Fact Sheet: GOLD BARB (Puntius semifasciolatus)

Photo: Wikipedia

The Gold Barb, Puntius semifasciolatus is an excellent little aquarium fish. It usually grows to about two inches long (5cm) although I have seen ones nearer 4 inches (10cm). The Gold Barb is from Asia although the actual Gold form does not exist in the wild. Their usual lifespan is about five years.

Naming Confusion

This fish has many names. Other Common names are Golden Barb, Schubert's Barb, Green Barb, Half Stripped Barb, China Barb, Chinese Half Stripped Barb and Six Banded Barb. Other Scientific names it has been known by include: Barbus semifasciolatus, Pontius Shubertii, Puntius Shubertii, Barbus Shubertii and Capoeta semifasciolatus.

To add to the naming perplexity, the Gold Barb is often confused with: the Golden Barb (Puntius gelius) or the Gold-finned Barb (Puntius sachsii). The species name Shubertii refers to Tom Shubert of Camden, New Jersey, USA who developed the Gold Barb. He did this by selective breeding, presumably from the wild form of Puntius semifasciolatus, in the 1960's. I remember when I was a teenager keeping fish in the 1960's and later that the Gold Barb was called Barbus Shubertii. It was believed by some people to be a distinct species although there was already a suspicion that it was a form of Puntius semifasciolatus. I do not think that Barbus Shubertiiwas ever a valid scientific name.

Water Conditions

The Gold barb thrives in cooler water than most tropical fish. 18 - 24 degrees C (64 - 75 degrees F) is this fish's preferred range although it will certainly survive several degrees above this and a few degrees below. This means that it is suitable for either a tropical aquarium with the temperature set at 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) or an unheated tank in areas that do not get very cold. It is interesting to note that the color change was not the only change that happened when Mr. Shubert was breeding these fish. The Gold form of the species is a little less cold resistant than the wild type.The wild-type is sometimes sold as the China Barb and is a good aquarium fish although not as attractively colored as the Gold Barb.

The Gold Barb likes fairly soft, slightly acidic water, but does well over a range of pH. I usually aim for neutral (7). It will tolerate a moderate amount of hardness in the water.

Food

The Gold Barb is an easily fed omnivore. Any good quality fish food is an excellent basis for its diet. As with nearly all fish, and most other animals, the Gold Barb benefits from the occasional change in its diet. Live food like mosquito larvae and Daphnia are gobbled up greedily. Frozen bloodworms also make a good treat.

Companions

The Gold Barb is a schooling fish and a minimum of six should be kept. The Gold Barb is not as likely to become a fin nipper as Rosy Barbs and Tiger Barbs but can be kept with these fish as well as with other slightly aggressive fish like Paraguay Tetras, Buenos Aires Tetras and Colombian Tetras. Because the Gold Barb is peaceful it can also be kept with fish like Pristella Tetras and Rummy Nose Tetras. I would not recommend them as companions for Siamese Fighting Fish, Guppies, and Endlers Guppies. Small fish like Neon Tetras and Cardinal Tetras can certainly be kept with smaller Gold Barbs. In all cases, avoid too great a size difference between the fish in your aquarium. Do not put large, aggressive or predatory fish with Gold Barbs.

Breeding

Gold Barbs scatter their eggs over plants, preferably fine leaved ones. The males tend to be brighter in color and when ready to breed will get an orange-red belly. The females are duller in color and plumper. An increase in temperature to about 27 degrees C (80 degrees F) as well as a drop in pH to about 6.5 will tend to encourage them to breed. The spawning can be a little violent, so the tank should be reasonably big. I suggest at least two feet (60cm) long.

The actual spawning will usually take place when the tank starts to get light in the morning. I suggest removing the parents immediately after spawning. The average number of eggs per female is about a hundred although I have known of a female that produced over 400 eggs at one spawning.

An alternative way of breeding them is to have them in as big an aquarium as possible, with large numbers of plants and leave the parents in. Of course, you are likely to get fewer babies surviving, but this is a little closer to what could happen in the wild. A variation on this method is to put them into a well-planted pond in the summer months and catch all the fish before it gets too cold in the autumn (fall). The eggs are a yellowish color. They should hatch in 2-3 days. The fry will eat fine dry foods but benefit from suitable sized live foods at all stages.

Pest Fish

As with all captive fish, do release your Gold Barbs into the wild and do not put them in a situation where they could get out.

By Steve Challis Also see: http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Gold-Barb-Fact-Sheet.php Steve Challis has many articles and stories on a diverse range of subjects at http://www.bettatrading.com.au. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Tips on CHERRY BARB Care and Spawning

Cherry Barb - Photo   by       lakpuratravels 

The cherry barb or Puntius titteya is classified to the family Cyprinidae was commonly known as carp. The cherry barb was originally discovered and cataloged on the island of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. Since its discovery, this species has established populations in the freshwater bodies of Columbia and Mexico.

Cherry barbs received their name because of their bright red color palette. They are a small, elongated fish only reaching a length of approximately two inches when fully grown. Typically, the upper part of their bodies leans toward a greenish shade with a slight sheen. A racing stripe that varies from a brownish color to 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 generally 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 enter the spawning cycle. 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 barbs make good community tank fish provided they are 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.

They are originally from Sri Lanka. Lake Sir Lanka is an island country in southern Asia located off the southern coast of India. Cherry barbs prefer soft, slightly acidic water with a temperature variance between 72-79 °F.

Cherry barbs are omnivores. They can be fed common tropical fish flakes as their primary diet.

Breeding Cherry Barbs

Cherry barbs breed in captivity. This is a good thing. Their numbers have decreased drastically in Sri Lanka.

Feeding barbs frozen or live meaty foods such as brine shrimp will help to induce the spawning cycle. The male, as mentioned earlier, will develop a bright cherry color when ready to spawn.

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 breeding trick 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 spawning, the adult barbs should be removed from the breeding tank.

The fry 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 you can feed them finely crushed tropical fish flakes.

By Stephen J Broy Many home aquarium owners cringe at the thought of maintaining a saltwater aquarium. What most of them don't realize is that a Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquarium requires little more maintenance than a freshwater tank. Keeping Pet Moon Jellyfish is the hottest new trend in aquarium ownership. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Rosy Barb - Puntius conchonius

Rosy Barb - Puntius conchonius

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PIRANHA - Pygocentrus nattereri

Piranha - Pygocentrus nattereri

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ROSY BARB, Puntius conchonius, Barbus conchonius

The Rosy Barb Puntius conchonius (previously Barbus conchonius ) is one of the most beautiful of the freshwater fish. They have a silvery or coppery pink color with a green cast along the back, and the males will have more pink on their underbellies. They are hardy, undemanding, and fun to watch because they are constantly on the move. These qualities make them one of the most desirable starter fish.

An image of Puntius conchonius (Rosy Barb, Prachtbarbe, Praktbarb) (Photo: Wikipedia)

The color of these fish is always attractive but it most impressive when they are spawning. The males silvery color intensifies to a deep rosy red or a purplish red, and the fins get pink and black. Though usually referred to as a Rosy Barb, another common name they are known by is the Red Barb. They have also been developed in several ornamental varieties. Some of these include the Neon Rosy Barb, Long Fin Rosy Barb, Red Glass Rosy Barb, and Gold Neon Rosy Barb.

These barbs are a delightful choice for a beginning fish keeper but will make a dynamic display in any aquarists tank. They are peaceful and will do well in a community aquarium, with only an occasional nip on a tankmates fins. They do prefer cooler water than much other tropical fish, needing temperatures between 64-72° F (18-22° C). Be sure to select tankmates that will also thrive in a cooler tank.

Depending on the region they are from these fish vary some in appearance and size. They are one of the larger barb species so do need at least a 20-gallon tank. In the wild, they can reach lengths of up to 6 inches (15 cm). In the aquarium, however, it is more common for them to only reach about 4 inches (10 cm). Not only are they very active, they are great jumpers, so the aquarium needs to be covered.

When kept in a school, the males display an interesting behavior. They will continually swim around each other with their fins spread out, showing off their best colors. These fish are very prolific breeders but they will need a breeding tank with shallow water. They will happily spawn in water that is just a couple of inches deep.

The Rosy Barb has a torpedo shaped body and its tail is forked. It has only one dorsal fin. Lacking an adipose fin, a second dorsal fin to the rear of the first is a characteristic of all the Cyprinid fishes. This is a good sized fish reaching a length of up to 6 inches (15 cm) in the wild, though they generally only reach about 4 inches (10 cm) in the aquarium. They are mature at 2.5 inches (6 cm) and have an average lifespan of about 5 years.

The general coloration is silvery or coppery pink body with somewhat of a greenish cast along the back. Males are a more reddish color, especially on the underbelly and sides. There is a black spot just in front of caudal peduncle, and there may be some black along the top margins of the anal and dorsal fins. These fish will vary some in appearance and size, depending on the region they are from.

Size of fish – inches: 5.9 inches (15.01 cm) – In the wild, these fish can reach up to 6 inches (15 cm), but in captivity, they generally only get about 4 inches (10 cm).

Excerpt from an original article on Animal-World.com Copyright © [Animal-World] 1998-2012. All rights reserved.

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Check Your Knowledge Before Keeping BARB FISH in the Aquarium

Barbs come from a group of fish called Cyprinidae. This group consists of a big range of fish right from goldfish to sharks. However, there are some common things among them.

Gold Barb (Puntius semifasciolatus)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Truly speaking, fish experts are not able to classify barbs at a group to which they belong. Some say that they are the members of genus Barbus and some others say they are the members of Pontius instead. However, this will not come in your way if you want to keep barbs at your aquarium.

You have to decide which type of barbs you want to keep. There are tiger barbs, which you cannot keep alone because they will get stressed and will be sick. Another type of barbs is called cherry barbs which are very colorful and they are peace-loving so easy to keep. There is one more important type, the rosy barbs. They are a bit difficult to breed but they are famous for their bright red and golden yellow colors.

If you are an experienced fish-keeper, you can even go for another type which is called clown barb. They will need a big tank with very high temperatures of water. In case the water is not warm enough, they can get sick very easily. Another important thing to be remembered about them is their eating habits. They are plant eaters and they will always try the plants in the aquarium as their food. However, if fully grown up clown barb is a really beautiful fish to keep.

There are some unusual varieties of barbs, which you can also consider. One of them is called Zebra barb. They can grow up to 5 inches and they have stripes like the zebra fish on their body. There are purple barbs which can grow up to 4 inches and they also have stripes on their body over a yellow background. However, this variety is not easily available because it is difficult to breed and difficult to transport.

When you go for buying barbs in a pet fish shop, you may not find them interesting because when they are young, they will look dull and they will not display their true colors. This is really sad because they make your aquarium colorful and beautiful later. Even the beginners will be happy to have them because of their simple lifestyle. When they grow up and become full-fledged adults, they will look really bright, active and beautiful. So they may not attract your attention at the shop and you may be tempted to buy some other varieties of fish.

If you have already made a good research on the Internet and if you have already decided to buy barbs, then you can speak to the staff of the pet fish store, understand the necessities you will be required to maintain for barbs and you can bring them home. They are not very expensive and they can always fit in your budgets. They can be easily accommodated in small aquariums and the requirements for their care are not very elaborate.

You can also inquire about purple-head barb with the pet fish shop. They will develop a unique raspberry color when they reach adulthood and start breeding. You can also ask for Gold barb which will be blooming with bright yellow color after reaching adulthood.

Your decision will depend on the information you have on this beautiful species. Their only requirement is a thickly planted aquarium providing plenty of hiding places. You have to also inquire about their habit of eating plants. Some of the species would like to eat plants but you can keep them in a separate aquarium where you can keep fast growing and sturdy plants.

There is another important habit of some other species of barb. They would like to scatter their eggs over the plants in the aquarium. So they need to be kept separately during their breeding time.

All these habits are not difficult to adjust when we consider their beautiful colors, shapes and activities. So if you want your aquarium really vibrant, maker good research on the Internet, discuss with your pet fish shop, pick up suitable varieties of barbs and start enjoying!

By Chintamani Abhyankar Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: ODESSA BARB - Pethia (Puntius) padamya

Pethia  (Puntius) Padamya or Odessa barb (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Odessa Barb, Pethia (Puntius) padamya, has been known to the aquarium hobby for many years, but was only described scientifically in 2008.

The Odessa Barb first came to the attention of the Aquarium Hobby as coming from Odessa in the Ukraine. It is in the group of about 10 species related to the Rosy Barb, Puntius conchonius. Other scientific names the Odessa barb has been called include Puntius ticto.

Although the type specimens of this fish were found in or near the lower Chindwin River in Myanmar, it is generally believed to be more widely distributed than this implies. The good tolerance of this species to low temperatures fits in with the belief that it can come from cooler, mountainous areas such as the foothills of the Himalayas.

Water Conditions

The Odessa Barb prefers cooler water than most tropical fish, 14-25 degrees C. (57-77 degrees F) being ideal. They are happy in either a tropical aquarium at 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) or in an unheated aquarium as long as it is not in an extremely cold area. In warm areas, this fish could be kept outside in ponds, but you would need to consider how cold it would get in the winter in your area.

Although the Odessa barb likes slightly acidic water, they are also happy in neutral or slightly alkaline conditions. A moderate degree of hardness does not seem to bother this fish.

Food

The Odessa Barb is an easily fed omnivore and will eat all normal aquarium foods. The basis of its diet could be a good quality flake or pellet food with the occasional feeding of frozen food like Frozen blood worms or a live food like mosquito larvae or Daphnia.

Companions

The Odessa Barb is a schooling fish, and I suggest that at least 5 be kept together. Although not one of the most aggressive barbs, I would not tend to keep them with slow moving, long finned fish like Guppies or Siamese Fighting Fish.

This fish is a suitable companion for most of the Barbs, Swordtails, Platies, Rasboras and Tetras as well as the more peaceful larger fish like the Silver Shark, but I would avoid really aggressive fish as their companions.

Sexing

The Male Odessa Barb has a more obvious Red stripe, especially when in breeding condition. The female get plumper when they have eggs.

Breeding

The Breeding of the Odessa Barb is very similar to the breeding of the Rosy Barb. They are an easily spawned egg layer. They eat their own eggs and babies, so if you want a reasonable survival rate, it is necessary to remove the parents after spawning. The ideal water is moderately soft and slightly alkaline, but they do not seem to be too fussy.

Raising the Fry

The Odessa Barb babies are slightly bigger than many of the smaller egg laying aquarium fish. They also grow faster than average. As soon as they are free swimming they are capable of eating finely screened daphnia. A dry fry food can be used as the main diet while they are young. Suitable sized live food is a good idea at all stages of the growth of the fish.

By Steve Challis Also see: http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Odessa-Barb-Fact-Sheet.php Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au Article Source: EzineArticles

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Learn About DANIO FISH, a Great Species of Fish For Any Aquarium

Add variety to your Aquarium; add a Danio

Danios (long-fin Zebra Danio) are really fun to have and can mix up the colors in your tank. Having multi-colored fish keep your tank from being a bust. Colorful fish add excitement to the mix. Danios average 4 inches but are known to grow up to 8 inches. Danios are a tropical fish so a community of tropical fish is perfect for your Danio.

Both colour morphs of Danio kyathit
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Danios are smaller but don't underestimate these meat eaters. Danios are carnivores that can chow on crustaceans, worms and larvae. A staple diet of tropical flakes and pellets are a fair food to provide your Danio fish. Just follow the packaging directions so you don't over feed your Danio. Like other carnivorous fish you can feed your Danio frozen or freeze dried foods, blood worms, tubifex worms etc. If you are feeding frozen foods be sure to thaw them out first. Feed your Danio twice a day with staple foods and up to four specialty meals a week.

Danios are spend their time swimming in the middle of the aquarium but they also need a room to swim because Danios are social fish that swim in schools, even with other fish. The water Temp should be a medium between 70 to approx 80 degrees. Danio Fish are a personal favorite. These are the "big fish" in a small pond as they are tough little meat eaters. I see that they take to worms a lot more than other staple fish food.

By Nathan E Peterson Article Source: EzineArticles

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Aquarium Fish Care - BARB Care Tips For Beginners

Sumatra barbs, red barbs, rosy barbs and tiger barbs are all different varieties of freshwater fishes. They are easy to maintain and breed. But the larger barbs can only be kept with big fishes. The large barbs can cause trouble in communal tanks and destroy your structured plans. They require more attention than the smaller ones and therefore the barbs have to be separated and grouped.

The purple head barb and the black ruby are from Ceylon. These fishes grow to the size of around two and half inches and live in communal tanks well. The female ones create a colourful and vibrant environment by flaunting their grey-yellow bodies that also show stripes or dark blotches. The male lot are mostly either black or brown and/or have their fronts that are vermilion red.

Cherry Barb - Photo by brian.gratwicke 

They are not like the boisterous group of Puntius Conchonius groups and live comfortably in communal waters. They are not finicky when it comes to food and they hence eat anything. They also have no demands when it comes to the water conditions, they are best suited for natural water which is hard water. These types of fish are also easy to breed. They lay around three hundred eggs and like other barbs also spawn.

The Sumatra and tiger fish belong to the species of Capoeta Tetrazona. These come from Sumatra and Borneo and grow up to two inches. They are colourful and set off the tanks with their colours and stripes. The fish keeps changing its behaviour and because of this nature it happens to be among the most diverse in the market. This is proved as some people say the fish is mild and calming while others refer to it as the bully who terrorizes the other fish!

The Sumatra and tiger fishes need the similar water conditions as compared to other barbs. They tend to live in the practical as well as impractical alkaline water. The fish does well in salt water too. The temperature that is recommended is 78 degrees Fahrenheit. These fishes have good appetites and they are not fussy and eat everything. Breeders will benefit as barb fishes are all healthy spawns.

Female Sumatra and tiger fishes are fat and differ from the male ones who are slim and colourful fishes. The female ones are quite ordinary and plain and they breed. They however do have some bladder problems and the fins have a tendency to go rot. The water hence should be clean and spotless. The tank also should be watched over during breeding as the spawns laid by the fishes are likely to be bitten by the mutants.

Capoeta Titteya or Cherry barbs are fishes that come from Ceylon too and they grow to the size of two inches. They are normally brownish-yellow in colour or brownish red. These fishes differ from the others to look at as they consist of top to bottom dark black lines. They are good communal fishes and require the same water and feeding conditions like the other barbs. The male in these are of darker colours and during breeding they undergo change in colours which appears to be black or even cherry red but the stripes evaporate eventually.

These barbs breed like the others too and even lay up to a number of 200 eggs. The cherry barbs consist of a wide variety and the fascinating thing is that while some types feed on other barbs itself; the other types don?t do this.

Concluding if you are a beginner then to get better acquainted with tips on aquarium and fish care you can check the new Harlequins line out.

By Abhishek Agarwal Abhishek is an avid Fish Lover and he has got some great Aquarium Care Secrets up his sleeves!  Article Source: EzineArticles

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BARBS and PUNTIUS Aquarium Fish - Tip On Their Care

Learning about fish care and how to maintain an aquarium is very important if you want to own fish. As living beings fish need a lot of attention, some food, oxygen, water and a clean environment to live in. You need to make a commitment if want fish to take care of, but if you want something easier to look after then you should, perhaps, collect rocks instead. In today's modern world, the aquariums are quite self-sufficient with tanks that have alls sorts of switches with controls to regulate them. 

Pentazona Barb, P. pentazona
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are lights, filters, pumps, food, dosage control and many other gadgets which you can purchase. You can soon learn how to look after after fish and plants without much stress over whether the water conditions are right and if it is pure enough. You can buy testing kits to measure the waters chemical intake, so that you can correct it if necessary. There are breeds of fish that you might want to consider when setting up your aquarium

Barbs belong to the largest groups of fish with many varieties for your aquarium and its waters. These fish are made up of colourful patterns and are usually happy in nature. Being very fish they are not too fussy when it comes to water conditions so are the easiest to feed. This is a good choice of fish to breed. Barbs will grow to 2 inches, 3 inches, or a larger size. Separate them and put them in communal tanks, with the smaller ones together, and the larger ones in a separate tank. The larger ones are nice to look out but will rip apart such goodies as the plants in the aquarium. Read up on all you can about the larger barbs which can brew up some trouble in a tank. As these fish breed, you should feed infusoria to the fry right from the beginning. Saltwater shrimp can be digested by the larger barbs.

How Barbs Live

A large, well oxyenated tank is preferable for barbs so it has plenty of room to swim around in. Smaller tanks make them feel stressed and more likely to cause some sort of disturbance.

The Eggs

When barbs lay their eggs they stick, so the aquarium should be laid with pebble all over the bottom, with plants of a high volume which is the ideal habitat for them. It is optional to place nylon and willow root. These fish are greedy, and the adult fish should be removed from the tank after spawning, as they will the youngsters.

The Red Barb or the Rosy Barb fish are the commonly known Puntius Conchonius. They originate from India, growing to a size of 2 1/2 inches. These fish have bodies of a silvery colour which light up well in a good, clean tank, showing off their deep rosy red. They can also change to a pale green shade. There are black tints which set off their fins. This fish is energetic, but has a quiet, calm nature. They are better off houses with fish of a similar size due to its boisterous side.

The Water Condition

The Puntius live in waters which are quite neutral and alkaline, and also the moderately hard waters. Temperatures of the water should be set at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a choice fish if you are breeding for the first time as it will eat anything and likes to eat well. They spawn up to 300 layers.

Puntius Nigrofasciatus are closely related to the Puntius Conchonius which fish known as the Purple Head Barbs or the Black Ruby. These fish dwell in Ceylon and grow up to a size of around 2 1/2 inches. The males are different in colour to the females which usually have dark stripes, vertical to a body of yellowish-grey. Also an easy fish to breed, most water conditions are tolerated and foods too.

By Abhishek Agarwal Abhishek is an avid Fish Lover and he has got some great Aquarium Care Secrets up his sleeves! Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: SCISSORTAIL RASBORA - Rasbora trilineata

(Original: Scissortail Rasbora Fact Sheet)

Three-lined rasbora Rasbora trilineata (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Scissortail Rasbora, Rasbora trilineata, is also called the Scissortail Shark, and simply the Scissortail. Alternative scientific names are Rasbora calliura and Rasbora stigmatura. It is not shark like in its behavior and only vaguely shark like in its appearance. It grows to about 4 inches (10cm). It is fairly peaceful and is suitable for a mixed collection of small fish.

The Scissortail Rasbora comes from South Eastern Asia, including Malaysia and Indonesia.

This fish has attractive black and white markings on its tail, and the movement of these as the fish swims reminds some people of the action of Scissor blades.

Water Conditions

The Scissortail Rasbora comes from soft acidic waters and these are the ideal conditions for it in an aquarium. They will adapt to neutral pH (7) and some hardness in the water. 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) is a suitable temperature. In the wild, the Scissortail Rasbora often inhabits flowing water, as in a river or stream. Some water movement from a filter in the aquarium is beneficial.

Food

The Scissortail Rasbora is an omnivore. It will eat any normal fish food and loves live food like mosquito larvae and daphnia. Frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp are also gobbled up eagerly.

Companions

The Scissortail Rasbora likes conditions similar to the preferred conditions of many of the South American Tetras.

Some suitable companions are Pristella Tetras, Paraguay Tetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Buenos Aries Tetras, Black Widow Tetras, Emperor Tetras, Head and Tail Light Tetras, Glowlight Tetras, Corydoras Catfish, White Cloud Mountain Minnows and Zebra Danios.

The Scissortail Rasbora can also be kept with Swordtails, Glass Bloodfin Tetras, Guppies, Endlers Guppies and Mollies, but the water conditions for a mixture like this would be a compromise between the ideal conditions for these different fish and would not be ideal for any of them.

Breeding

The Scissortail Rasbora is not a very easy fish to breed. The females tend to be a little larger than the males and will be plumper when ready to breed. Conditioning the fish with black worms or other rich food like frozen blood worms is a good idea.

The breeding tank needs to have soft, acid water. A lowered water level may also help stimulate breeding. Cleanliness is very important for this species and the addition of an anti fungus medication may help prevent the eggs from getting infected.

The Scissortail Rasbora will eat its own eggs and babies and the parents should be removed after spawning.

The eggs will hatch in 24 hours and will take small live food like the finest screened Daphnia as soon as the egg yolk is fully absorbed.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has articles on a diverse range of subjects at http://www.bettatrading.com.au. A relative of the Scissortail is the Harlequin. A fact sheet about this fish is at http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Harlequin-Rasbora-Fact-Sheet.php. Article Source: EzineArticles

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BARBS Are Fun Exotic Fish For Your Tropical Fish Tank

Barbs for Aquariums

Barbs are fun to have zipping around your fish tank.  They usually average 2"- 3" in size.  Barbs need to be paired up with similar fish in the tropical community.  Can you see the trend?  Tropical fish are normally the fish for your aquarium.  Barbs are Omnivores.  

A photograph of the Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They eat both plant and animals like prepared and live foods.  You can toss Fish Flakes or Pellets to feed your Barb.  Romaine Lettuce, zucchini and peas are also a good source of food for your Barb, don't be shy to mix it up a little with the food.  Freeze-Dried Blood worms, tubifex worms and other small worms, mosquito larvae and daphnia are the specialty foods for your Barb.  You don't want to clean a bunch of leftovers so be sure to provide enough food that your Barb will eat in 3 minutes or so.

Barbs are usually middle swimmers, meaning you find them in the middle of the fish tank moving about.  Barbs are most active and playful swimmer and like to tease and nip at the fins of slower moving fish.  The Barb is like the prankster at the school yard.  Only his domain is the aquarium.  Barbs move about with 2 or 3 other Barbs to keep the group tough.  When Barbs are alone they tend to seclude themselves from the rest of the aquarium fish.  So be sure to buy a few of their buddies so it can be more playful in the fish tank.

Other Common Barbs for your fish tank include Tiger Barbs, Cherry Barbs, Rosy Barbs and Tinfoil Barbs.

By Nathan E Peterson [http://www.FishPlenty.com/wordpress] - The Ultimate Fish Tank Guide For all Aquarium Lovers! This is the mecca for Fish Tank Maintenance, Tips and Tricks and Health information in regards to your tropical fish. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Are BARBS Aggressive Fish?

The Barbs have the reputation for being aggressive fish. In reality, this is a fairly large group of fish, so each species needs to be looked at separately.

Tiger Barbs

The Tiger Barb, Puntius tetrazona has probably the worst reputation of all the small barbs. It is certainly true that the Tiger Barb can be a fin nipper. It is fairly common in our shop that someone has a problem with their fins being nipped. They do have a Tiger Barb in their fish collection, but tend to reject the idea that it is the culprit because it is not only a little fish, but they only have one of them. I am forced to tell them that a single Tiger Barb is usually worse than a school.

Five tiger barbs (Puntius tetrazona) and one neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is something common to many fast schooling fish. If there are not enough to form a school, they will try to join up with other species of fish, but these may be slower fish and are in danger of getting their fins nipped.

Once in our shop a male Guppy somehow got put into an aquarium full of Tiger Barbs. I took it out as soon as I saw it, but it must have been in overnight. The Tiger Barbs were ignoring the Guppy.

Rosy Barbs

This is another Barb with a bad reputation. Certainly it is a fast, boisterous fish that can be a problem to other fish. This barb grows larger than any of the others mentioned, and more space is needed.

Gold Barbs

Gold Barbs are more peaceful than most of the barbs, but I would still recommend that at least four be kept together. Unlike the first two fish mentioned, this fish is sometimes kept successfully with slower longer finned fish.

Cherry Barbs

This Barb is not typical of the barb group. They do not have such a strong schooling tendency. Although some people regard them as an aggressive fish, this had not been my own observation. Although they do not necessarily form schools, I would still recommend that several be kept together.

In Conclusion

The barbs listed certainly can be aggressive, and some matching of tank mates is necessary. All of them are suitable community fish for a tank of fast schooling fish with Corydoras Catfish like the Peppered catfish as scavengers.

I would not recommend any of them as companions for very slow, long finned fish like the Siamese Fighting Fish.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has Fact Sheets on all the fish named in this article at http://www.bettatrading.com.au. including a lot of information about the Siamese Fighting fish at http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Siamese-Fighting-Fish-Fact-Sheet.php. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Fact Sheet: BLACK RUBY BARB - Puntius nigrofasciatus

(Original title: Black Ruby Barb Fact Sheet)

Black ruby barb - Puntius nigrofasciatus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Black Ruby Barb, Puntius nigrofasciatus, is a hardy fish suitable for a community aquarium as long as care is exercised in the selection of the other fish. Other common names for fish are Purple Headed Barb and Ruby Barb. Another Scientific name that has been used is Barbus nigrofasciatus. The Black Ruby Barb comes from Sri Lanka. It grows to about two and a half inches (7 cm) long.

Water Conditions

The Black Ruby Barb prefers reasonably soft, slightly acidic water. It will still be fairly comfortable with neutral water (pH 7). Its ideal temperature range is 21-26 degreesC (70-79 degreesF). It will take a little higher for short periods. In the wild, it schools in slow flowing streams and rivers with abundant vegetation. Their plants should be very well planted with some free space for swimming.

The Black Ruby Barb does not like dirty water with a lot of fish wastes and regular partial water changes are a good idea. It is also one of the fish more susceptible to Ich (White Spot). You need to watch out for this disease and be ready to treat for it.

Food

The Black Ruby Barb is an omnivore. It will eat any normal fish food, but live food is preferred and if possible some mosquito larvae, blood worms, Daphnia or other suitable sized live food should be given. Frozen Blood worms are also good and may be easier to obtain and store than live food.

Companions

Black Ruby Barbs are schooling fish and should be kept in schools of at least six fish. Although not the most aggressive fish kept in aquaria, they can nip the fins of slow moving fish. I would avoid putting it with long finned fish like Siamese Fighting Fish, Guppies and Endlers Guppies. Some suitable companions for a school of Black Ruby Barbs are Gold Barbs, PristellaTetras, Rummy Nose Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Scissortail Rasboras, Lemon Tetras, Black Widow Tetras, Emperor Tetras, Head and Tail Light Tetras, Glass Bloodfin Tetras, Swordtails, Platies, Zebra Danios, Glowlight Tetras and White Cloud Mountain Minnows as well as the Corydoras catfish like the Peppered Catfish.

I would not recommend them as companions for Mollies, Cherry Barbs, Neon Tetras and Cardinal Tetras. The reason I do not recommend them for aquariums with Mollies is the big differences in water requirements. Also avoid large and predatory fish with Black Ruby Barbs.

Breeding

The Male Black Ruby Barb changes color when it is ready to breed. In this state, it becomes clear why it is called things like the Purple Headed Barb. The males get an intense red- black color and tend to be a bit bigger than the females. The females are a little plumper than the males. The Black Ruby Barb is an egg scatterer, and lays its eggs over plants, preferably fine leaved ones.

The water for spawning should be soft and moderately acidic with a temperature of about 27 degrees C (80 degrees F). Typically they will spawn first thing in the morning. About 400 eggs per female should be laid. By using marbles on the bottom of the tank, most of the eggs should fall out of reach of the parents. As with many fish, Black Ruby Barbs eat their own eggs and babies. It is usual to remove the parents after spawning.

Baby Care

Keep the eggs dark until they hatch. The eggs hatch in about one day, and are free swimming after about a week. The babies will eat protozoa (infusoria) at first and this can be supplemented with the finest fry foods. As they grow, the babies can be fed bigger fry food and will be helped to grow by suitable sized live food like screened daphnia.

Pest Fish

As with all captive fish, do not allow them to get out into ecosystems they are not native to.

By Steve Challis Steve Challis has many other fish fact sheets and other articles on http://www.bettatrading.com.au. Article Source: EzineArticles

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