TankBud

Redcheek barb

Discherodontus ashmeadi

Also known as Ashmead's barb

FreshwaterFish

Redcheek barb (Discherodontus ashmeadi)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
5.4 in
13.6 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Mekong and Chao Phraya basins

Overview

The redcheek barb is a peaceful, current-loving shoaling barb for a river-style tank. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The redcheek barb's red cheek is a blush on the gill cover of an otherwise plain silver body. The blush is strongest on healthy adults in cool, fast, well-oxygenated water. It is also the quickest way to pick the species out of a mixed barb tank.

Caring for the redcheek barb

Keep redcheek barbs in a group of six or more, in a tank of at least 42 gal (160 L). That gives a starter group the length and flow it wants. They grow larger than they look as young shop fish.

Drive the tank with a strong filter or powerhead, since this current-loving barb needs water movement to look and behave its best. Build a river-style layout of smooth rocks and cobbles over a sand or fine-gravel floor, with open lanes between patches of rounded stone. Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Hold nitrate low with regular water changes.

Feed them generously and with variety, using sinking pellets, wafers, frozen bloodworm and daphnia, and some vegetable matter. Redcheek barbs are peaceful and swim in the middle and lower-middle levels. They suit active but gentle tank mates that enjoy the same brisk, well-oxygenated water, such as other river barbs and loaches. Aquarium breeding is not on record for the species.

Good to know

Discherodontus ashmeadi belongs to the carp family, Cyprinidae, and was described by Fowler in 1937. It is a silver, fork-tailed river barb with dark tips to the tail lobes. It is also known as Ashmead's barb.

In the wild

The redcheek barb lives in clear, flowing brooks and rivers of Thailand and the lower Mekong region. It swims over beds of gravel and stone, where moderate to strong current keeps the water bright and oxygen-rich.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The redcheek 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 redcheek barb need?

A redcheek barb needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a redcheek barb need?

A redcheek barb is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a redcheek barb eat?

A redcheek barb eats sinking pellets, wafers, and frozen bloodworm and daphnia, along with some vegetable matter. Feed it generously and with variety.

How big does a redcheek barb get?

An adult redcheek barb reaches about 5.4 in (13.6 cm).

Does a redcheek barb need a group?

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

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