Bunau barb
Barbodes bunau
Also known as Bunau spotted barb, Black ink barb
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–81°F
- 22–27°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.0
- Adult size
- 3.5 in
- 9 cm
- Minimum tank
- 29 gal
- 110 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Egg scatterer
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- Origin
- Northern Borneo, Malaysia
Overview
The Bunau barb is a peaceful barb without the fin-nipping habit its group is known for. It suits a community tank and takes a little more care than the easiest fish.
Did you know
Borneo's spotted barbs are sorted by counting their blotches. The Bunau barb's dots work like an address within the island's maze of barbs.
Caring for the Bunau barb
Keep Bunau barbs in a group of eight or more, in a tank of 29 gal (110 L) or larger. Give them open swimming space, wood and some planting, with gentle flow and subdued light.
Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Feed flake, granules and frozen foods. They are not fussy eaters.
The Bunau barb is a steady, constant swimmer rather than a darting one, and it stays in the middle of the tank. It mixes well with other Bornean species, such as rasboras and hillstream loaches. It is an egg-scattering spawner and does not guard its eggs.
Good to know
Barbodes bunau is a member of the family Cyprinidae. Its genus holds the Southeast Asian barbs separated out of the old catch-all Puntius. That split is why many familiar species have changed names in recent years.
In the wild
The Bunau barb comes from northern Borneo in Malaysia. It lives in forest streams that run soft and slightly acidic over sand and leaf litter.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The Bunau 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.
Silver hatchetfish
Gasteropelecus levis
Freshwater1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 30 gal (112 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Indian copper catfish
Glyptothorax telchitta
Freshwater5.9 in (15 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Sittaung danio
Danio sysphigmatus
Freshwater3.3 in (8.5 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Blackwing hatchetfish
Carnegiella marthae
Freshwater1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)
One-spot synodontis
Synodontis notatus
Freshwater9.8 in (25 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Costae tetra
Moenkhausia costae
Freshwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Bunau barb need?
A Bunau barb needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Bunau barb need?
A Bunau barb is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.
What does a Bunau barb eat?
A Bunau barb eats flake, granules and frozen foods, and it is not a fussy eater.
How big does a Bunau barb get?
An adult Bunau barb reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).
Does a Bunau barb need a group?
Yes. A Bunau barb is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
How does a Bunau barb breed?
The Bunau barb scatters its eggs and does not guard them.
Related species
4.7 in (12 cm)40 gal (150 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)Everett's barb
Barbodes everetti
4.7 in (12 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)Gold barb
Barbodes semifasciolatus
2.8 in (7 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Clown barb
Barbodes dunckeri
5.1 in (13 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)74 gal (280 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Spanner barb
Barbodes lateristriga
5.9 in (15 cm) · 74 gal (280 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)63 gal (240 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Spotted barb
Barbodes binotatus
5.9 in (15 cm) · 63 gal (240 L)
3.5 in (9 cm)42 gal (160 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)Apsara barb
Dawkinsia apsara
3.5 in (9 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)