Cherry Barb

COMMON NAME: Cherry Barb.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Barbus titteya

SYNONYM: Capoeta titteya

DESIGNATION: Tropical.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Sri Lanka. SIZE: 5 cm (2 in).

WATER PREFERENCES: Soft, slightly acid water between 22-24°C (71.5-75°F).

DIET: Most foods, which should include a vegetable component.

BREEDING: Like all other Barbs, this species scatters its eggs among fine-leaved vegetation.

DESCRIPTION: This is a retiring species that does best in small shoals in a well-planted tank holding other small placid fish.

Cherry Barb Information

• The cherry barb fish is quite popular among pet fish owners. The fish has a very playful nature and is very interesting to watch. The fish is an ideal aquarium pet for the armature fish pet owner. The fish is quite hardy and has brilliant coloration. It would quite interesting to watch fish that are introduced in a shoal of at least five in number along with some shy loaches.
• To make the water tanks ideal for the stay of the cherry barb fish you are recommended to arrange for an aquarium having minimum water holding capacity of 75 liters or 20 gallons of water. Make sure of not keeping the fish alone in an aquarium. This would make the fish feel more stressed and ultimately die. It is a schooling fish and must be introduced in the tank with at least five in number or even more.
• While setting up the aquarium, make it sure that it is well planted and shady so that the fish would find ample space to hide. The plants should be sturdy as the fish has the habit of nibbling the leaves of the plant.
• Apart from shady regions to hide the fish should also be given a wide open space to swim freely. The aquarium should also be kept in an environment that has also some access to the rays of sunlight. Sunlight is ideal for the growth of algae which the fish eats for food.
• In wild the fish is found in slow flowing water and so arrange for a system that can be introduced inside the aquarium to keep the water in a slow flowing state. You must also arrange for filtration as well.
• It is ideal for a peaceful freshwater community tank. It can co-habit with docile natured fish like the Plecos, Corydoras, Rainbow, Danios and Rainbow fish. You must avoid introducing the fish with predatory types especially like the nippy fin species like the tiger barb.
• Though a schooling fish but might not always form very tight groups. Keeping two male in one shoal may be quite entertaining to watch as they compete with each other to attain supremacy one over the other.