TankBud

Festive sharkminnow barb

Labiobarbus festivus

Also known as Festive apollo barb, Arrow shark

FreshwaterFish

Festive sharkminnow barb (Labiobarbus festivus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
5.5–7.2
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
66 gal
250 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Malay Peninsula and Borneo

Overview

The festive sharkminnow barb is a large, active schooling barb for a spacious tank with flowing water. It takes a little more care than the easiest fish.

Did you know

The festive sharkminnow barb's tall dorsal fin gives it the trade name signal barb. The raised fin flashes a dark, red-edged banner each time the fish turns through the current.

Caring for the festive sharkminnow barb

Keep festive sharkminnow barbs in a group of at least six, since lone fish stay nervous and lose their color. Start a group in a long tank of 66 gal (250 L) or more, with room to add length as they grow. Leave plenty of open water for them to cruise the middle of the tank.

Give them steady current from a strong filter or powerhead, over sand and smooth gravel. Add some water-worn rock and driftwood for cover. Keep the water warm and soft to moderately soft, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.2. Tannins from leaf litter or wood suit them.

In the wild they graze biofilm and take most foods. Offer a varied diet of sinking pellets, algae wafers and frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia.

Festive sharkminnow barbs are peaceful, so match them with other sizeable but calm river fish. Tiny nano species could be pushed aside at feeding time. Their breeding in aquariums is not documented. Like most large river cyprinids, they are presumed to scatter their eggs in open water, spawning on seasonal cues.

Good to know

Labiobarbus festivus belongs to the carp family, Cyprinidae, and is the most colorful member of its genus. Its tall dorsal fin has a long base and streams back like a low sail. The tail is dark with a red edge.

In the wild

The festive sharkminnow barb lives in the rivers and streams of the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. It moves through flowing, well-oxygenated water, and its home has a blackwater edge.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The festive sharkminnow 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 festive sharkminnow barb need?

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

What temperature and pH does a festive sharkminnow barb need?

A festive sharkminnow barb is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.2.

What does a festive sharkminnow barb eat?

A festive sharkminnow barb grazes biofilm in the wild and takes most foods. In the tank, give it sinking pellets, algae wafers and frozen foods such as bloodworm and daphnia.

How big does a festive sharkminnow barb get?

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

Does a festive sharkminnow barb need a group?

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

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