TankBud

Jae barb

Enteromius jae

Also known as Barbus jae, Jae's barb, Red jae barb

FreshwaterFish

Jae barb (Enteromius jae)
Udo Vornhusen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–77°F
20–25°C
pH
5.0–6.5
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Native to shaded rainforest streams and pools of Cameroon and neighboring Central and West Africa.

Overview

The Jae barb is a tiny, shy and peaceful African barb that shows best in a quiet blackwater tank. It needs a little more care than the easiest community fish.

Did you know

A group of Jae barbs looks plain in a bright shop tank, then turns deep red and confident once settled in a shaded blackwater tank. That change catches many keepers by surprise.

Caring for the Jae barb

Keep Jae barbs in a group of at least eight to ten, in a mature tank of 16 gal (60 L) or more. Leaf litter, gentle flow and dim light help them settle and help the males color up.

Give them soft, acidic water at 68 to 77°F (20 to 25°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. Feed small foods such as micropellets and crushed flake, plus frozen or live daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp.

They are gentle schoolers for a soft-water community with other small, calm species. Males flush a deep brick red once settled and in good condition. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The Jae barb was long known as Barbus jae and now sits in the African barb genus Enteromius. That genus, in the family Cyprinidae, covers most small African barbs. The strong red color of conditioned males is the main reason it is collected for the hobby.

In the wild

The Jae barb comes from shaded, soft, acidic rainforest streams and pools in Cameroon and nearby countries of Central and West Africa. It shoals at mid depth and near the bottom among leaf litter and roots, in dim, tea-colored water. It shares these rainforest waters with many killifish.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Jae 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 Jae barb need?

A Jae barb needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Jae barb need?

A Jae barb is comfortable at 68–77°F (20–25°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.5.

What does a Jae barb eat?

A Jae barb eats small foods such as micropellets and crushed flake, plus frozen or live daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp.

How big does a Jae barb get?

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

Does a Jae barb need a group?

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

How can you tell a male Jae barb from a female?

Males flush a deep brick red once they are settled and in good condition.

Related species