TankBud

Maharaja barb

Puntius sahyadriensis

Also known as Khavli barb

FreshwaterFish

Maharaja barb (Puntius sahyadriensis)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India

Overview

The maharaja barb is a hardy, peaceful schooling barb for the middle of a cooler community tank. It is a good first fish.

Did you know

Hobbyists call it the maharaja barb for its confident, almost regal bearing. The scientific name is humbler, since sahyadriensis simply means it comes from the Sahyadri hills.

Caring for the maharaja barb

Keep maharaja barbs in a group of at least six, in a tank of 29 gal (110 L) or more. Give them some current, open swimming space, a sand and gravel bed, and smooth stones and driftwood. Some planting suits them, and a well-planted layout shows off the gold body and dark bars.

They prefer cooler water than tropical lowland fish, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They are adaptable and forgiving of a range of conditions, which makes them easy to settle in. They are undemanding about food and take flake, small pellets and frozen foods with equal appetite.

Maharaja barbs are hardy, peaceful and personable, and quick to learn feeding time. A group settles well into a cooler community with other subtropical hill-stream fish.

They are egg scatterers, and breeding them is a moderate challenge. Conditioned pairs or groups scatter eggs among fine-leaved plants, and the adults will eat the eggs if given the chance.

Good to know

Puntius sahyadriensis is a member of the carp family, Cyprinidae. It is gold, with a row of bold, irregular dark bars along the flank.

In the wild

The maharaja barb lives in the hill streams of the northern Western Ghats in Maharashtra, the range locally called the Sahyadri.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The maharaja 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 maharaja barb need?

A maharaja barb needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a maharaja barb need?

A maharaja barb is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a maharaja barb eat?

A maharaja barb is undemanding about food and takes flake, small pellets and frozen foods with equal appetite.

How big does a maharaja barb get?

An adult maharaja barb reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

Does a maharaja barb need a group?

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

How does a maharaja barb breed?

Maharaja barbs scatter their eggs among fine-leaved plants, in conditioned pairs or groups. The adults eat the eggs if given the chance, and breeding them is a moderate challenge.

Related species