[Ebook] Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish – Directory of Freshwater Fish – Cyprinids – Barbs

• ORIGINS: Southeast Asia, occurring throughout the Malay Peninsula; also present in Borneo.
• SIZE: 2 in (5 cm).
• DIET: Prepared foods and live foods.
• WATER: Temperature 68–75°F (20–24°C); hard (100–150 mg/l) and around neutral (pH 7.0).
• TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful and social.

The first of the five bluish-black bands encircling the body of this fish runs through the eyes; the broadest lies at the front of the dorsal fin. Males are more brightly colored than females, with a richer shade of coppery-red on the back and paler underparts. These barbs are a good choice for community tanks, although they need to be transferred to a spawning tank for breeding. The young can eat brine shrimp at about 10 days old.

• ORIGINS: Asia, occurring from southern India to the Himalayas; also in Sri Lanka.
• SIZE: 4 in (10 cm).
• DIET: Prepared foods and live foods.
• WATER: Temperature 57–79°F (14–26°C); hard (100–150 mg/l) and around neutral (pH 7.0).
• TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful and social.

The more colorful male Tic-Tac-Toe usually has black markings on its dorsal fin, which are missing in the female. Keep these fish in cool water for a time, to mimic winter conditions in the wild. A gradual increase in temperature triggers spawning behavior. Place two males in a spawning tank with a single female. The Odessa Barb is a variant of this species created by breeders in Moscow.

• ORIGINS: Southeast Asia, being present on the Malay Peninsula and extending to parts of Indonesia.
• SIZE: 4 3⁄4 in (12 cm).
• DIET: Flake and small live foods, some plant matter.
• WATER: Temperature 70–75°F (21–24°C); soft (50 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5).
• TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful and social.

The beautiful yellow-and-black horizontal striping on the sides of these barbs will only be apparent if they are housed in an aquarium where the lighting is subdued. Otherwise, they will look paler and much less attractive. Sexing is possible since females have a broader body and a more steeply curved back than males. Striped Barbs are rather nervous by nature, so their aquarium needs to incorporate plenty of retreats in the form of bogwood and aquatic vegetation. These fish should be housed in groups, and they will mix well with other nonaggressive species that require similar conditions, such as danios. Feeding is fairly straightforward, since Striped Barbs will eat a wide variety of foods. For spawning purposes, raise the proportion of live foods in their diet.

• ORIGINS: Southeast Asia, occurring in Singapore, Borneo, and the Bunguran Islands.
• SIZE: 4 in (10 cm).
• DIET: Flake and small live foods, some plant matter.
• WATER: Temperature 75–86°F (24–30°C); soft (50 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5).
• TEMPERAMENT: Relatively peaceful.

Large, irregular, dark blotches on a yellowish background typify the Clown Barb. The male fish becomes brighter as it starts to mature at about 18 months. Clown Barbs may damage aquarium plants, especially if their diet is deficient in vegetable matter. These are difficult barbs to spawn, although raising the water temperature, separating the sexes for several weeks, and giving them more live food will all help.

• ORIGINS: Southeast Asia, from Thailand and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Borneo.
• SIZE: 14 in (35 cm).
• DIET: Flake and live foods, some plant matter.
• WATER: Temperature 72–77°F (22–25°C); soft (50 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5).
• TEMPERAMENT: Agreeable with fish of a similar size.

Tinfoil Barbs are not suitable for a community aquarium, since they grow rapidly and will soon dwarf the other occupants and possibly even prey on them. However, it is usually possible to house them in a large tank with compatible cichlids of a similar size. Tinfoil Barbs will dig in the substrate and are likely to uproot any plants that are not in pots. Breeding is unlikely in home aquaria. Aside from the natural silver form, an attractive gold- bodied variant has also been established.

• ORIGINS: Asia, where it is widely distributed across the many islands that comprise Indonesia.
• SIZE: 5 3⁄4 in (15 cm).
• DIET: Flake and live foods, some plant matter.
• WATER: Temperature 68–75°F (20–24°C); soft (50 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5).
• TEMPERAMENT: Placid.

A dark, rather metallic sheen to the upperparts of the body helps to characterize the Checkered Barb. Males can be recognized by their deeper coloration, with the edge of their fins being black. Young Checkered Barbs grow rapidly and may be sexually mature by just four months of age. Spawning occurs near the surface on water plants such as Myriophyllum. A pair may produce up to 300 eggs in the spawning tank, after which they should be moved back to the main tank. The fry hatch within two days and can be reared initially on fry foods, and then on live foods, such as brine shrimp. Algae will later be beneficial to improve their coloration. Regular partial water changes are vital to maintain the water quality. Overcrowding the young fish may stunt their growth and will increase the risk of environmental diseases.

• ORIGINS: Southeast Asia, from Thailand across the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.
• SIZE: 7 in (18 cm).
• DIET: Prepared foods and live foods.
• WATER: Temperature 72–79°F (22–26°C); soft (50–100 mg/l) and acidic to neutral (pH 6.5–7.0).
• TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful and social.

Set against the pale, golden-yellow body color, the black patterning of this barb is reminiscent of the silhouette of a monkey wrench. The patterning fades, however, as these relatively large barbs mature. T-Barbs have proved harder to breed than related species, but when they do spawn, the females can produce several hundred eggs in a well-planted tank. The adults should be removed immediately afterward, to prevent them from devouring their own eggs.

• ORIGINS: Southern Africa, occurring in southern Zaire, Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• SIZE: 2 in (5 cm).
• DIET: Prepared foods and live foods.
• WATER: Temperature 73–79°F (23–26°C); soft (50–100 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.0–6.5).
• TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful and social.

An elongated body and striking orange coloration make African Barbs unmistakable. Although the distinctive black striping varies between individuals, male African Barbs can be distinguished by their slimmer shape. These lively fish should be kept in small groups containing at least six individuals. They need a darkened tank, with an open area for swimming and a well-planted perimeter. Include bogwood to provide them with hiding places; otherwise, they will swim around nervously. African Barbs spawn in clumps of vegetation, but they are likely to eat their eggs and fry if left in the tank with them. Give the young fry food once they are free-swimming, and then progress to brine shrimp.

• ORIGINS: Southeast Asia, occurring in Sri Lanka, as well as in Mysore, southern India.
• SIZE: 2 3⁄4 in (7 cm).
• DIET: Prepared foods and live foods.
• WATER: Temperature 72–79°F (22–26°C); soft (50–100 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.5).
• TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful and social.

The intensity of the red stripe on this Asiatic barb varies significantly, and in some individuals it is so faint that it is barely visible. All Red-Striped Barbs, however, have a black spot in the middle of the base of the dorsal fin and another black spot on the caudal peduncle. Males are more slender in appearance than females. These fish are quite nervous, even when kept in a shoal, and they prefer to occupy the lower areas of a tank. Increasing the water temperature toward the upper end of the stated range and adhering to the water chemistry criteria given here should encourage spawning behavior. Red-Striped Barbs can be prolific; the females are capable of breeding several times during the year and laying as many as 400 eggs on each occasion.

• ORIGINS: Asia, where it is restricted to the southwestern part of Sri Lanka.
• SIZE: 2 in (5 cm).
• DIET: Prepared foods and live foods.
• WATER: Temperature 72–81°F (22–27°C); soft (50–100 mg/l) and neutral (pH 7.0).
• TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful and social.

On its native island of Sri Lanka, the red-finned form of Cuming’s Barb, pictured here, occurs from the Kelani River northward, while a yellow-finned variant extends as far north as the Kalu River. Like most barbs, Cuming’s is suitable for a community tank with nonaggressive fish that need similar water conditions. Breeding is rare in home aquariums, usually because of a lack of compatibility.

CANNIBALIZING THE YOUNG

Many barbs are opportunistic feeders, eating whatever they can swallow easily. They have relatively large mouths, as displayed by this Tiger Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona). A barb’s appetite will even extend to its own eggs and fry. Barbs display no parental instincts at all, although once the young are large enough not to be regarded as food by the adults, they are accepted as part of the shoal. Although barbs typically produce hundreds of eggs at a single spawning, only a tiny number of the resulting fry survive to adulthood in the wild.