TankBud

Ablabes barb

Enteromius ablabes

Also known as Barbus ablabes, West African silver barb

FreshwaterFish

Ablabes barb (Enteromius ablabes)
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
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
24 gal
90 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
West Africa from Guinea to Ghana

Overview

The Ablabes barb is a quick, active little barb that patrols the middle water of a planted tank. It is easy to keep and makes a good centerpiece for a West African community.

Did you know

The Ablabes barb was one of Africa's little barbs filed for about a century and a half under the giant catch-all genus Barbus. Genetic studies then split them into Enteromius, a change firmed up around 2015. Import lists and old books are still catching up to it.

Caring for the Ablabes barb

Keep Ablabes barbs in a group of six or more, so their constant foraging looks natural and the fish stay bold. A tank of 24 gal (90 L) suits a lively group. Give them a planted tank with soft substrate, wood and leaf litter, plus open swimming room and planted cover to dart into.

Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, and give it a gentle to moderate flow. This barb adapts readily, but clean water and some current keep it in good form.

Ablabes barbs are easy to feed and accept flake, micro pellets and small frozen or live foods. They also graze soft algae between meals.

Keep these peaceful barbs with other small, gentle species. Aquarium breeding is not on record for them.

Good to know

The Ablabes barb, Enteromius ablabes, is a member of the carp family, Cyprinidae. It is gold-toned, with a clean dark stripe running from the eye to the base of the tail. Bleeker described it in 1863.

In the wild

The Ablabes barb ranges widely through West Africa, from Guinea east and south through Ghana and beyond. It lives in forest streams and open savanna rivers.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Ablabes 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 an Ablabes barb need?

An Ablabes barb needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Ablabes barb need?

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

What does an Ablabes barb eat?

An Ablabes barb eats flake, micro pellets and small frozen or live foods. It also grazes soft algae between meals.

How big does an Ablabes barb get?

An adult Ablabes barb reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Does an Ablabes barb need a group?

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

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