TankBud

Golden dwarf barb

Pethia gelius

Also known as Gold Clown Barb

FreshwaterFish

Golden dwarf barb (Pethia gelius)
Frank M. Greco · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–75°F
18–24°C
pH
6.0–7.0
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
South Asia: Ganges and Brahmaputra drainages of northern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh

Overview

The golden dwarf barb is a small schooling barb for a cool, planted community tank. It is a straightforward fish to keep.

Did you know

A settled group of golden dwarf barbs tends to color up rather than slow down near the low end of their temperature range. Most aquarium fish do the opposite.

Caring for the golden dwarf barb

Keep golden dwarf barbs in a group of at least 8 to 10, in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. A footprint of about 60 by 30 cm gives a small group room to school. Loners hide and lose their color, so the group matters.

Give them a densely planted tank with driftwood, a soft sandy or silty substrate and gentle flow. They settle best under subdued, dappled light, so floating plants or a few tall stems to break up the surface help a lot.

This cool-water fish does well at 64 to 75°F (18 to 24°C) and arguably prefers the lower end. Unusually for a barb, it often needs no heater in a temperate room and fits an unheated coldwater community. Keep the water soft, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Feed small flakes, micro pellets and frozen treats such as daphnia or baby brine shrimp. Golden dwarf barbs are peaceful but timid, and they school tightly in the middle of the tank when nervous. Keep tank mates small and gentle, since boisterous or larger fish will outcompete them at feeding time.

They are egg scatterers with no parental care. Breeding them takes moderate effort.

Good to know

The golden dwarf barb is a small cyprinid in the family Cyprinidae. FishBase lists it a touch larger than most care sources do. A healthy adult lives a few years, and most fish in the trade are commercially bred.

In the wild

Golden dwarf barbs come from slow, plant-choked stretches of the Ganges and Brahmaputra drainages across northern India, Nepal and Bangladesh. These are cool, soft waters that run on the acidic to neutral side.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The golden dwarf 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 golden dwarf barb need?

A golden dwarf barb needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a golden dwarf barb need?

A golden dwarf barb is comfortable at 64–75°F (18–24°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.0.

What does a golden dwarf barb eat?

A golden dwarf barb eats small flakes, micro pellets and frozen treats such as daphnia or baby brine shrimp.

How big does a golden dwarf barb get?

An adult golden dwarf barb reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Does a golden dwarf barb need a group?

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

How does a golden dwarf barb breed?

Golden dwarf barbs are egg scatterers and give their eggs no parental care. Breeding them takes moderate effort.

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