Above: In the picture, is a nice premium quality Silver Tiger Datnioides, swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

Comments: These are fabulous looking fish, with unique characteristics.

Origin: Apparently his fish occurs across a very wide area including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and New Guinea.

Maximum Size: In aquariums, this Datnioides can grow to be about 12" long, and sometimes larger if fed properly and if the water quality is good.

Behaviors: Datnioides are usually semi-aggressive fish.

Compatibility: Some recommended tankmates include, any equally sized community fish that won't pick on the Datnioides.

Also non-aggressive fish are best suited to live with this type of fish.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Datnioides live best from about 75 to 80-degrees F. with 78 being perhaps ideal.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets is best to feed to Datnioides.

Smaller sized pellets when small, and larger sized pellets, when they're large, is the ideal food for these fish.

Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.

Water Conditions: They're used to hard alkaline brackish water, but these fish can adapt to most types of water, and so as usual it's best not to try to change the pH or alkalinity.

This species probably does better with some marine salt-mix in the water.

About 1 to 2 tablespoons of marine salt mix should raise the salinity to about 1.005, which is about right for this species.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

Aquarium Size: when young a few of this Datnioides will do fine in an aquarium with 50-gallons of water, but of course bigger is better.

But soon they'll need a bigger aquarium, and eventually they need an aquarium

with at least 100-gallons of water.

Decor: Datnioides do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel.

Live plants are beautiful and improve the water quality, and they need plenty of hiding areas in the plants so they can feel like they are in their natural surroundings, but this fish may need brackish water which will kill aquarium plants.

Driftwood is also good for the environment of this fish.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended.

Most 80-gallon aquariums have room along the back for two Penguin 350B Filters, and this is sort of a minimal wild fish set up.

Better is a 120, 150, or 200-gallon aquarium with as many Penguin 350B Filters as will fit across the back or a large filtering system.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range.

Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: Datnioides can live for several years.

Keep the water conditions excellent and feed them premium foods, and they may live even longer lives.

Gender: There are no known reports on how to tell the gender of this fish.

Breeding: There are no known reports of these fish breeding in captivity.

Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.

Popularity: These fish are somewhat popular in the hobby.

Names: The scientific name for Silver Tiger Datnioides is Datnioides polota.

Variations: There are no reported variations of these fish, but it occurs across such a wide

area that one would think there are probably variations of very closely

related species and/or subspecies.

Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for Wild Fish, including a picture gallery.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.

DrTom - 01/08/2014