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
Origin: Central Congo basin
Family: Cyprinidae

Overview

This is a tiny, peaceful barb best kept as a school of eight or more, which brings out its confidence and its color; single fish or small handfuls tend to hide. It swims in the middle water and suits a gentle nano community of small tetras, rasboras, and dwarf catfish. Its mouth is small, so feed finely crushed flake, micro pellets, and small frozen foods such as cyclops and baby brineshrimp. A quiet, well-planted tank of around 54 liters houses a group comfortably, and the pale body reads brightest over a dark substrate and leaf litter.

In the wild

The glowing ember barb comes from shaded streams of the central Congo basin, in soft, often tea-colored water. Give it a dimly lit, botanical setup with a dark substrate, driftwood, and plenty of leaf litter to stain the water and diffuse the light. Keep it warm at 22 to 27 degrees Celsius, with an acidic to neutral pH from 5.5 to 7.0 and soft water. Gentle flow and dense planting help this small, retiring fish feel secure.

Good to know

Enteromius candens is one of several dwarf barbs of the central Congo, a member of the carp family, Cyprinidae, described by Nichols and Griscom in 1917. It reaches only about 4 centimeters and carries a row of three bold dark blotches along a pale flank, which gives it the alternate name three-spot barb. The Latin candens means white-hot or incandescent, for that pale, glowing body. Its breeding is not documented in the hobby.

Did you know

Candens is the Latin word for metal heated white-hot; the name captures how the pale, dark-flecked body seems to glow against the dark leaf litter of its home streams.