Cherry Barb

Overview: Cherry Barb is a beautiful red-coloured fish species named after the male’s vibrant red colour during spawning. The red with a dark band from head to tail makes it look unique. Male fish are brighter than females. The scientific name of Cherry Barb is Puntius titteya. It is suitable for freshwater community tanks. The bright red colour and schooling nature are immensely adored by aquarists of all levels. Since it is a hardy fish, surviving well in varied water conditions and easily manageable, beginners can have them too. Cherry barb is small fish that shy around larger aggressive fish. So choose the tank mates carefully.  

Distribution and Habitat: Cherry Barb belongs to the Cyprinidae family, to which carps and minnows belong too. It is native to Sri Lanka. However, now you can find it in Mexico and Columbia, living in large groups in heavily shaded places. In the wild, this fish is at risk. Natural habitat loss and poaching have made their number very less. However, aquarium trade has become the only way to keep their number stable where they are the most popular bard species. Cherry Barb loves to live in peaceful communities that go well with their peaceful nature. The minimum tank size is 25 gallons. 

Temperature: 22 to 28 degrees Celsius is the right temperature range for Cherry Barbs. It is important to keep the temperature in this range to make Cherry Barbs feel at home. 

Water conditions: Water pH should remain between 6 to 7.5. Moderate water flow is suitable for Cherry Barbs. Keep the tank well planted so that the tank’s ambience mimics the fish’s natural habitat. Also, it will give them areas to hide and play. Plants will also make these fish look brighter as their striking cherry red colour will stand out against the green in the tank. You can also add darker substrates to pop out their colour and make them brighter. 

Breeding: You can breed barbs in a separate breeding tank. Since males are a little aggressive, and when it comes to mating, they keep on persuading females, keep the male and female ratio proper. Even if one male is going after one female only, she will come under stress that could make her stressed and sick. Therefore, the ideal ratio for Cherry Barbs in a tank is one make for every two females. 

Feeding: Cherry Barbs are omnivorous. They will readily accept a variety of food. High-quality fish flakes and fish pellets will suffice their nutritional requirements. You can also give them fresh vegetables, frozen fish food or dry fish food. They are not picky eaters and love to eat anything served to them. 

Lifespan: On average, Cherry Barbs live for 4 to 6 years under suitable water conditions and nutrition. 

Do you know: With the genetic selection, breeders have successfully developed an albino variant of Cherry Barbs. The behaviour of this variant is slightly different for instance; they do not school as much as the normal variants.