TankBud

Hard-lipped barb

Osteochilus vittatus

Also known as Osteochilus hasseltii, Bonylip barb

FreshwaterFish

Hard-lipped barb (Osteochilus vittatus)
A.H Idham · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
11.8 in
30 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Mekong through Sundaland

Overview

The hard-lipped barb is a big, peaceful grazer of plants and algae that swims in the middle water. It suits a jumbo community of other large, calm fish, and it is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

In some waters, the hard-lipped barb is stocked on purpose to help graze down blooms of planktonic algae.

Caring for the hard-lipped barb

A tank of 106 gal (400 L) is a sensible minimum for a small group of hard-lipped barbs. Give them room to work the surfaces all day, with open water, a soft bed, driftwood and hardy or robust plants.

Keep the water warm, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. A group of large grazers is messy, so give them strong filtration and current.

The hard-lipped barb rasps biofilm from wood, rock and leaves. Feed it a green-leaning diet of algae wafers, blanched vegetables and quality flake and pellets, with the odd frozen meaty food.

Hard-lipped barbs shoal, so keep several together. They are gentle and will not trouble tank mates they cannot eat. They are not bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

The hard-lipped barb, Osteochilus vittatus, is a member of the carp family, Cyprinidae. For years it was traded as Osteochilus hasseltii, a name now treated as invalid. The genus name means bony lip, for the hardened, ridged lips it uses to scrape algae and detritus from surfaces. It is an important food fish across its range.

In the wild

The hard-lipped barb is widespread across Southeast Asia, from the Mekong through the rivers and floodplains of Sundaland. It forms shoals there in flowing and still waters alike.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The hard-lipped 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 hard-lipped barb need?

A hard-lipped barb needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a hard-lipped barb need?

A hard-lipped barb is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a hard-lipped barb eat?

A hard-lipped barb rasps biofilm from wood, rock and leaves. Feed it algae wafers, blanched vegetables, quality flake and pellets, and the odd frozen meaty food.

How big does a hard-lipped barb get?

An adult hard-lipped barb reaches about 11.8 in (30 cm).

Does a hard-lipped barb need a group?

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

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