TankBud

Purple-fin barb

Cyclocheilichthys janthochir

Also known as Janthochir barb, Red fin bala shark

FreshwaterFish

Purple-fin barb (Cyclocheilichthys janthochir)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
4.5–6.5
Adult size
7.1 in
18 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Blackwater rivers of western Borneo

Overview

The purple-fin barb is a medium-sized, peaceful schooling barb for a large, soft-water community tank. It needs a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The purple-fin barb carries violet as standard, a rare color on a freshwater fish. Its species name, janthochir, means violet hand, after the orchid tint on its pectoral fins.

Caring for the purple-fin barb

Give a group of purple-fin barbs a long tank of at least 53 gal (200 L), with room to cruise. They grow too large and active for a small tank. Add a dark substrate, driftwood, heavy leaf litter and dim lighting.

Keep the water warm, soft and distinctly acidic, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 4.5 to 6.5. Soft, mineral-poor water matters for their health and keeps the violet in their fins strong. They are omnivores that lean toward small live and frozen foods, insects and sinking pellets.

Keep a group of at least six. They are peaceful and swim in the middle water. They are safe with other sizeable soft-water fish such as chocolate gouramis and larger rasboras, but they will overwhelm tiny tank mates. Their aquarium breeding is not documented.

Good to know

Cyclocheilichthys janthochir is a member of the carp family, Cyprinidae. It grows substantially larger than most aquarium barbs.

In the wild

The purple-fin barb lives in the blackwater streams and peat-swamp rivers of western Borneo. The water there is very soft, strongly acidic and stained with tannins, and it runs dark under the forest canopy. It feeds on aquatic insects there.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The purple-fin 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 purple-fin barb need?

A purple-fin barb needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a purple-fin barb need?

A purple-fin barb is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.5.

What does a purple-fin barb eat?

A purple-fin barb is an omnivore. It leans toward small live and frozen foods and insects, and it also takes sinking pellets.

How big does a purple-fin barb get?

An adult purple-fin barb reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).

Does a purple-fin barb need a group?

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

Related species