TankBud

Glowing ember barb

Enteromius candens

Also known as Barbus candens, Red fin butterfly barb

FreshwaterFish

Glowing ember barb (Enteromius candens)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
1.6 in
4 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
Central Congo basin

Overview

The glowing ember barb is a tiny, peaceful barb for a gentle, well-planted nano tank. It is a fish for keepers with a little experience.

Did you know

The glowing ember barb's species name, candens, is the Latin word for metal heated white-hot, or incandescent. The name captures how its pale, dark-flecked body seems to glow against the dark leaf litter of its home streams.

Caring for the glowing ember barb

Keep glowing ember barbs in a school of eight or more, which brings out their confidence and their color. Single fish or small handfuls tend to hide. A quiet, well-planted tank of 14 gal (54 L) houses a group comfortably.

Give them a dimly lit, botanical setup with driftwood and plenty of leaf litter to stain the water and diffuse the light. A dark substrate makes the pale body read brightest. Gentle flow and dense planting help this small, retiring fish feel secure.

Keep the water warm and soft, at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C), with an acidic to neutral pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Its mouth is small, so feed finely crushed flake, micro pellets and small frozen foods such as cyclops and baby brine shrimp.

Glowing ember barbs are peaceful and swim in the middle water. They suit a gentle nano community of small tetras, rasboras and dwarf catfish. Their breeding is not documented in the hobby.

Good to know

Enteromius candens is one of several dwarf barbs of the central Congo, in the carp family, Cyprinidae. Nichols and Griscom described it in 1917. It carries a row of three bold dark blotches along a pale flank, which gives it the alternate name three-spot barb.

In the wild

The glowing ember barb comes from shaded streams of the central Congo basin, where the water is soft and often tea-colored.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The glowing ember 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 glowing ember barb need?

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

What temperature and pH does a glowing ember barb need?

A glowing ember barb is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a glowing ember barb eat?

A glowing ember barb has a small mouth, so it eats finely crushed flake and micro pellets. Give it small frozen foods too, such as cyclops and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a glowing ember barb get?

An adult glowing ember barb reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Does a glowing ember barb need a group?

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

Related species