TankBud

Congo clipper barb

Clypeobarbus congicus

Also known as Barbus congicus, Congo barb

FreshwaterFish

Congo clipper barb (Clypeobarbus congicus)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
6.0–7.2
Adult size
2.2 in
5.5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Congo basin

Overview

The Congo clipper barb is a small, peaceful schooling barb for a planted tank. It is a little delicate and best kept by someone with some experience.

Did you know

The Congo clipper barb has a row of belly scales enlarged into overlapping, shield-like plates. That detail is behind the genus name Clypeobarbus, meaning shield barb, and it sets the group apart.

Caring for the Congo clipper barb

Keep Congo clipper barbs in a group of eight or more, in a well-planted, shaded tank with driftwood and a dark substrate. A tank of 14 gal (54 L) houses a starter group.

Keep the water clean, stable and gently flowing, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C). Soft, slightly acidic to neutral water with a pH of 6.0 to 7.2 suits them, with gentle filtration. Feed small foods such as fine flake and micro pellets, with frozen and live foods like daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

The Congo clipper barb is peaceful, and a shoal keeps it confident and colored up. It swims in the middle water and pairs well with other small, gentle species in a soft-water community, such as dwarf African tetras. There are no records of it breeding in aquariums.

Good to know

The Congo clipper barb, Clypeobarbus congicus, is a small African cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae.

In the wild

The Congo clipper barb lives in streams and smaller rivers throughout the Congo basin, in warm, soft, gently flowing forest water. Its range reaches into the Ruzizi and Malagarasi rivers of East Africa.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Congo clipper 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 a Congo clipper barb need?

A Congo clipper barb needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Congo clipper barb need?

A Congo clipper barb is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.2.

What does a Congo clipper barb eat?

A Congo clipper barb eats small foods such as fine flake and micro pellets. It also takes frozen and live foods like daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a Congo clipper barb get?

An adult Congo clipper barb reaches about 2.2 in (5.5 cm).

Does a Congo clipper barb need a group?

Yes. A Congo clipper barb is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

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