Shrimp. Click here for information about Ghost Shrimp, and click here for information about Live Black Worms. Incidentally, we do not sell or ship Live Black Worms.  Click here for more information about feeding fish.
Compatibility  Tiger Fish are best kept with other fish that are too large to be swallowed. Tiger Fish will quarrel with each other, so they are best kept one Tiger to an aquarium, unless the aquarium is very large. Tiger Fish are often seen in the same aquarium with large Oscars, large Pacus, large Tinfoil Barbs, Large Bala Sharks, and large Clown Knife Fish. Tiger Fish can also be kept with catfish that are too large and spiny to be eaten. For example, White Tip Shark Cats, Pictus Catfish, and Synodontis Catfish. Click here to read more about several other groups of compatible fish.
Size and Life Span  Tiger Fish grow fast to be 24" and sometimes larger. They live for 10 years and sometimes longer.