Red-Striped Barb

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Scientific Name

Puntius bimaculatus

Min. Tank Size

25 gallons

Personality

Peaceful

Temperature

72-79°F

pH

6.0-6.5/5-15°dGH

Size

2.75"

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Egglayer

Compatibility

Other Cyprinids, Livebearers, Rasboras, Tetras, Corydoras, Danios, small Loaches and Gouramis.

Red-Striped Barb

The Red-Striped Barb, also called the Red-Side or Two-Spot Barb, is native to India and Sri Lanka. Red-Striped Barbs are the only known species of fish found in the mountain streams of Sri Lanka above 1500m elevation. These fish are relatively small and have slender, compressed bodies that are silver in color. Males of this species have red coloration on the flanks and a bronze/green stripe above the red. The intensity of the red stripe can vary significantly from one fish to the next of this species. In some individuals it is barely evident. Both sexes exhibit two black spots – one at the base of the dorsal fin and one on the caudal fin – which are what earned them the nickname Two-Spot Barb.

Tank Set-Up

This species of Barb tends to be very peaceful but it should not be kept with large, boisterous tankmates. These fish do well with placid community fish as well as Livebearers and bottom dwellers. Red-Striped Barbs are schooling fish, best kept in groups with 8 or more of their own species. Tanks for these Barbs should be decorated with dim lighting and dark substrate, ornamented with pieces of bogwood and plenty of live plants.

Feeding

These fish come from hill streams and lowland swamps where they feed on green algae and other forms of detritus. In the home aquarium, these fish are likely to accept a variety of foods. To remain healthy, however, Red-Striped Barbs should be fed a diet of live and frozen foods such as Artemia, Daphnia and bloodworms. This diet should be supplemented with high-quality flakes, granules and plant matter such as algae and fresh vegetables. To ensure the best health and coloration of this species feed a varied diet on a regular basis.

Breeding

Red-Striped Barbs are somewhat easy to breed in the home aquarium when provided with plenty of plants on which to deposit their eggs. These fish should be removed from the breeding tank following spawning because they are likely to eat their own eggs and fry.