Fiery baril
Opsarius ardens
Also known as Barilius ardens, Malabar hill trout, Orange fin hill trout
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 68–79°F
- 20–26°C
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
- Adult size
- 4.1 in
- 10.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 42 gal
- 160 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Danionidae
- Origin
- Sita and Swarna rivers, Karnataka, India
Overview
The fiery baril is a fast schooling fish for a river tank with current. It suits a keeper with some experience.
Did you know
The fiery baril is one of the barils that fill the trout niche in Indian hill rivers. Its Latin name, ardens, means burning, for the fire in its fins.
Caring for the fiery baril
Keep fiery barils as a school of six or more, in a river tank of 42 gal (160 L) or larger. Give the tank current, plenty of oxygen and open water to sprint. They leap, so tight lids matter.
An unheated or mildly heated setup suits them, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. They are fast and surface-oriented, and they eat anything that moves or sinks slowly.
Fiery barils are mostly peaceful schoolers. Keep them with hillstream loaches and other fish from mahseer country.
Good to know
Opsarius ardens was described in 2015 from the Sita-Swarna system, and it was long lumped under Barilius. Breeding fish show flame-orange fin edges and bar highlights.
In the wild
The fiery baril lives in fast Western Ghats rivers of coastal Karnataka, India.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The fiery baril is a mostly 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.
Blotched sisorid catfish
Glyptothorax macromaculatus
Freshwater6.3 in (16 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Common hatchetfish
Gasteropelecus sternicla
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 33 gal (125 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)
Exclamation barb
Dawkinsia exclamatio
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)
Chinese spiny loach
Cobitis sinensis
Freshwater6 in (15.3 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)59–75°F (15–24°C)
Forest halfbeak
Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 34 gal (130 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Orange Congo tetra
Phenacogrammus aurantiacus
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a fiery baril need?
A fiery baril needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a fiery baril need?
A fiery baril is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.
What does a fiery baril eat?
A fiery baril eats anything that moves or sinks slowly.
How big does a fiery baril get?
An adult fiery baril reaches about 4.1 in (10.5 cm).
Does a fiery baril need a group?
Yes. A fiery baril is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
Related species
4.3 in (11 cm)42 gal (160 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Bernatzik's baril
Opsarius bernatziki
4.3 in (11 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)
4.3 in (11 cm)42 gal (160 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)Malabar baril
Opsarius malabaricus
4.3 in (11 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)
5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Jeweled baril
Opsarius pulchellus
5.1 in (13 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
5.5 in (14 cm)53 gal (200 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)Shacra baril
Opsarius shacra
5.5 in (14 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)Barna baril
Opsarius barna
5.9 in (15 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
4.3 in (11 cm)42 gal (160 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)Annandale danio
Devario annandalei
4.3 in (11 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)