Cherry barb

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep them in a group of six or more in a tank from about 75 liters, ideally with more females than males so the males are not pestering one female. They are peaceful and tend to hang in the middle and lower water near plants. They eat almost anything: flake, micro-pellets, and frozen or live foods like bloodworms and daphnia. Their calm temperament makes them a solid beginner fish for a community tank.

In the wild

Cherry barbs are native to shaded forest streams in Sri Lanka, in slow, soft water with overhanging plants and a layer of leaf litter on the bottom. A planted tank with some shade and gentle flow brings out their color and confidence. They are flexible on water, taking a pH from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline and temps in the low to high 20s C.

Good to know

This is a small cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae, reaching about 5 cm. Males are slim and turn deep cherry red when in good condition or breeding, while females are stockier and a muted brownish color. They are egg scatterers with no parental care and will eat their own eggs if given the chance.

Did you know

The red color is mostly a male display thing. A dominant breeding male turns a bright, deep cherry, while subordinate males and resting fish stay much paler, so the color in your tank shifts through the day depending on who is showing off and who is laying low.

Related species

• 

  Five-banded barb

  Desmopuntius pentazona

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Harlequin rasbora

  Trigonostigma heteromorpha

  2 in (5 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Stoliczka's barb

  Pethia stoliczkana

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)
• Cuming's barb

  Pethia cumingii

  2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
• Graceful rasbora

  Trigonopoma gracile

  2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Lined barb

  Striuntius lineatus

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)