Round-Banded Barb

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Scientific Name

Puntius rhomboocellatus

Min. Tank Size

20 gallons

Personality

Peaceful

Temperature

73-82°F

pH

6.5-7.0/1-10°dGH

Size

2"

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Egglayer

Compatibility

Other Cyprinids, Loaches, Rasboras and Gouramis.

Round-Banded Barb

More commonly referred to as the Snakeskin Barb, the Round-Banded Barb inhabits peat swamps and blackwater streams. This species can be found throughout the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, though it is most heavily concentrated in the southern part of the island. Round-Banded Barbs can be identified by the dark vertical bars that mark their flanks. Unlike other Barbs, the stripes on Round-Banded Barbs split to form diamond-like shapes which give the flanks of these fish the appearance of snakeskin.

Tank Set-Up

The native aquatic habitat of Round-Banded Barbs is stained with tannins and may have a pH as low as 3.0. In the home aquarium, however, these fish do well in neutral or slightly acidic water. Round-Banded Barbs may have difficulty assimilating to the home aquarium, so they are best added to mature set-ups. These fish prefer to be kept with 8 to 10 of their own species and do well with other peaceful community fish. Round-Banded Barbs may enjoy the addition of leaf litter to the tank along with dark substrate and bogwood decor.

Feeding

As omnivores, these Barbs feed primarily on insects, crustaceans and worms in addition to various forms of plant and organic matter. In the home aquarium, Round-Banded Barbs are likely to accept any food given to them. Offer your Barbs a staple diet of high-quality flake or pellet food supplemented with small live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, Artemia and bloodworms. These fish will also benefit from some Spirulina or blanched vegetables in their diet. For optimum health and coloration, feed a varied diet on a regular basis.

Breeding

There is little recorded information about successful breeding attempts for this species of Barb, but it is believed that they are best spawned in pairs. Like other Barbs, these fish are egg layers and are likely to eat their own young so they should be spawned in a separate breeding tank and removed from the tank once the eggs have been deposited.