TankBud

African butterfly barb

Barbus hulstaerti

FreshwaterFish

African butterfly barb (Barbus hulstaerti)
Elizabeth Barrett / animal.photos · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
63–75°F
17–24°C
pH
5.0–6.5
Adult size
1.4 in
3.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Central Africa

Overview

The African butterfly barb is a small, shy schooling fish for a cool, dim, planted tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The African butterfly barb needs cooler water than most barbs and does poorly when kept too warm for too long. Many keepers lose it by treating it like a standard tropical fish.

Caring for the African butterfly barb

Keep African butterfly barbs in a dim, planted tank of 11 gal (40 L) or larger, with leaf litter on the bottom. They color up best when they feel safe among plants.

Keep the water soft and acidic, at 63 to 75°F (17 to 24°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. An unheated or lightly heated room-temperature tank suits them, and stable conditions matter more than warmth.

Keep a group of at least six, and more if you can. They are peaceful and easily outcompeted at feeding time, so skip boisterous tank mates. Offer small foods such as micro pellets, fine flake and live or frozen daphnia and mosquito larvae.

Males and females differ in fin coloring, which helps with sexing. They are egg scatterers, and breeding them is tricky. Spawning needs soft, acidic conditions and careful attention to the cool temperature range.

Good to know

The African butterfly barb, Barbus hulstaerti, is a small cyprinid. Its patterned fins are where the butterfly name comes from.

In the wild

The African butterfly barb comes from small, shaded forest streams in Central Africa. These are cool, soft, acidic waters running over leaf litter, with little light getting through the canopy.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The African butterfly barb is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an African butterfly barb need?

An African butterfly barb needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an African butterfly barb need?

An African butterfly barb is comfortable at 63–75°F (17–24°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.5.

What does an African butterfly barb eat?

An African butterfly barb eats small foods such as micro pellets and fine flake. It also takes live or frozen daphnia and mosquito larvae.

How big does an African butterfly barb get?

An adult African butterfly barb reaches about 1.4 in (3.5 cm).

Does an African butterfly barb need a group?

Yes. An African butterfly barb is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male African butterfly barb from a female?

Males differ from females in fin coloring, which helps when sexing them.

How does an African butterfly barb breed?

African butterfly barbs are egg scatterers, and breeding them is tricky. Spawning needs soft, acidic water and careful attention to their cool temperature range.

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