Foersch's barb

Desmopuntius foerschi

Also known as Puntius foerschi

FreshwaterFish

Foersch's barb (Desmopuntius foerschi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 5.0–6.8
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Kapuas and Barito basins, Borneo, Indonesia
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

Keep Foersch's barb in a shoal of at least six, and preferably ten or more, since it is a somewhat shy fish that grows bolder in numbers and fades into the shadows when kept in ones and twos. It occupies the middle water and is entirely peaceful, so give it small, gentle tankmates such as rasboras, licorice gouramis, or other soft-water species rather than fast, greedy feeders that outcompete it. Feed small sinking pellets, flake, and frozen foods like daphnia and bloodworm. A planted, shaded tank of around 110 liters houses a group well.

In the wild

Foersch's barb lives in the soft, acidic blackwater streams of peat-swamp forest in Indonesian Borneo, including the Kapuas and Barito basins. Water there is stained brown with tannins, dimly lit, and very low in minerals. Recreate it with a dark substrate, driftwood, and a good layer of leaf litter, keeping the light low. Aim for 23 to 28 degrees Celsius and a distinctly acidic pH from 5.0 to 6.8, with excellent water quality, since it reacts badly to any decline.

Good to know

Desmopuntius foerschi is a banded barb in the carp family, Cyprinidae, described by Kottelat in 1982 and reaching roughly 6 to 8 centimeters. The genus name means banded barb, for the dark vertical bars its members carry. Its species name honors Dr. Walter Foersch, a Munich physician and noted aquarist. Its breeding is not recorded in aquaria, and like its relatives it is presumed to be an egg-scattering spawner that needs soft, acidic water to succeed.

Did you know

The fish honors Dr. Walter Foersch, a Munich doctor and killifish expert whose name also rides a Bornean mouthbrooding betta, Betta foerschi, and an African killifish, Nothobranchius foerschi.