Fish Data : Cherry Barb

Scientific Name : Puntius titteya

Common Names : Crimson Carplet

Cherry Barb Care Level : Easy

Size : Up to 2 inches (5 cm)

pH : 6 - 8

Temperature : 72°F - 82°F (22°C - 28°C)

Water Hardness : 5° to 25° dH,

Cherry Barb Lifespan : 5 - 7 years

Origin / Habitat : Sri Lanka

General Info :

   The Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya) is a tropical community species endemic to the lakes and river basins of Sri Lanka. Their name comes from the red coloration of the male, that obtains a vibrant cherry red color that they use to attract females of the species ,These fish are elongated fish. , The upper part of their bodies leans toward a greenish shade with a slight sheen. A racing stripe that varies from a brownish to a bluish black runs from the tip of their snouts down the entire length of their bodies. Above the stripe is an iridescent band that is typically gold at the front part of their bodies and fades toward blue or green towards the tail. The males are redder than the females. But they do not develop the bright, cherry red coloration they are named for until they are about to mate. The cherry color is not found among the females of the species. Females are lighter in color and have yellow fins. The female’s body tends to be a lot plumper than the males

   Cherry barb can housed with fish that are not large enough to view them as a tasty snack. They are shoaling fish that take readily to heavily planted aquariums. Since they travel in schools in their natural habitat, it is advisable to add multiple barbs to your fish tank rather than a single fish. While cherry barbs do enjoy the company of their own species, they do not congregate as tightly as most barbs or tetras. It is, in fact, not uncommon to see a single barb venture away from the pack.

Size : Maximum size of this fish is about 2 inch

Care Level:

   This fish is easy for careing , They will tolerate a wide range of water parameters including pH, temperature and hardness. Can tolerate higher nitrate levels than other fish and is hardy enough to withstand the cycling process. Will readily eat prepared foods and has no special care requirements.

Origin:

   Endemic to the island of Sri Lanka.,Inhabits shaded slow-flowing forest streams with thick marginal vegetation , fallen branches and leaves litter the substrate of silt.

Aquarium Setup :

    Minimum aquarium size for Cherry barb is about 75 litres (20 gallons). They should always be kept in groups of at least five individuals, preferably more, since this is a schooling species. A Cherry barb that is kept alone can become very stressed in the aquarium.

    Your tank setup would contain a sandy or fine substrate with a mix of densely planted areas, branch type driftwood, tree root and open swimming areas. Cherry Barbs should be house with other peaceful community fish and/or semi-aggressive community fish not large enough to eat them. If kept with semi-aggressive species like Angelfish and Gourami, it is important to provide plenty of dense foliage and tree    root to provide the Cherry Barb with plenty of protected areas.

     Good filtration and a quite a strong current are recommended. Cherry barbs live in slow flowing waters in the wild.  

water parameters :

    These fish need Soft to moderately hard (hardness to 20 dGH) , acidic to basic (pH 6 to 8) water, temperature 23-27C/74-81F.

Feeding :

     Cherry Barbs are omnivores, and can be fed the standard fish foods, worms (glass, blood and tubifex worm),small brine shrimp, plankton, flake and freeze dried foods. They should also be fed various green vegetables, such as spinach, zucchini, peas and lettuce.etc. They should be fed 2 to 3 times per day an amount of food that will consume within a few minutes.

sexing:

    Sexing Cherry barbs are not difficult since the male feature a vivid, cherry-red colouration. (It is naturally from this colouration that the common name Cherry barb has been derived.) Female Cherry barbs are not as vividly coloured and will usually display a rather dull orange shade. Both males and females display a dark horizontal stripe along their body, but the stripe will be much more noticeable on the female fish since she is paler. You can also notice a difference in body shape between the two sexes. Males are generally more slender while the females tend to have fuller bodies. The male Cherry barb is also larger than the female.   

Breeding :

   These fish can breed in captivity. Breeder should Feeding barbs with a live meaty foods such as brine shrimp will increase the likelihood of breeding. The male, as mentioned earlier, will develop a bright cherry color when ready to breed.

   Once the male displays his spawning colors, the barbs should be placed in a breeding tank. Barbs scatter their eggs. Like most egg scattering fish, cherry barbs will eat their un-hatched eggs. A good trick to prevent this from happening is to place marbles in the bottom of the breeding tank. The eggs will slip down in between the marbles and prevent the parents from being able to get at them. After they spawn, the adult barbs should be removed from the breeding tank.

   The fry of cherry barbs will hatch in about 24 hours. The fry can be feed liquid fish fry food developed for egg laying fish. In a couple of days switch their diet to newly hatched brine shrimp or small amounts of powdered eggs. When they reach a week or two in age , breeder can feed them finely crushed tropical fish flakes.

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