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Beardless barb

Cyclocheilichthys apogon

Also known as Skin-head barb, Gentle pearlscale barb

FreshwaterFish
Beardless barb (Cyclocheilichthys apogon)
(c) Павлик Лисицын, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
7.9 in (20 cm)
Minimum tank
66 gal (250 L)
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Mekong to Sundaland
Family
Cyprinidae

Overview

This is a large, hardy, active river schooler, so keep several together in a spacious tank; a group looks best and keeps them settled. They swim mostly in open midwater and are peaceful toward tankmates too big to be eaten, making them good company for other large, calm community fish. They are easy to feed, taking sinking pellets, flake and frozen or live foods readily. Provide at least 250 liters, and choose a long footprint with room to cruise and some current from the filter.

In the wild

The beardless barb ranges widely across Southeast Asia, from Myanmar through the Mekong to Sundaland, in streams, canals, reservoirs and other slow or still waters. Give it a roomy tank with open swimming space, a bed of sand or fine gravel and some wood or rock. It is undemanding on chemistry, doing well from 22 to 28 degrees Celsius at pH 6.0 to 7.5 in clean, well-filtered water.

Good to know

Cyclocheilichthys apogon is a silvery cyprinid that commonly reaches around 20 centimeters and can grow a little larger. As the name apogon, meaning beardless, says, it lacks the barbels that most barbs carry. It is easily recognized by neat rows of dark dots running along the scale rows and a dark blotch at the tail base. There are no aquarium spawning records for it.

Did you know

Most barbs sport at least one pair of whisker-like barbels around the mouth, but this one has none, which is exactly what its species name apogon, meaning beardless, sets out to record.

Tank mates

Beardless barb is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Beardless barb need?

A Beardless barb needs at least 66 gal (250 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH do Beardless barb need?

Beardless barb are comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

How big do Beardless barb get?

An adult Beardless barb reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Do Beardless barb need a group?

Yes. Beardless barb are a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Barbs, danios & rasboras · Beginner fish · Schooling fish · Community fish

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