How can I tell the sex of my tiger barbs?

Question

I have five tiger barbs and two of them are getting really kinda fat. I can't tell if it's because they were starved at the store or if they are pregnant or something else. They all pretty much look similar so I can't tell if they are different sexes. I guess I'll know if any of them start spewing eggs...

Answer 1

In a group of tiger barbs, females will be wider, larger, & more dully-colored, and males will be thinner, smaller, & more brightly-colored. Other than those differences, it is difficult to determine gender.

Answer 2

Male tiger Barbs are slimmer and more colorful than the females. They breed similar to other Barb species. The breeding tank should have a thin layer or no substrate and a few leafy plants and be as large as possible. Condition the spawners with the best food possible for a few days before transferring them to the breeding tank. They usually will spawn the morning after being introduced to the tank, a partial water change can also induce spawning. The female is the more active partner and will lead in the courtship. After chasing and false matings the pair will spawn in the plants, with the partners coming alongside each other and the male twisting around the female. The eggs are scattered among the plants and they can be quite large in number. Tigers, like most Barbs are spawn eaters and should be removed from the tank right after mating. The transparent eggs will hatch in about 24 hours at a temperature of 75º and the small young must be fed the finest of food like Brine shrimp Nauplii, once a little growth has taken place they are fairly easy to raise.